1900-1918 Flashcards
Balfour [1902-05]
Education Act 1902
1902 education bill
– overhaul to the education system
– provided state provision for secondary schools
– abolished school boards in England and Wales and gave their responsibilities to the local council, called Local Education Authorities (LEAs)
– they could create/ fund secondary schools and develop existing elementary schools
– this ment church schools could be publicly funded
Balfour [1902-05]
Licensing Act 1904
Control the number of public houses
if pubs and brewers licenses were taken away they could be compensated
Balfour [1902-05]
Chinese slavery in South Africa
Shortages in mines so they imported 50,000 Chinese laborers (outrage by everyone gov does little to sort it)
Balfour [1902-05]
★ Taff Vale judgement 1901★
The house of Lord say trade unions could be sued by employers for loss of earnings in a strike when unlawful picketing takes place
however it doesn’t say what about the picketing is unlawful so the regulations are unclear
Heavily opposed by Trade Unions and Labour
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman [1905-08]
The Education (provision of meals) acts 1906
Local education authorities use rate money to provide meals for needy children
(labour idea nicked by libs)
LEAs pay for school meals of Needy children (Labour Mp Idea)
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman [1905-08]
The trades dispute act 1906
The unions can no longer be sued for damages occurred during a strike
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Osborne judgment 1909
Political contributions are made illegal so now trade unions can’t fund labour MPs who rely on it to be paid
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Trade union acts 1913
Reversed the Osborne judgment of 1909 ( got rid of the no political contributions law )
so now trade unions can fund labour
Disraeli doctrine 1870
A view by Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin dysraeli (1870) that HOL should only use its veto power to amend bills in certain circumstances such as:
When HOC oppinion = very divided and the bill only passed by small majority
Public opinion was clearly against the proposal
The issue would result in such fundamental change
– that government should be allowed to make such change without asking the voters first in a general election
• didn’t apply to Liberal government of 1906
– because they won a massive majority and therefore no Bill that was likely to pass a narrow majority of liberals
– this would limit how much the HOL could justifiably interfere with the actions of the Liberal government
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman [1905-08]
Campbell bannerman’s 1907 series of resolutions on the House of Lords
Calling for limitations on the power HOL to delay, amend or veto legislation
– widespread support in HOC but had no real Power to restrict the HOL’s power
• cabinet = divided to decide whether they should restrict the HOL’s powers or reform the HOL particularly it’s composition
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Liberal budget 1909
The budget raised income tax over £3,000 from 9d to 1S 2D
– including additional tax on incomes over £5,000
Give allowances of £10 per year for children under 16
– avalible to families of annual incomes of less than £500
• Land tax which required property surveys to identify high value land was used to put a tax on inherited properties and high value land
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
parliment act 1911 + Crisis May 1910-Aug 1911
HOL can’t veto money bills and the HOL isn’t a polished and can only veto a bill for 2 years before it is passed
Asquith and King meets May 1910, Know HOL wont pass it
– King agrees to create more Liberal lords to pass the Bill but only if a general election was called on the issue
Gen election Dec 1910 to pass it
272 Lib 272 Tor
relys on 84 Irish Nationals to pass act
may 1911 Act goes to HoL
August 1911:
HOL vote for it 131:114
Rats = Lords who want it
Hedgers = undecided
Ditchers = oppose it (cuz walked out)
Passed
Balfour Resigns and Tory Leader
Bonar Law replaces him
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
home rule bill 1912
(britain)
general election every 5 years
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
(failed) concilidation bill 1910
Enfranchisment (give vote) of women in the bias of either a householder or an occupation franchise
(women who own houses)
would give 8% of women the vote
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Cat And Mouse Act 1913
women on hunger strike were released and then rearrested once they ate to controll the number of them hunger striking
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
(failed) franchise bill 1911
full male adult suffarage
(gov decided to abolish plural voting instead)
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Third Irish home rule bill 1912
After the first two veto by the House of Lords, with them now no longer able to do that for more than two years
the Irish National Party helped win the vote for the People’s budget
So the liberals granted them a home rule bill in which
an Irish parliament with an elected house of commons
and a senate with limited power over money bills
42 Irish MPs at Westminster
and the Ulster was included in the new parlement
carson and the unionists+torys+ Bonar law opposed it because the Ulster was involved+ unionist rally july 1912
Asquith and the Liberal supported it and said that Bonar law and the conservative speech against it was “reckless and grammar of Anarchy”
Redmond internationalist supporters some bits but wanted more independence but they saw it as a starting point
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Labour exchanges 1909
Provided a place of people to find work
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman [1905-08]
School meals act 1906
Free school meal for poor children
made compulsory in 1911
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Coal mines act 1908-1911
8 hour day inmproved health and saftey
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
National Insurance act 1911 (unemploy)
unemployment pay if:
Out of work for a short time EG construction and engineering
insured workers: 7s/week for 15 weeks
paid in weekly contributions of 2½d from workers employers and the gov
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
insurance act part 2
unemployment act 1911 (health)
sick pay 10s for 13 weeks (7s 6d for women)
then 5s per week for 13 weeks after that
(later become 10s for entire 26 weeks)
30s meternaty grant for women
5s/week disability
+free medical benifits under a doctor
all workers earning <£160/week 16-60 yrs old
15 mill ppl overal
tobpay for this weekly payments were taken from workers(4d) employers (3d) and the gov (2d)
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Trade boards 1909
min wage in sweated trade e.g chain makers
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Shops Act 1911
shop assistants get ½ a day of + sunday
H.H. Asquith [1908-16]
Old Age Pention Act 1908
70+yrs
5s/week if:
annual income of less than £21
with a sliding scale of what you received £21‐31 £31+=nothing
couldnt get it if:
been in prison in the last 10 yrs
claimed poor releif in the last year or not worked regularly
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman [1905-08]
Education act 1907
Compulsory medical inspections by doctors in schools at least three times during their time at school the first is as soon as they start
This is to highlight the poor health of the recruits for the boer War and so that it doesn’t happen again
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
The Children’s Act 1908
This made parental neglect illegal
child allowences for poorset of familys (from 1909) £10/child
juvenile courts + remand homes for young offenders (previously sent to adult prisons)
illegal to sell tobacco + alcohol to children in unsealed containers
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
national insurance bill 1911
Response from the Labour Party
They believed it wasn’t enough to help the unemployed and the unhealthy and
they believe that they were going to do it they better do it properly (didnt)
they believed that they needed to give people a chance to earn money their own way and not to tackle unemployment by just paying them
They also predicted that that wasn’t enough money being given to be able to live off in the first place so it would be unaffective
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
National insurance bill 1911
Conservative Party response
They believe that the bill took away from people’s independence
10 weeks before it was passed in the HoC, the HOL vetoed it which eventually led to the constitutional crisis
they didn’t approve of it due to being it literally being against everything that they stood for
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
National insurance bill 1911
response from medical professionals
Believed it was too close to socialism of which there was a rising fear of in Europe
and the fear that they would take over Britain
they also feared the people’s lives become too dependent on the government
and the government would become too involved and people’s lives
Liberal Party Attitudes to war 1914
Many people in the party were naturally pacifists against War Two Cabinet ministers resigned on this principle
however most liberals were in favor of going to war because they were concerned about German military expantion and they disliked the autocratic power of Kaiser Wilhelm II
therefore there was a general support for the war
Until later issues such as conscription and Total War when completely against liberal principles
but overal support
The conservative parties attitude to war 1914
The vast majority were really in support of the war and they were very United to defend the Empire
however there were concerned about the effect it would have on the economy as Germany was Britain’s biggest trading partner
The labour parties attitude towards war 1914
Labour was deeply divided about this war
there were many pacifists that were completely against the principle of war
and they believe that it was a capitalist nature
and the working class would suffer the most (this was influenced by the ideas of marx)
however some members, mainly the trade union members, felt that the involvement in the war was necessary due to the National danger posted by Germany
Conscientious objectors in the UK during WW1 [1914-1918]
A conscientious objective is somebody who is against the war and may refuse to help out and join the war effort
there were 16,000 of these people in the UK
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
Asquith’s letter to King George V
3rd August 1914
Summary
There were little divisions in the cabinet as they were all anxious on the idea of going to war
this is evident in the four resignations of Asquith colleagues
During a cabinet meeting a telegram from Brussels to the Belgium minister summarized the German ultimatum
They would worry that we would have to go to War due to their treaty with Belgium
Which stated that Belgium must remain independent
Is Germany invaded Belgium this treaty will be broken
and if Britain did not respond then there would be an imbalance of power in Europe (france would loose russia wouldn’t) and a loss of foreign respect for Britain
Total War 1914 definition
War without restrictions on territory, weapons and combat methods and objectives
this is especially prominent where the rules of War disagreeable
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition]
WW1
The home front
issues
The standard of living
- there were food shortages due to u-boats sinking supply ships until the navy gets convoys in 1917
- there was a loss of Manpower on farms which led to food shortages and children withdrawing from schools
- due to more working in factories there was more lung disease
- influenza outbreak 1918
- the cost of living Rises due to money shortages as a result of high government spending
-blackouts
-farmers on min wage
- army stated that workers should not have holidays
- women and boys with two who were too young had to work in factories help the war effort
- conscientious objectors [jan 1916] who refute outright during conscription was punished by the army or in prisoned 69 of these people died
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1 Home front
Possitives
- there were cuts to childcare costs
- 1911 National Insurance extended to 1916 to soldiers families and war working Widows 13S
- disability allowance fo the badly wounded
- separation payments for families Fighting in the war [1917] 23S
- after the Manpower lost on farms
- people’s wages grow faster than the prices rise so they can still afford some foods. so families buy cheap foods such as milk, bread, potatoes and bacon
- and there was only some rationing by 1918
- free school meals act was extended to needy school children
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1 Home front
Conscription
Conscription started may 1916
-This is due to by 1915 the old British Army had almost been destroyed during fighting
-The conservative lord Derby made a volunteers scheme which involved people of working age and willingness to serve should be conscripted
-This was turned into a full scale scheme
-4 million served in biggest militarisation in recent british history
(there was no medical exams)
-people were conscripted from ages 18-41
and all marryed men [march 1916]
-ireland conscription 1918
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1 Home front
DORA 8/8/1914
The Deffence of the Realm act 1914
it was finished being made by 1st nov 1914
The Gov has powers to maximise the production of goods and food
and to keep military secretes
+ check letters from prisioner of war for info that would help the enemy
maintain public morale
protect people and propperty
rations
british summer time
(lights off at night for 50 days of daylight saving, bed at 9pm not 10, ppl protested over this)
small impact on day to day life
very unpopular act that was thought to have of weighed down the country
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
WW1
Care to mothers and young children act 1915
Local authorities are responsible of the care of pregnant women and babies
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]
WW1
volenteers
this was to support belgium reffugees in 1914
30,000 of these reffugees were recruited in london 1914
+ YMCA volenteered to give food for troops while on leave/ transit
Volenteer corps (dad’s army for ww1)
large quantity of women volenteers
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
hostility to conscientious objectors + white feathers
There was increased hostility to conscientious objectives to the war
as there was also a rise in informing authorities on possible spies
so they were reported
Other hostility included women paticularly suffreggetts, posting a white feather through the postbox this was to state that they were cowards for not supporting their country
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Hal Fisher proposal
for education
[later education act 1918]
A radical proposal to improve the fitness and health of children by providing school playing feilds and sporting facilities
this later became the Education Act of 1918
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war overview
Women join trade unions
Suffragettes (militant) stop campaigning to help with the war effort
the suffregists didn’t stop campaigning until there was a shift in attitude later on
this was said to be out of respect for women that they didnt help out earlyer
Weapons production increased x10
A year’s production was done in weeks
Women had more freedoms such as driving
married women could work and have financial independence
Women were encouraged to have more babies this led to lots of sex and STIs
In 1914 82,000 women worked in manufacturing Industries by 1918 this figure was 947,000
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
Working in the Armed Forces
Number of women who served with the police and armed forces
Such as the WAAC which was the women’s auxiliary army corps.
57,000 served
and the WRAF [1918]
in which 100,000 women served
BUT
There were no office ranks for women
9 women were killed during an air raid
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
Action of Suffrage movments
Some suffrage movements helped out in the YMCA and cared for Belgium refugees
They pressured conscience objectors with a white feather to join the army
BUT
300 people were killed in Explosions
there was discrimination in the workplace
Divisions in suffragette movements on their response to the war
to protest (sufregists) or to help (suffreggetts)
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
Actions of trade unions
Wages increased and theybwere payed more equaly
437,000 female trade union members 1914
1,342,000 female trade union members 1918
BUT
That was still a pay gap
and there was not much female participation in trade unions
and some of them fell away from the trade unions after the war
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
Married women working
Married women were employed
and this had a striking effect on family life
it also improved their financial independence
and the health of women and their children
BUT
Some people believe that women shouldn’t do work as it was against national beliefs
and they were not employed as much post-war
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
improoved conditions and opportunitys
That was less domestic service from women and more work on the land, factories and offices
Buy 1931 there were 5.6 million Women employed
There were 477 female doctors in 1911 and there were 1253 in 1921
BUT
Due to increased traveling around
they were more likely to be attacked
H.H. Asquith [1908-1916]/ Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women and the war
relationships
The greater public accepted more independent of valid employment of women
Pregnancy were encouraged
BUT
Women giving men STIs was illegal
there was an increasing in illegitimate births
This was due to the encouragement of pregnancy
After the war when husbands came holy there was a very large increase in STIs this was due to sex
Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women vote pre war
pre war
sufregists (NUWSS) peacfully campained pre war
– letters, disscussions, public meetings
Suffraggets (WSPU) did more halm than good pre war
– Bombs, assult polititians, prison, chain to railings
Without the war the only way women would have gotten the vote is if the franchise changed to allow all working men to vote
which was extremely unlikely
but very few men could vote in 1914 so franchise reform may have been necessary
– which kept the discussion of women’s votes alive
+ resident qualifications were got rid of so more men could vote (in rep of ppl act)
+ more ed for women with compulsary primary schools
also can go to unis
+ by 1900 women could do more politics things anyway so on upward trend so logical next step is vote
(by 1900 could divorce, inherit property, vote at council elections)
But
– Libs gotloads of problems with constitutional crisis, strikes, ireland
so no time to discuss it
– women seen as housewifes and mothers not politics
– also violent cuz suffregetes
also think the ladys wouldn’t vote liberal
Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women vote
during war
During war
WSPU changed and became more supporting of the war when it broke out
This change got them a government’s subsidy for their pre war crimes in 1915 for their promotion of the war
Suffragists (NUWSS) did not stop campaigning once the War started
The war changed many people’s opinions including ask with which made them more willing to let women have the vote
Due to the support of women during the war it made them impossible not to give them the vote
Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women vote
change in parlimentry attitudes + passing
Changes in parlimentry attitudes
Lloyd George couldn’t risk repeating radical actions such as the ones before the war and therefore have to give them the vote
Lloyd George also said that without the war the vote would be illogical and unjustified
OCT 1916
A special Parliament committee voted
15:6 that women should vote
and 12:10 there should be restrictions
JAN 1917
It was recommended that a single qualification to vote:
Householders
women on local government
registered/ married women
minimum age of 30 or 35 of which there was sure yet
Ask with accepted this and change his mind about being against the women’s vote in March 1917
IN OCT
bill passed so women could stand in parliment
BILL passed [for all men + 30+ yr women with houses could vote]
in HOC june 1917
HOL vote 136:71 Feb 1918 passed
HOL Had to approve it as it was part of a wider bill to reward people who fought and helped out in the war
Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition]
The representation of the people acts 1918
all men 21+ can vote
abolish property qualifications for men
consciensious objectors couldnt vote for 5 yrs
women age 30+ (8.4 million of them) can vote
if
meet min property qualifications:
householder of a house thats rent is atleast £5/year
or wives of men with houses
Gov coalition 1915 +1916
dlg pm
1915
due to conflict in liberal ideas (they were all failing)
a shortage of shells and leadership issues (kitchinger ex- minister of war not give good bombs to fight germans and starves western fromt of shells)
kitchinger drowns at sea > lloyd george new minister of war
gains good experience
helps him become pm
and they kept loosing battles
e.g. fired churchill for his failure in turkey
and attacks in dublin by irish nationalist rebels
Asquith pm
bonar law colonial secratary
lloyd george minister if munitions
henderson minister of education
1916
1st dec 1915 lloyd George propose 3 man war committee
seperate to cabinet to run war work
this lead to lloyd george becoming pm
as asquith had made serious judgment errors during the crisis
and a new style of leadership was required (dynamic)
+ labour and Trade unions liked LG
Lloyd George [1916-1922 coalition)
WW1
Women vote
oct bill
Women could stand in Parliament
Maurice debate may 1918
libs splt
Lloyd George who wanted great estate intervention and control
(oppisite of traditional lib beleifs) is pm now
An officer / ex mp sent a letter to the government saying that the government figures about the state of the army in France is wrong
Lloyd George defends himself by saying his unit gave him the figures
Asquith [said this was bullshit] Had a parliamentary vote against this which he lost (293:108) the liberals were divided between Lloyd George and Asquith
and it decided it wanted to negotiate the peace treaties and went with asquith
so Lloyd George became the leader of no party
The first election post war found that Lloyd George and the Tories had 335 seats while the liberals only had 161 seats and labor had 73 seats
labour 1918
Labour have begun to be seen as a threat due to increased popularity
The independent Labour Party a popular bit of the Labour Party was against the war
Also to reduce the influence of trade unions they voted to remove their special privileges at annual labour conferences
Henderson was completely for the war mainly due to him being the minister of education in the inner war cabinet
the Labour Party itself was against conscription but it didn’t oppose it
Ramsay MacDonald which was the Labour leader resigned as the leader as his party had decided not to oppose giving money to the government for the war efforts
He also joins the union of democratic control
In 1918 labour made another constitution by Henderson and Sydney Webb in February 1918
This stated that they were committed to socialism
they stated their aims:
Full employment
minimum wage
maximum working hours of 48 hours a week
democratic control industry
nationalisation and administration of industries
heavy tax on the rich to pay for the social welfare and cost for the war
labour 1918
leaves coalition
war impact on party
Short term
Not much impact short term
Henderson and MacDonald didn’t win seats so the inadequate willy Adamson became leader
Labourer all only got 73 seats
63 was the Labour Party ( 2,385,472 votes)
10 were for the Coalition Labour Party
Long Term
They increase the popular vote (popularity so ppl vote for them ( labour gained 500000 seats during the 1918 general election)
Its leaders had gamed valuable political experience and increasing trade union membership and positively impacted the party
The divided Liberal Party allow them second advantage of left-wing voters
Divisions between MacDonald and his colleagues were healed by the adoption of a new foreign policy
Lord Sailsbury 1895-1902
Rowntree’s Poverty Report in York 1901
1901 Rowntree report
states that 28% York live in Poverty pop= 22k
so poverty not just in London
Balfour 1902-5
Booth report 1886-1903
Booth finds 33% London in Poverty
H. H Asquith
Veto Lib Budget 1909 so try resolve with election
The HOL vetoed this budget so the HOC decided to create the Parliament bill to limit their powers in January 1910
• there was a majority vote (jan 1910) in favor of the budget
Libs = 275 tory = 273
close so Libs rely on Irish Nationals to pass the buget
So Lords have to Pass it
cuz Majority in Parl and Election
H. H Asquith 1908-1916
Payment of MPs act 1911
MPs get a salary now
H. H. Asquith 1908-1916
Growth of Syndicalism and Birth of the Tripple Alliance
Syndicalism is the beleif that if the TU work together they have more power to force through parl Increase wages and decrease hours worked ect.
Tripple Alliance is the Group of Trade unions that formed at this time
Miners, Railwaymen, Transport workers (Dockers)
due to links to major industrys, energy and trading
if all strike = mass disturbance throught britain
H. H Asquith 1908-1916
Industrial unrest 1910-14
Lots of industirial unrest between 1910-14 cuz :
Syndicalism,
tripple alliance
Trade dispute act, 1906
osborne Judgement, 1909
labour having a lack of power to make changes to help workers,
European Worker unrest as a whole,
Industrys in decline cuz out of date machines + competition form US and Germany,
Rising inflation and low wages
H.H Asquith 1908-1916
Industrial unrest 1910-14 dealing with it by gov +/-
Success:
• Trade Disputes Act 1906- appeased the Trade Unions.
• Industrial Councils set up to represent the workers & mediate
– e.g. Lloyd George negotiated.
• 1912-Miners Minimum Wage Act.
• 1913-Trade Union Act
- increased funding & showed help for working class party.
• These show diplomacy & strategies from the Government.
Unsuccessful:
• Trade Disputes Act
-led to an increase in strikes
• Many strikes from 1908-1912-miners, railwaymen, textile workers etc. (with tripple alliance)
• Increase in size & membership of Trade Unions-shows dissatisfaction with the Government
• Government were criticized for using troops & force
-eg. in South Wales (e.g. Churchill sent troops into the strike at Tonypandy) and Liverpool docks
• The Government did not tackle the long term & cause of the problems
-e.g. decline of the Staple Industries
Balfour 1902-05
Lib-Lab Pact 1903
Lib-Lab pact
LRC + libs
Ramsey MacDonald + herbert gladstone secrete pact to not stand against each other in each 30 constituencys so left vote nit divided and torys dont win
+ libs will reverse taff vale so LRC agrees
up to local party reps to step down tho
= 24 LRC lib lab seats for LRC (only 5 W/o)
Lib seats = uknown likley simular
Balfour [1902-5]
Protectionism and chamberlain
Joseph chamberlain 1903 begins Tariff reform campaign
he likes free trade but worried Britian is gonna loosle lots of money cuz other countrys such as germany have protective tariffs on imported goods
so he wants britain to do the same and lower tariffs coming in on imperial goods to strengthen empire
However many ppl hate the fact this = ▲ food prices cuz food from Am ect. = cost more cuz of the tariffs
= Many support old Free trade system and Libs cuz × want tarrifs
HC-B [1905-8]
National Efficiency
= conserns that poor health and wellbeing of British ppl = threat to B industrial output and workers and empire and defence (so do new Liberalism)
e.g Boer war = lack of Healthy men to fight in war
HCB [1905-8]
Childrens charter
Legal rights for children:
against abuse,
young offenders,
prisons,
scholarships for working class 2ndry schools
H.H Asquith [1908-1916]
How successfull was New-Liberalism’s Welfare state?
Success
• It was the start of more Government intervention,
& the recognition that poverty could be addressed through Government help & organisation
• By 1914
- health had improved through school meals, medical assistance (paid for by 1914)
– eg many healthy volunteers for the War in 1914.
• Children
- greater legal protection, & some educational opportunities through scholarships.
• Elderly helped
- less need for workhouse/ to work.
• Unemployed/injured helped
- short term help/less in workhouse
• Improvements for the working class
- working & living conditions, eg hours, pay, holidays etc
• Increased use of taxes
- especially from the middle/upper class-start of the redistribution of wealth
• Although not solve the problems of poverty & inequality
– it did lay the foundations for the future
H.H Asquith [1908-1916]
Unsuccessful New Liberalism and wealfare state
problems that still existed
• Only minimal financial help
- only supported for a short time
- therefore poverty was still a problem by 1914
• Social divisions caused by poor education
- still not addressed
- eg. 2 Education Acts did not tackle education
• Workhouses still existed
– For when support ran out
• Not universal
- only some industries, some workers effected
- by minimum wage, National Insurance Act etc.
• Housing
- still poor quality for many working class
- this effected morale & created health problems
• Unlike the “Welfare State’ created in the 1940s
- it was less organised & universal, not from the cradle to the grave
Why was it so limited?
• New Liberalism’ only aimed too offer minimal support
- not to change/improve lives
- to help people help themselves’
• Many Liberals were motivated cuz want help Industry, Empire etc
- not over concern for the poor
• The influence of ‘Old Liberals’ in the Government
- wouldn’t allow more reform
Issues still by 1914
• × women vote despite Suffragette’s hunger strikes
• Working class men also × vote
• Lords still can delay bills (Basicaly Court of Appeal)
80% B land = owend by Upper class
Unrest, Strikes, Suffragettes = B unhappy w/reform and still think = Inequalities
Issues still by 1914
• × women vote despite Suffragette’s hunger strikes
• Working class men also × vote
• Lords still can delay bills (Basicaly Court of Appeal)
80% B land = owend by Upper class
Unrest, Strikes, Suffragettes = B unhappy w/reform and still think = Inequalities
1919 sex disqualification act
allowed women jobs in civil service, local gov and jury
Easter rising 1916
Dublin by those wanting 100% independence
but down violently by Britain
= ▲ support for Xtreem nationalists Sinn Fein
+ In war home ruel put on Hold
so Irish Nat partt seen as too moderate as didnt try to get independence when had the chance
so sinn fien ▲ pop
