As leader of the London County Council (1934–40), he unified the transport system under public ownership and created a “green belt” around the metropolis. Morrison was Minister of Supply and then Home Secretary in Churchill’s coalition government during World War II. He drafted the programme of nationalization and social services in the 1945 Labour manifesto. From 1945 he was Deputy Prime Minister under Attlee, but he was defeated by Gaitskell in the election for leadership of the Labour Party in 1955.