Liberals 1906-1915

Question 1

How were the Conservatives divided on trade by 1906?

Answer 1

106 tariff reformers, 16 free traders, rest protectionists

Question 2

How did Balfour and Lansdowne use Lords against Liberals?

Answer 2

To vote against all their legislation

Question 3

How did Conservative focus change after Balfour resigned?

Answer 3

Switched to Home Rule again under Bonar Law

Question 4

How many seats did the Conservatives win in the Jan 1906 election?

Answer 4

157

Question 5

Who were the New Liberals?

Answer 5

Younger Liberals - began to move away from Gladstonian laissez faire (eg George and Churchill)

Question 6

When was the Provision of Meals (Education) Act?

Answer 6

1906

Question 7

When was the Children’s Act?

Answer 7

1908

Question 8

When was the Old Age Pensions Act?

Answer 8

1908

Question 9

What did the 1906 Education Act mean?

Answer 9

Children to receive free school meals - unenforced until 1914

Question 10

What did the 1908 Children’s Act mean?

Answer 10

Measures to protect and decriminalise children: juvenile courts for young offenders, focus on rehabilitation, children under 14 banned from public houses, under 16 not able to buy cigarettes

Question 11

What did the 1908 Old Age Pensions Act mean?

Answer 11

5 shilling/week pension from 70+ y/o on less than £21/year. 500k received £6.5mil by 1914. However, often not enough to bring out of poverty, certain groups excluded

Question 12

When was the Workmen’s Compensation Act?

Answer 12

1906

Question 13

What did the 1906 Employers and Workmen Act ensure?

Answer 13

Workers to be paid for accidents at work - increased safety measures followed

Question 14

When was the National Insurance Act? (Both parts)

Answer 14

1911

Question 15

What did the first part of the 1911 National Insurance Act do?

Answer 15

Gave payment of 50p for 25 weeks and 25p after for illness. Single £1.50 maternity benefit. ‘9d for 4d’ for employee if ill

Question 16

What did the 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 2) do?

Answer 16

Looked to tackle seasonal unemployment: 35p/week unemployment benefit for 15 weeks (as long as had paid into the scheme) - some say too small but a safety net

Question 17

When was the Unemployed Workmen’s Act?

Answer 17

1905

Question 18

What did the Unemployed Workmen’s Act do?

Answer 18

Looked to help unemployed skilled workers - instead abused by under/casually unemployed

Question 19

When were the Labour Exchanges set up?

Answer 19

1909

Question 20

What did the 1909 Labour Exchanges do?

Answer 20

Increased mobility of labour - 83 exchanges 1910, 430 by 1914. 2mil registered, 3k jobs/day. TUs suspicious, though it meant lower wages. 75% of registered didn’t find a job.

Question 21

When was the Trades Disputes Act?

Answer 21

1906

Question 22

What did the 1906 Trades Disputes Act mean?

Answer 22

Reversed Taff Vale Judgement (1901) - made picketing legal and secured TU legal position

Question 23

When was the Mines Act?

Answer 23

1908

Question 24

What did the 1908 Mines Act do?

Answer 24

Introduced max. 8 hour days

Question 25

When was the Trade Boards Act?

Answer 25

1909

Question 26

What did the 1909 Trade Boards Act do?

Answer 26

Introduced min wage for 200k (eg box makers, tailors, lace makers) - significant move away from laissez faire, but wages controlled by stakeholders

Question 27

When was the Shops Act?

Answer 27

1911

Question 28

What did the 1911 Shops Act do?

Answer 28

Granted half-day holiday to shop assistants, washing facilities to be provided in every shop - yet limited as didn’t control working hours

Question 29

When was the Trade Union Act?

Answer 29

1913

Question 30

What did the 1913 Trade Union Act do?

Answer 30

Reversed Osbourne Judgement - allowed ‘special’ political fund to finance support, members could opt out of payment

Question 31

When was the Notification of Births Act?

Answer 31

1907

Question 32

What did the Notification of Births Act do?

Answer 32

Introduced medical inspections at schools, sought to quantify and reduce causes of infant mortality

Question 33

What did the 1907 Education Act do?

Answer 33

Extended Acts to Scotland - free med-care by 1912

Question 34

How many members were there in Lords?

Answer 34

591

Question 35

How were Lords’ members categorised?

Answer 35

561 hereditary, 4 law lords, 24 Anglican bishops, 2 Archbishops

Question 36

How did the Lords lean politically?

Answer 36

2/3 Conservative, rest Liberal

Question 37

When was the People’s Budget introduced?

Answer 37

1909

Question 38

What was the aim of the People’s Budget?

Answer 38

Raise money for social reform and construction of Dreadnoughts

Question 39

How did the 1909 People’s Budget look to increase revenue?

Answer 39

Taxes. Income tax from 5p to 6p on earners over £3k, ‘supertax’ on earners over 5k, petrol duties and road license, taxes on tobacco and alcohol, introduced 20% property sales tax

Question 40

When was the People’s Budget vetoed by Lords?

Answer 40

November 1909

Question 41

What happened as a result of the People’s Budget being rejected?

Answer 41

Asquith declared it unconstitutional - called election for Jan 1910

Question 42

What was the result of the Jan 1910 election?

Answer 42

Liberal victory - Liberals 274, Conservatives 272, Irish 82, Labour 40

Question 43

What did the Parliament Act mean?

Answer 43

Lords couldn’t veto/amend financial bills, max delay of 3x for two years, elections every 5 rather than 7 years

Question 44

Who supported the Liberal Parliament Bill?

Answer 44

Irish (Redmond) - in return for Home Rule

Question 45

What was the attempt to negotiate a settlement over the constitutional crisis?

Answer 45

Constitutional Conference

Question 46

When was the Parliament Act passed by Commons?

Answer 46

May 1911

Question 47

What was the result of the Lords’ vote on the Parliament Act?

Answer 47

Passed by 17 votes - 131 to 114