Given Churchill’s popularity in the war, why did he lose the 1945 election?

... Given Churchill's popularity in the war, why did he lose the 1945 election? On May 23, 1945, the coalition Government which Churchill had led for five years was dissolved, and he found himself fighting his first election as Prime Minister, and as leader of the Conservative party. He was 70 years old. He had already fought in 15 elections in a political career that had spanned 45 years. Churchill was one of the greatest British leaders. He was the only 'commoner' to have been given a state funeral. Churchill was 65 when he became Prime Minister. During the 1930's he was considered a vivid personality whose best political days were long since past, because, on the big issues, he had too often showed faulty judgement and took too many risks. As a young man, he had deserted the Conservatives to join the Liberals. No one denied that he

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