Liberalism

Question 1

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - FEARS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY AND EFFICIENCY

Answer 1

• At its height, the empire covered 1/4 of the world
• The Boer war (3 years) highlighted weakness of army
• 400,000 troops for less than 35,000 Boere
• Population of GB malnourished, unhealthy and working in dangerous conditions
• Manchester: 8000 of 11000 army volunteers rejected as physically unsuitable
• Rising tensions in Europe
• Army’s ability to fight called into question
• GB’s population not as fit/healthy/educated as competitors, GB declined as a world power
• 1900:
• GB lost position as predominant industrial power and faced serious competition from new industrial nations (Germany, USA)
• 1880: GB had 23% of global manufacturing
• 1913: GB had 14%, Germany 9% (1880) - 15% (1913)

Question 2

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - REPORTS OF BOOTH AND ROWNTREE

Answer 2

• Booth:
• Doubted socialist claim that 1/4 population was in extreme poverty
• Found 1/3 of East London population was in poverty
• Concluded over next 12 years 35% of Londoners lived in extreme poverty
• Rowntree:
• Member of wealthy York choc. manufacturing family
• Defined ‘poverty line’ , the least amount of money a family could live on
• Defined primary poverty: lacking in resources for basic necessities
• Secondary poverty: enough resources to stay above poverty line, but ‘wasted’ them on drinking and gambling for example
• Published findings in 1901
• Showed 30% of York had high levels of poverty

Question 3

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - NEW LIBERALISM

Answer 3

• ‘Old liberalism’: L-F, poverty seen as a result of poor character, ‘self help’ limited reforms 1906-1908
• PM Henry Campbell Bannerman resigned in 1908 due to illness: replaced by PM Herbert Asquith
• Asquith took David Lloyd - George and Winston Churchill to cabinet, who wanted to introduce social reforms for the poor, unemployed, elderly and sick
• Argued against L-F principles
• Believed in ‘deserving poor’ (of help)
• ‘New Liberalism’: social injustice, deserving poor, state intervention

Question 4

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - MUNICIPAL SOCIALISM

Answer 4

• End of 19th century: some Liberal controlled local authorities involved in social welfare improvements paid for through local taxation. This is municipal socialism.
• Improvements mostly for poor: working/living conditions
• Birmingham: Joseph Chamberlain (mayor) (Liberal MP) introduced many reforms (clean water supply, hospitals, street lighting, public parks, gasworks, cleared slum houses
• Growth of municipal socialism paved the way for gov. social reforms

Question 5

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - BACKGROUND

Answer 5

1906:
- Believed that poverty was the fault of the individual - laziness and poor work ethic
- The gov. acted under ‘Laissez - Faire’ principles: that people were responsible for themselves and the gov. shouldn’t interfere with people’s daily lives

1906-1914:
- changes to people’s lives introduced
- relief brought to young, old, low-paid, unemployed, those in poor health
- Lots of money spent on social welfare reforms
- Marked move away from Laissez - Faire

Question 6

Why the liberals introduced social welfare reforms - THE RISE AND FEAR OF LABOUR

Answer 6

• NLs had sympathy for poor, but worried about rise in Labour Party support
• LP represented working class - improving living and working conditions
  1902: 5 MPs 1905: 29 MPs
• Liberals worried failure to improve WC lives would result in WC voting for labour, as more WC could vote
• Parties competing for the same votes, and improvements won votes
• Labour promised extensive reforms like free edu., pensions and unemployment benefits
• 1900: Labour had 2 seats
• 1906: Labour had 29 seats, and got 2 more in by-elections, taking Liberal seats

Question 7

Success of Liberal Reforms - THE OLD

Answer 7

• Ls introduced old age pensions (collected at post offices) funded by general taxation
• DLG believed the best help would be guaranteeing income to those too old to work
• 1908 Old Age Pensions Act
• Single men/women: up to 5 shillings weekly
• Married couples: 7 shillings and 6 pence weekly
• Entitlement stopped if pensioners earned over 12 shillings a week
• Only for those over 70
• Elderly recognised as deserving poor
• At introduction, 650,000 expected to claim pensions, but there were nearly 1m by 1914

Question 8

Successes of Liberal Reforms - THE UNEMPLOYED

Answer 8

• Not all unemployed regarded as ‘deserving poor’ so reforms were limited
• Poor law couldn’t cope with high levels of short-term unemployment (often seasonal)
• 1909 Labour Exchange Act created early job centres, making unemployment easier, as employers and workers were so co-ordinated
• 1911 National Insurance Act part 2 (1913) covered 2.3m workers in particular industries, workers contributes 2.5p weekly and therefore recieved 7s (35p) weekly for max. 15 weeks