Britain Year 12 - A Level Flashcards
Some factors affecting the Libs’ 1906 election victory/reasons for their 1906-1914 reforms…
(Libs win 49% of votes and Lab win 43.6% votes).
- The Boer War
- 1902 Education Act
- 1904 Education Act
- Chinese Labour issue
- The Taff Vale Case
- Neglect of social reform
- Cons’ leadership
- Lib-Lab Pact (1903)
Boer War and the 1906 election…
(How this caused Cons’ support to decline)
- 80% of volunteers rejected due to malnutrition.
- Cost the govt. a very high £210m, and high death toll.
- Libs gain support by saying the Cons’ neglected poverty.
1902 Education Act and the 1906 election…
This Act was set by the Cons
- (Before 1902) Anglican and Catholic schools were church-funded.
- 1902 Education Act meant all schools had to be funded by local rates, (by Cons).
- This was good however, Nonconformists were unhappy with their taxes going towards funding CoE schools.
- This saw Nonconformists go to the Liberal Party.
Nonconformists are Protestants who opposed CoE beliefs.
1904 Licensing Act and the 1906 election…
- This aimed to reduce no. of pubs, displeasing Nonconformists, as pub owners had to be compensated due to licence cancellations.
- Many Nonconformists voted Libs, then Cons after Home Rule, then back to Libs.
Chinese Labour issue and 1906 election…
- During the Boer War, Chinese labourers were used by the British, and they were treated poorly.
1906 election and the Taff Vale case…
(In Wales) During Cons’ tenure in Jul 1901
- (Jul 1901) Dispute between Taff Vale Railway Company and the railway workers’ trade union.
- Railway company take railway workers’ trade union to court, to demand loss of profits due to strikes.
- (1902) HoL ruled that a company was allowed to sue a trade union.
- Trade unions were displeased with this, as this would prevent successful strikes.
- This made Cons look like they were against workers, encouraging a Labour group in Parliament.
What entailed the Labour Party Constitution?
(Feb 1918)
- Redistribution of surplus wealth.
- Clause IV meant nationalisation of production, distribution and exchange.
- More trade union power.
- More different groups (trade unions, trade councils etc).
- Executive of 23 members would manage the party.
- Trade union membership doubled to 8m during the war.
1906 election and neglect of social reform…
- Boer War contributed heavily to poverty reasons, and the new LRC were campaigning for sweeping reforms.
1906 election and tariff reform campaign…
(During Cons’ tenure)
- (1903) Chamberlain wanted to reinforce tariffs, (lower tariffs for imports from empire).
AKA ‘imperial preference’.
1906 election and Cons’ leadership
- Cons’ leader Balfour lacked political skill, and perhaps didn’t understand social issues enough.
What’s laissez-faire?
New v old Liberalism
- Translates to self-help
- The belief that govts. should intervene as little as possible with people and businesses.
- (1859) Samuel Smiles wrote about this.
1906 election and the Lib-Lab pact…
(Lib-Lab Pact of 1903)
- The Lib-Lab pact meant that the Liberals and Labour would not oppose eachother in the next 30 constituencies.
Libs and Labour had a similar approach wtih free trade.
Some early Libs’ intellectuals and their ideas…
(Part of ‘New Liberalisim’)
T.H Green - Liberalism would give people a chance to be morale.
J.A Hobson - People should buy more to keep empire thriving.
J.T Hobhouse - Argued for ‘collectivism’ and even wealth distribution.
—> This may have somehwat rescued Libs’ from their internal rifts.
What entailed the Osbourne Judgement?
(Liberal MP Osbourne wanted his union to demand a political levy).
-> Disputes over MPs’ pay.
-> (1911) MPs paid salary of £400.
- (1913) Trade Union Act allowed trade unions to levy money on its members.
Problems for Labour after 1906…
LRC renamed to Labour, including Keir Hardie and Ramsey Macdonald.
- 30 MPs did not form a strong, clear body, as it had other group members.
- Despite being a good leader, Hardie coudln’t make a Labour a strong force within the HoC.
- New MPs were inexperienced for HoC.
Stats on Labour growth…
(From 1906)
- (1906-1914) Trade union membership rises from 900k to 1.5m.
- Socialist societies’ membership rises from 17k to 33k.
Who did the Cons merge with in 1912?
(+ Cons’ events till 1914).
- The Liberal Unionists.
- Cons’ 1906 defeat meant they were powerless -> Lansdowne (Cons’ HoLs leader) blocked Libs’ policies.
(Before 1914)
Stats on Britain’s economy…
New industries, agriculture, staples, trade and external competition.
- Britain key shipbuilder until WW2.
- (1901) 1.4m agriculture workers, less than 2m in (1850).
- New industries grew at 3.8%, overall maufacturing growth rate at 2%.
(All over)
Stats on British economy before 1914…
(Some drawbacks)
- (By 1913) 32% of total national wealth derived from investments overseas.
- Brits’ owned half the world’s shipping pre-1914.
- Brit’s had 1/4 of world trade.
- HOWEVER, U.S and Japan and Germany were overtaking them in iron and steel output, as well as new industries.
- Many British firms were subsidies for U.S and Japan electrical companies.
- (By 1913) Britain imported 90% of dye from Germany.
Stats on British economy…
(By 1914)
- ‘Trade gap’ was occuring.
- (1870-1914) ‘late Victorian recession’ saw Germany and U.S overtake Brits in iron + steel output.
- (By 1913) 60% Brits’ exports from staples industry.
Pros of Brits’ economy…
(1906-1914)
- Staple industries still profitable.
- London remained global commercial centre.
- World’s largest foreign investor + invisible exports’ value meant high British profits.
Cons of Brits’ economy…
(1906-1914)
- A ‘low-wage economy’ meant rich/middle-class could afford new goods.
- Britain could not bargain with other nations to reduce their tariffs.
- Insufficient education/training (1k German engineers avg. whilst Brits’ had 400).
Brits’ social issues…
(Till around 1914)
- (1889) Charles Booth found from his 4000 interviews that 30.7% of Londoners were in poverty.
- Rowntree investigated York and cocnluded that to stay above the poverty line, people had to earn 21 shillings weekly + 52% in regular but low-wage work (1900-01).
- Class divisions were upper class, middle class and working class, (by 1906).
(By 1906) 75% of population part of working class.
Some of Libs’ social reforms after their 1906 electoral win…
- (1906) Education Act (meals) + Workmen’s Compensation Act.
- (1907) Education Act (medical inspection)
- (1908) Old Age Pensions Act + Children’s Act
- (1909) Trade boards est.
- (1911) National Insurance, Shops and Coal Mines Acts.
Cons’ reforms generally were not compulsory or existing acts codified.
What did the People’s Budget entail?
(1909)
- Chancellor of the Exchequer Lloyd George introduced some terms…
- An inheritance tax on properities worth over £5k
- Tax on cars according horsepower
- Tax on land-selling profits.
- Super tax for incomes over £5k.
- 3d per gallon tax on petrol.
People’s Budget cost the Libs approx. £16m.
What was the constitutional crisis of (1909-1911)?
- Cons HoL v Libs HoC.
- The 1st one was over the People’s Budget and the 2nd one was over the Parliament Act.
Details of the 1st Constitutional Crisis…
(1909-1910)
- Cons saw People’s Budget as an attack on the rich.
- (Nov 1909) HoL vetoed the Budget, and a general election in (Jan 1910) would be called.
Details of Jan 1910 election…
- (Libs) - 275 seats.
- (Unionists) - 273 seats.
- (Irish Nationalists) - 82 seats.
- (Labour) - 40 seats.
- LG dubbed this election ‘The Peers versus the People’.
- Cons’ argued for import taxes for Budget costs.
- Libs relied on Irish Nationalists for support, and the Irish wanted Cons HoL weakened in returnn to achieve Home Rule.
Libs’ win, with a HoC majority for the Budget, HoL pass the budget.
Details of the 2nd Constitutional Crisis…
(1910-1911) and the 1911 Parliament Act.
1910 Parliament Bill:
- HoL cannot amend/reject passed HoC money bills.
- Max. period between general elections reduced from 7 yrs to 5 yrs.
- However, this Bill itself had to be passed by the HoL.
——————————————–
-> So Asquith asked the King to get the Libs and Cons to agree on a solution without new peers.
-> Cons’ agreed to reform HoL, but still wanted to veto constitution chance, (to block Home Rule).
-> So due to the Irish pressuring Asquith to reject this, the king created enough Libs’ peers, leading to the Dec 1910 election.
Details of the Dec 1910 election…
(Parliament Act)
- (Libs) 272 seats
- (Unionists) 272 seats
- (Irish Nationalists) 84 seats
- (Labour) 42 seats.
- The Libs relied on Irish and Labour for support.
- (1911) HoC passed Parliament Bill, and then eventually in the HoL.
Impacts of the Constitutional Crisis…
- Divided Cons, with BL replacing Balfour as leader.
- Brits’ constitution made democratic.
Details/reasons for industrial unrest…
(1906-1914)
- (1906-1914) Cost of living by 14%.
- Gap between rich and poor was widening.
- (1913) 2 killed in Dublin transport strike (Home Rule link?)
- Labour may have not given enough support to workers, leading to strikes.
-> (Nov 1910-Jun 1911) Miners strike in Sotuh Wales.
-> National coal miners’ strike.
(1914) Triple Alliance of doctors, miners and railways workers formed.
Events/details of suffrage movement
(1906-1914)
- (1911) National League for opposing Suffrage movement is founded
- (1909) NUWSS tactics entail arson attacks.
- (1907) NUWSS hold open-air rally in Hyde Park.
- (1913) ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act. - This meant imprisoned women were force fed.
- (1909-1914) NUWSS rises from 12k to 50k.
Some details about Home Rule…
Addtionally, Edward Carson and the Ulster Unionists.
- Opposed by the Cons, and they supported the Ulster Unionists.
- (Before 1911) Unionists relied on HoL to veto Home Rule Bill, so Unionists took action.
-> (1912) Unionist leader Carson drew up Ulster Covenant,
-> Ulster Covenant passed in HoC but not in HoC, and the Ulster Volunteer Force was made.
-> (Mar 1914) Curragh Mutiny saw British officers threatening to resign rather than fight Ulster resistance, (consisted of General Gough and 157 cavalry officers).
