Why Liberals introduced the reforms Flashcards
Who conducted investigations into poverty in Britain, and where did they focus their studies?
Booth and Rowntree investigated poverty in Britain. With Booth investigating in London and Rowntree investigating in York.
What porportion of London was living in poverty, according to Booths investigations?
1/3 of Londons population
According to Booth and Rowntree, what were the main causes of poverty in Britain?
Booth and Rowntree claimed that poverty in Britain was primarily caused by illness, low pay, unemployment, or children, rather than being ‘inborn’ or caused by lifestyle choices like gambling or smoking.
How did the investigations in York contribute to understanding poverty in the UK?
The investigations in York showed similar poverty statistics to London, indicating that poverty was deep-rooted in the UK.
In what way can Booth and Rowntree studies be seen as not important?
The studies were published in 1886 which was about 20 years before the Liberal reforms.
What was the new Liberal philosophy? And what philosophers was it built from?
The New Liberal philosophy emerged in the early 20th century and was built from the philosophy of Hobhouse and Green, advocating for government intervention to tackle poverty.
Name three prominent figures associated with the New Liberal philosophy and the roles they played in government.
Three prominent figures associated with the New Liberal philosophy were Asquith (who became PM), Churchill (who became President of the Board of Trade and future PM), and Lloyd George (who became Chancellor).
What was the stance of the majority of the Liberal Party towards New Liberal ideas?
The majority of the Liberal Party did not agree with New Liberal ideas.
How did concerns over national security and efficiency influence the push for social reforms?
Concerns over national security and efficiency influenced the push for social reforms by highlighting the need for healthier citizens, as seen in the high percentage of unfit volunteers during the Boer War.
What role did the rise of the Labour Party play in motivating the Liberal Party to consider social reforms?
The rise of the Labour Party motivated the Liberal Party to consider social reforms as a means to attract working-class voters away from socialism.
How did the liberal party draw voters away from socialism?
The Liberal Party decided to introduce limited social reforms to attract voters away from socialism and defeat the challenge from the Labour Party.
What is Lloyd George’s quote to support rise of labour as an important factor for the reforms?
‘It is time we did something to appeal to the people, it will help stop this electoral rot’
What did the Liberal manifesto of 1906 make no promise of?
It made no promise of social welfare reforms, which indicates that fear of labour was not an important factor
By the early 20th century, how many males had the vote?
2/3 had the vote
What does laissez faire mean?
To leave alone
