The first majority Labour government in Britain was pledged to maintain full employment, reform the financial system and nationalize major industries. It faced a massive balance-of-payments problem and a persistent threat of inflation. Using records of the Labour Party, the Treasury, the Bank of England and other participants in the discussions of the time, this study explains the reasons for Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Dalton's pursuit of cheaper money in 1945-7 and for the continuation of cheap money until the advent of a Conservative government in 1951. It also examines the consequences of Labour's monetary policies in terms of modern economic theory, as well as considering why Labour's financial reform was so limited.