Britain 1850-1979

1
Britain 1850-1979

• The Liberal Reforms 1906-1914

2
Aims

• Define laissez faire and collectivism
• Identify the main features of the Victorian
  Welfare System.
• Identify the change in the role of the government
  between 1800-1900.

3
Laissez Faire The Role of the Government

• Class Discussion
• What types of problems/issues would
• you expect our government to deal
• with in todays society?

4
Laissez Faire

• In 1800 the main role of the government was to
  collect taxes and defend the country.
• The key principles underpinning the role of the
  government was LAISSEZ FAIRE i.e. belief that the
  state (or government) should not interfere in the
  lives of people or the economy.

5
Laissez Faire The Role of the Government

• Class Discussion
• What would be the advantages and
• disadvantages of the laissez faire
• approach of the British government?

6
A Changing Role

• From 1840 onwards the role of the government
  began to change. As the historian Cromwell puts
  it
• In 1800, England had virtually no
• government the peace was kept and her shores
  defended. By 1900 no citizen could fail to be
  aware of the activities of government
• By 1900 it is argued that there had been a growth
  in collectivism i.e. the belief that the
  Government should intervene in peoples lives and
  the economy to achieve positive change.

7
The Investigation of Poverty

• Aims
• To identify the findings of Booth and Rowntree
  who investigated poverty.
• To examine the shift away from laissez faire by
  the end of the 19th century

8
Charles Booth

• Wealthy Liverpool ship owner
• Investigated poverty in London
• 1 million families investigated over 17 years.

9
Seebohm Rowntree

• Related to cocoa and chocolate manufacturers.
• Investigated poverty in York

10
Overall Effects of Social Investigations into
Poverty

• Created a greater awareness of poverty among the
  middle classes and helped to shift public opinion
  away from laissez faire towards a collectivist
  belief i.e. that government intervention was
  needed in British society.
• When the Liberal Government came to power in
  1906, Booths and Rowntrees surveys gave them a
  clear picture of the scale and the causes of
  poverty across Britain and made it impossible for
  them to ignore the problem.

11
Background to the Reforms

• Aims
• To identify the importance of the 1906 Liberal
  election victory.
• To identify the divide between Old and New
  Liberalism.
• To identify the main reforms introduced to help
  the young in Britain.

12
Old and New Liberalism

• Henry Campbell-Bannerman
• Winston Churchill
• David Lloyd George

13
Background to the Reforms

• In 1906 the Liberals won the election with a
  landslide victory. They had an overall majority
  of 356 seats in Parliament this meant they
  could pass any laws they liked.
• By 1906 society was increasingly aware of the
  effects of poverty due to the investigations of
  Booth and Rowntree.

14
Background to the Reforms

• In the 1906 election the LRC had won 29 seats in
  Parliament. The Liberals were also aware they
  had to attract working class votes to stay in
  power.
• From 1906 onwards the Liberals introduced a
  number of reforms to tackle the key causes of
  poverty unemployment, sickness, old age and low
  wages.

15
The Young

• Arguments in Favour of Reform
• Humanitarian arguments
• National Efficiency
• The Main Reforms
• School Meals 1906
• Medical Inspections 1907
• Childrens Charter 1908

16
1908 A Turning Point

• Aims
• 1908 was a turning point in the pace of reform.
• The introduction of old age pension in 1908.
• The crisis caused by the Peoples Budget 1909

17
1908 A Turning Point

• Campbell- Bannerman resigned and was replaced by
  Asquith.
• New Liberals appointed to the Cabinet Churchill
  and Lloyd George.
• Both men were aware of the growing threat of the
  Labour party, concerned about national efficiency
  and impressed by Germanys example.

18
The Old Background to the Reforms

• The idea of introducing pension for the elderly
  had been discussed for over 20 years with key
  figures such as Charles Booth supporting the
  idea.
• Other countries had already introduced pensions
  before 1900 e.g. Denmark, New Zealand, Germany.
• Two main obstacles existed the cost and the
  opposition from Friendly Societies who provided
  pensions to the thrifty working class.

19
The Sick National Insurance Act (Part 1)
1911

• Workers up to the age of 70 who earned less than
  160 a year had to insure themselves against
  sickness.
• Along with the workers contribution, their
  employer and the government all contributed a
  weekly sum.
• Insured workers were entitled to sickness benefit
  for up to 26 weeks (6 months) and free medical
  care from a doctor.
• The scheme did not cover other members of the
  employees family who still had to pay doctors
  bills.

20
The Unemployed - Background

• Unemployment was still regarded as a moral
  problem of individual idleness or a
  cyclical/seasonal problem for certain industries
  e.g. shipbuilding where work was not always
  available.
• Many of the unemployed now had the vote which
  meant that political parties now had to attract
  these new potential voters.

21
The Unemployed

• The main measures to help the
• unemployed were
• The Unemployed Workmens Act 1905
• Labour Exchanges 1909
• National Insurance Act (Part 2) 1911

22
The Employed

• The main measures to help the
• employed were
• Workmens Compensation Act 1906
• Coal Mines Act 1908
• Trade Boards Act 1909
• Shops Act 1911

23
The Effectiveness of the Liberal Reforms
Positive Viewpoints

• The Liberals tried to tackle the key cause of
  poverty and provide safeguards against old age,
  sickness etc.
• Some historians C Cross, G Williams, EJ Evan
  argue they laid the cornerstones of the modern
  welfare state that future governments built upon.
• By our standards the reforms appear limited but
  they were radical for the time and the government
  was accepting responsibility for the welfare of
  its citizens.

24
The Effectiveness of the Liberal Reforms
Negative Viewpoints

• The Liberals did nothing to tackle other
  important social issues e.g. extending education
  provision, tackling slum housing or providing
  free medical treatment.
• Some historians EJ Evans, ME Rose argued the
  reforms were limited in scope e.g. only covered
  certain people, benefits were only payable for a
  fixed amount of time.