Rise Of Liberalism 1906 Flashcards
What were the results of the 1906 election?
Landslide victory for the Liberals with 401 seats compared with the Conservative 157, with Balfour losing his seat.
Why did the Liberals win the election?
The Boer war - the war lasted longer and cost more lives and money than expected. Interning civilians in concentration camps caused moral outrage. It also exposed the malnutrition present in Britain and led to concerns about physical decline. The Liberals gained support by claiming that the Conservatives has neglected poverty.
1902 Education Act - introduced by the Conservatives. All schools would be funded by local rates. This angered non-conformists who were outraged that their taxes would fund schools to which they strongly objected. Eg CofE.
1904 Licensing Act - aimed to reduce the number of public houses, but it infuriated the temperance section of the nonconformists by proposing to compensate brewers and public and for the cancellations of licenses.
Chinese Labour Issue - Chinese slavery between 1902-1904 caused scandal which damaged the Conservative’s reputation. The Chinese worked for very low wages, were imported into South Africa and were kept in crowded conditions. This raised a moral outcry from the nonconformists. Trade Unions feared that employers might bring them to Britain, and push down wages.
Taff Vale Case - in 1901 a dispute broke out in Wales between the Taff Vale Railway Company and the railway workers union, which led to strike action. The company took the Union to court and demanded compensation for loss of profits. The court ruled that a company was within its rights to sue companies. The Conservatives refused to introduce an Act of Parliament to reverse the judgement. This encourage support for Labour.
Neglect of Social reform - the conservatives produced no reforms except the 1902 Education Act, whilst both Liberals and the LRC campaigned for sweeping reform.
Tariff reform- Joseph Chamberlain wanted to introduce tariffs on imported goods. He argued that this would protect British industry, provide revenue for social reform and strengthen the Empire. This divide the Conservatives. However, the Liberals were united for Free Trade and they presented themselves as protecting cheap food.
Conservative leadership - Balfour lacked political skill. He seemed to not understand social issues and did not understand social issues.
Lib-Lab pact 1903 - the Liberals agreed they would not oppose Labour candidates in 30 constituencies. In return, the LRC promised to restrict their candidates in other constituencies. This prevented a split in the anti-Conservative vote. The Liberals benefitted financially and secured a ‘win’.
What was New Liberalism?
Classical Liberalism had stressed freedom to do things, whereas New Liberalism stressed freedom from evils such as poverty. Moving away from Laissez-faire, New Liberals beloved in intervention from the State. Classic Liberalism stressed self-help, whereas New Liberalism recognised that the poorer sections of society needed some help from the state as well. Overall = stressed the need to help those who were unable to help themselves. This implied higher government spending.
What factors led to the development of New Liberalism?
Intellectuals such as T.H.Green, L.T.Hobhouse and J.A.Hobson argued that 19th century Liberalism did not put enough stress on the role of society through the State. It was thought that it could rescue Liberals from the recent divide. Many Liberals worries about Labour and social reform would help the Liberals hold on to working class vote. The Conservatives were vulnerable in the area of social reform. There were also concerns over Britain’s National efficiency. The Boer war had highlighted deficiencies in the military, administration and poor state of health. Germany and USA were rapidly catching up with and overtaking British industry. Germany was also growing militarily.
What was the influence of Campbell-Bannerman, Asquith, Lloyd George and Churchill?
CB - the PM after the Liberals victory. Set the Liberals on a more reforming path, but somewhat cautiously. Asquith - succeeded CB as PM in 1908. He appointed Churchill and LG who supported radical social legislation. He continued to give support to this legislation despite the political upheavals it caused. LG - he had a genuine concern to improve living standards for the poor, perhaps motivated by his own working class background. Churchill - previously a Conservative MP, he switched to Liberal in 1904. He was particularly concerned with low wages and unemployment.
