The most important part of his political career however lay between 1940 and 1955. He was one of the leading members of the all-party Collilic. post-war reconstruction and as minister of Education in the coalition government pushed through against Churchill's initial reluctance one of the major reforms of the social democratic Consensur 1944 Education Act which centralised education in the hands of the state and considerably expanded it.
He was also closely involved in the plan to imCharter and the 1950 pro for BritaT Rich Rene Britain' which WelC both drawn up by Butler the party signalled its acceptance Tuneamental reform and the changed balance of forces brought about by the war, the and the subseCoalon quent labour government.
Chancellorsn between 1951 and 1965 Butler demonstrated pragmatic acceptanc by Tories of Keynesian demand management, high welfare spending and an enlarged public sector. At the same time he took advantage the change in the terms of trade and the acceleration of growth in the world