Clement Atlee British Labour statesman Labour MP for Limehouse from Attlee became leader of the Labour Party in and served as Deputy Prime Minister in the wartime cabinet under Winston Churchill After the war Labour defeated the Conservatives in the General Election and Attlee became Prime Minister His government passed a range of groundbreaking legislative measures including the nationalisation of a wide range of industries the creation of the welfare state and the establishment of the National Health Service Cartoon from Punch London