🔵| Liberal Motivations Essay Flashcards
Factors
5
- National Security/National Efficiency
- Booth & Rowntree
- Municipal Socialism
- New Liberalism
- Threat of Labour
Introduction
Background Only - FIQ Exp, LOA and other factors needed
- BG: In Britain in the late 1800s and early 1900s the government had a very Laissez Faire attitude towards poverty in that they believed it was the fault of the individual, this was evidenced by Sammual Smiles in his book of ‘Self Help’ in which he claimed the only way to get out of poverty was to do it yourself.
- BG: This can be further evidenced by the fact that many middle class people knew the only way to help the poor was for taxes to be increased and their feeling was why should they work hard to pay tax for it to be spent on other people to not benefit them.
National Security/National Efficiency:
KU
2
- Firstly, reports suggested that 25% of army recruits aiming to fight in the Boer War were unfit for service. In Manchester alone 8000 of army volunteers had to be rejected due to be physically unsuitable.
- Secondly, in 1880 Britain enjoyed a 23% share of global manufacturing with Germany having 9%, however by 1913 Britain’s share fell to 14% and Germany’s rose to 15%. This demonstrates Britain being under pressure from foreign competitors’ success.
National Security/National Efficiency:
Analysis
- It can be said that fears over national security and efficiency acted as a motive for the liberal reforms because the public and many politicians felt that Britain needed a fit workforce to compete with other countries.
- This can be evidenced by reforms aimed at helping the young and sick, which would improve both current and future workforces.
National Security/National Efficiency:
Analysis+
It can also be said that this was less of a motivation because the costliest reform was the old age pensions. It can be argued that this did not maintain a healthy fighting stock or produce an efficient workforce due to the targeted age group, so therefore this was perhaps not a primary motivation.
National Security/National Efficiency:
Evaluation
- Overall, fears over national security and efficiency was the most important motivation behind the liberal reforms because it showed that changes had to be made if Britain were to resume their world power.
- For example, by 1900 Britain had lost its position as the predominant industrial power which demonstrates the dire need for change.
Booth & Rowntree:
KU
2
- Firstly, Booth worked with a team of researchers to conduct an experiment in East London and found that a third of the population was living in dire poverty.
- Secondly, Rowntree was inspired by Booth to conduct his own research into poverty in York, and after two years in 1901 Rowntree published his findings – 30% of people in York were living in poverty.
Booth & Rowntree:
Analysis
- It can be said that the reports of Booth and Rowntree were a motivation for passing the liberal reforms because they provided hard evidence that couldn’t be ignored.
- By 1906, when the liberals got into power, it was impossible to escape the weight of this evidence on poverty in Britain.
Booth & Rowntree:
Analysis+
It can also be said that this was less of a motive as the attitudes among many politicians towards laissez-faire and self-help were so deeply ingrained that even the reports failed to get them to act.
Booth & Rowntree:
Evaluation
- Overall, the reports of Booth and Rowntree were a very important motive that led to the liberal reforms because their findings would allow for the reforms to meet the needs of the people that needed to be met.
- For example, reforms to help the sick and low paid can be linked back to Booth and Rowntree’s findings of the elderly, ill and unemployed living poor lives.
Booth & Rowntree:
Evaluation+
However, national security and efficiency is a more important motive because it showed that passing the reforms was in Britain as a whole’s best interest to protect the country, giving more of a reason to pass them, where as the reports of Booth and Rowntree were only focused on poverty and simply improving life in Britain.
Municipal Socialism:
KU
2
- Firstly, during the 19th century several local authorities carried out tax funded improvements. For example, liberal Joseph Chamberlain became mayor of Birmingham and bought the waterworks to run for the good of the people, which had been polluted and only supplied 3 days a week.
- Secondly, similarly in Glasgow, the city’s water supply was taken over by the council and water was provided to parts of the city that never had access to it.
Municipal Socialism:
Analysis
- It can be said that municipal socialism caused the liberal reforms to be passed because they showed what could be done locally by councils, so people could imagine what the Government could do nationally.
- Therefore it set a trend for social reforms and showed the benefits that came from them, such as better health which perhaps led to reforms aimed at the young and sick.
Municipal Socialism:
Analysis+
However, municipal socialism was less likely to have caused the liberal reforms because not all councils followed the policy, and many politicians remained firmly against the idea of tax raised money, so the impact and support for these local reforms was lowered.
Municipal Socialism:
Evaluation
- Overall, municipal socialism was quite an important motivation for the liberal reforms because it showed that the reforms could be successful. Many politicians feared that using taxation to help the poor would ruin the country, but success of this in Birmingham and Glasgow disproved this.
- Historian John Kerr said, “such a trend towards social reform and government control can be considered a factor in setting the scene for the Liberal reforms”, which shows that during the time of success of social reforms in Britain, the liberal reforms became a possible idea and moreover John Kerr is a trusted historian who focuses on Britain during this time period.
