Manny Shinwell leaving Britain to freeze and close down. He became unpopular with the public and was sacked in October 1947. He then served as Secretary of State for War and then as Minister of Defence in 1950-51. The high defence spending which he demanded, partly to pay for Britain's involvement in the Korean War, was a major factor causing Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Gaitskell to impose NHS charges, prompting the resignation of Aneurin Bevan from the Cabinet. After Labour's defeat in 1951, Shinwell continued to serve in the Shadow Cabinet in Opposition until he stepped down in 1955. Thereafter he
Manny Shinwell gained national notoriety through his involvement in the Glasgow 40 Hours' Movement. This movement culminated in clashes between police and protesters in Glasgow's George Square in January 1919, in which he was alleged to have been involved. He was afterwards tried for incitement to riot and was sentenced to five months' imprisonment in Calton Jail, Edinburgh. An Independent Labour Party (ILP) member, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Linlithgowshire in West Lothian at the 1922 general election. In 1924 he was Secretary for Mines (not a Cabinet-level post) in the First Labour Government. He lost his seat