Municipal socialism

Question 1

Knowledge

Answer 1

-Municipal socialism the use of the local government to progress socialist aims. Factory and mines acts encouraged government intervention with welfare.

• Joseph Chamberlain (liberal politician) increased taxes in Birmingham allowing more money to be spent on public services like :
  water work, gas, improving hospitals- demonstrating effectiveness of reform, encouraging more

Question 2

Analysis

important factor as:

Answer 2

improvements made in Birmingham displayed that government interference could fortunately improve the health of the population
proposing that reforms could be put in place nationally to improve lives

Question 3

Negative analysis

However

Answer 3

Chamberlains reforms were in 1870 and the liberal reforms weren’t until 1906

-if municipal socialism was an actual important reason for reform then it would have taken place much earlier or at least been mentioned in liberals campaign manifesto

Question 4

Evaluation

Overall the growth of the labour party was the most important reason for the liberals reforms: 

Answer 4

Reforms like:
-National insurance act of 1911
-trade union act of 1913
Are obvious reaction to the growth of the Labour Party
Norman Lowe:
- “ The liberals were under pressure from the labour party and from the trade unions and there was the added incentive that a limited amount of social reform would attract voters away from socialism and so defeat the challenge from the infant labour party. “