History- The Campaign for the Vote 1903-1914 Flashcards
Poor People faced serious hardship in 1900
The only help available for very poor people was workhouses run by local councils to provide basic food and lodging. Many people saw going to the workhouse a shameful
There was serious unemployment in some industries, and no ‘dole’ or unemployment benefit.
Old people who had no savings or family suffered very badly – there were no government pensions. The only option for many old people was the workhouse.
Housing in poor areas was damp, cold and didn’t have proper sewage systems. It is easy to get ill in these conditions, which meant missing work, and maybe losing your job.
Many people couldn’t afford doctors or medicine.
Many children had to go to work from an early age, and so missed getting an education.
Large numbers of people couldn’t even afford to eat properly. Out of all the men recruited to fight in the Boer War (1899-1902), half were malnourished.
The political parties have Different Attitudes to Poverty. The oldest, most powerful political parties- the Liberals and Conservatives- didn’t really agree with giving government help to people. They believed that:
the government should interfere as little as possible in people’s lives.
it was wrong to raise taxes as people should decide how to spend their own money.
giving poor people money was morally wrong as it undermined their independence.
the Labour Party didn’t have many MPs before 1906, but they did have growing support from working people. They believe that:
the poorest people in society should get government help.
The government should get the cash to pay for this from taxes.
The government should also take over the major industries and make use of their profits.
Some Liberals and some Conservatives were more open to the idea of the government helping the poor – especially if it helps their party win votes from Labour.
After 1906 the liberals brought in social reforms
in 1906 the liberal party won a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives.
29 Labour Party MPs were elected – giving them a good position to push for help for the poor.
Liberals had to compete with Labour for the support of working-class spoken voters– this led to the emergence of “new liberalism” which favoured government intervention to help the poor.
The poor physical condition of volunteers for the Boer War had been a shock. If Britain was involved in a major war, it would need a healthy working class to fight as soldiers.
David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill were the MPs who worked hardest to drive the bills through. They wanted to help the poor, but were also keen to make a name for themselves.
