liberal reforms essay plan

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Liberal Reforms

Liberal reforms

In 1906 the General Election returned a Liberal Government with a large majority. The Liberal Party had campaigned on welfare issues. They called for reforms that would transform the way in which poverty was managed. Following in the footsteps of reforms in Germany, the Liberal Reforms saw pensions, sick pay, maternity benefits and unemployment insurance for some workers introduced. The Liberal Reforms led to constitutional changes and faced criticism from both those who felt it went too far and those who wanted further reform. 

At this time, it the popular belief was that people brought poverty on themselves due to waste, bad habits and low morals. It was not the job of the government to help the poor – they should help themselves by hard work, thrift and saving for the future. The only help for the poor was based on the 1834 Poor Law . Those in need had to go into a workhouse but these were so harsh and unpleasant that most poor people did not apply. At the start of the 20th Century there was a growing belief that politicians were not doing enough to tackle the causes of poverty and that with such a high percentage of the population living in poverty Britain’s future as a great power could be threatened. The Liberal Reforms intended to raise the standards of living with this leading to improved standards in the workplace.

Important factors that made poverty become an important issue:

• Charles Booth in London and Sebohm Rowntree in York carried out the first serious studies into poverty and its causes. They discovered that the causes were casual labour, low pay, unemployment, large families, illness and old age – not laziness, drunkenness and gambling. These reports raised awareness of the extent of poverty in Britain and the problems it caused.

• The Boer war of 1899-1902 showed the poor state of health of the nation. One out of every three volunteers failed the army medical due to bad diet and living conditions. This could seriously affect Britain’s military strength if nothing was done to improve the situation.

• The effects of poverty were damaging to society. Health problems and infectious disease could affect rich and poor. The economy suffered if large numbers of people were too poor to buy goods and social problems such as crime, prostitution, slums and drunkenness were a direct result of poverty.

• There was a particular worry about the effects of poverty on children. Studies had shown many to be underweight, malformed and infested with lice scabies etc. This would lead to problems in the future – weak sickly children would become weak, sickly adults.

• There were concerns about Britain’s future ability to compete with new industrial nations such as Germany and the USA. National efficiency would only increase if the health and welfare of the population improved.

• The growth of Trade Unions and the Labour Party was a threat to the Liberals and the Conservatives. The new working class voters were turning to these organizations to improve their lives. The New Liberals recognized this and supported government help for the poor.

• In the 1905 general election, the Liberals and the Labour Party reached agreement not to stand against each other in many seats. If elected to power the Liberals promised a programme of welfare reforms which would recognize the government’s responsibility to help the weakest and poorest sections of society.

The Liberal Reforms:

Free School Meals

In 1906 the Liberal Government introduced Free School Meals for children. This allowed local education authorities to provide free meals to children on a means tested basis. About half of local authorities introduced the scheme and by the outbreak of the First World War some 14 million meals had been provided.

Medical Tests for Children

In 1907 a series of free medical tests were introduced for children. as with the Free School Meals the testing was optional for local authorities. These tests identified illnesses and diseases at an early stage and marked a change in central governments attitudes towards children. They were now being seen as a national asset worth looking after.

Children and Young Persons Act

The 1908 Children and Young Persons Act provided protection for children. From now on it was a legal requirement to look after children properly and the authorities were given the power to intervene in cases where this was not deemed to be the case.

Children’s Charter

Laws to stop cruelty and neglect of children and end baby farming. New Juvenile Courts no longer sent children to adult prisons. ‘Borstals’ and a probation service set up. Begging by children was made an offence. The sale of alcohol and tobacco to children under 16 years was forbidden.

Old Age Pensions Act

The Old Age Pensions Act provided a small pension for everybody aged 70 or above. As this was a universal right, rather than being means tested, it took away the stigma that had been attached to Poor Law Benefits.

Opposition to the Liberal reforms

• Some Councils did not approve of free school meals and this had to be made compulsory in 1914.

• The Children’s Charter was opposed because the government was meddling in family life.

• Many people believed government help for the poor would encourage laziness. Pensions might stop people saving for their old age.

• Some doctors were opposed to Health Insurance because it did not pay enough.

• Friendly Societies and Insurance companies thought they would lose business.

• The Tories and the House of Lords objected to the new taxes needed to pay for the reforms.

• Some employers objected to paying for worker’s insurance.

• In 1909, the House of Lords rejected the People’s Budget. This led to the Parliament Act of 1911, which reduced the power of the Lords and stopped them interfering in money bills.

• There were concerns that tax payers would have to pay for the cost of these reforms. Many thought this was unfair as the middle class tax payers tended not to need to use the “safety net” provided by the Liberal reforms.

Source : Rowntree Report: Unemployment

‘He was wearing a ragged coat that was falling apart. That day he had walked 28 miles looking for work. He had only a crust of bread for breakfast and more bread for supper. His feet were blistered and swollen; he looked like a man who had given up all hope.’

Source: Rowntree Report: Poor Housing

‘Wooden floor of the upper room has holes admitting numbers of mice. Roof very defective, the rain falling through to the bed in wet weather. Outside wall also very damp. Plaster falling off. Tenants apparently clean. Courtyard houses all back to back. Water supply for 12 houses from tap placed in the privy wall.

Source: Charles Booth- Poor Housing

Few of the 200 families who lived there occupied more than one room. 15 rooms out of 20 were fifthly to the last degree. Not a room was free of vermin (mice or lice). The little yard at the back was only sufficient for a dust bin, toilet and water tap, which served 7 families.

Source : Speech by Lloyd George to a Liberal Party meeting in Cardiff, October 1906

I warn you about the Labour Party. I warn you it will become a terrifying force that will sweep away Liberalism. We have a Liberal Parliament, but we must act to help the poor. We must get rid of the national disgrace of slums. We must eliminate the widespread poverty which scars this land glittering with wealth, otherwise the working men of Britain will vote Labour instead of Liberal.

Source: From a letter Winston Churchill wrote to Asquith in December, 1908.

Germany is not rich as us, yet German social reforms mean they are better organised for peace and also for war. We are organised for nothing! We cannot rely on existing charities and this winter is causing misery. Consequently, there is an urgent need to help the working class and make England a safer and better country for them. When the people begin to feel the benefit of our social reforms they will give solid support to our Liberal Government.

Source: Description of a room in Lambert from a survey of poverty in South London by Maud reeves in 1913

Under the window facing the door is the large bed, in which sleep mother, father and two children. A baby is asleep in the pram by the bed and another child is asleep in the cot in the corner. The second window can be and is, left partly open at night. At the foot of the table is a small table. Three wooden chairs and a chest of drawers complete the furniture. The small fireplace has no oven, and open shelves go each side of it. There are two saucepans, both burnt. There is no larder. (Storage Cupboard)

Source: Will Crooks MP, who was born in a workhouse, describes his attitude towards old age pensions.

We were challenged by the MP for Preston who said: ‘Would you declare that you are in favour of giving 5s a week to a drunken, thriftless, worthless man or woman? My Reply is very prompt: ‘A man of 70 with nothing in the world is going to cut a pretty shine on 5s a week, whether his character be good or bad. Who are you, to be continually finding fault? Who amongst you has such a clear record as to be able to point to wickedness of an old man of 70? If a man is foolish enough to get old, and if he has not been artful enough to get rich, you have no right to punish him for it.’

Source: David Lloyd George Speaking in 1908

The Old Age Pension Act is just the beginning of things. We are still confronted with the more gigantic task of dealing with the sick, the infirm, the unemployed, the windows and the orphans. No country can be called civilised that allows them to starve. Starvation is a punishment that society has ceased to inflict for centuries on its worst criminals, and at its most barbarous stage humanity never starved the children of the criminal.

I have had some excruciating letters piled upon me from people whose cases I have investigated – honest workmen thrown out of work, tramping the streets from town to town, begging for work, and at the end of the day trudging home tired, disheartened, and empty handed, to be greeted by faces, and some of them little faces, haggard and pinched with starvation and anxiety. During years of prosperity the workmen has helped to create enormous piles of wealth that have accumulated in the country. Surely a few of these millions might be spared to preserve from huger the workmen who have helped to create that great wealth.

Source: An extract from the memoirs of Flora Thompson.

There were one or twp poorer couples, just holding onto their homes, but in daily fear of the workhouse. When the Old age Pension began, life was transformed for such aged cottagers. They were relieved of anxiety. They were suddenly rich. Independent for life! At first, when they went to the Post Office to draw it, tears of gratitude would run down the cheeks of some, and they would say as they picked up their money, ‘God bless that Lloyd George!’ (for they could not believe one so powerful and munificent (generous) could be plain ‘Mr.’

Source: The Classic Slum, Richard Roberts, 1973

At last, in 1908 the Liberal Government allocated £1,200,000 for the establishment of a non contributory old-age pension scheme, and an Act was passed to become law on 1 January 1909.

Pensions, however, would be withheld from those ‘who had failed to work according to their ability and need, and those who had failed to save money regularly’. Here was a means test with a vengeance. Paupers were not entitled to any pension. Nevertheless, even these small doses meant life itself for many among the elderly poor . Old folk, my mother (who was a shopkeeper) said, spending their allowance at the shop, ‘would bless the name of Lloyd George as if he was a saint from heaven.’

LIberal Reforms Links:

BBC Bitsize . Notes and revision tests.

National Archives . Use documents from the National Archives to investigate the Liberal Reforms.

Defence Dynamics . Lesson plan and notes from the Ministry of Defence.

Cat and Mouse Act – relates to Votes for Women but is a good contrast with the reforms.

Schoolshistory home  –  History teachers resources  –  Medical History Timelines  –  Liberal Reforms  –  Welfare State  –  The NHS  –  Alexander Fleming  –  Florey and Chain develop Penicillin  –  DNA and it’s impact on modern medicine

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Liberal Reforms – Success? Essay Plan

Aug 06, 2024

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Explore the success of the Liberal Reforms in combating poverty in Britain from 1906-1914. Analyze key acts and their impact on the young, elderly, and workers. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of these reforms in addressing social challenges.

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Liberal Reforms – Success?Essay Plan Higher History

How successfully did the Liberal Reforms of 1906-1914, deal with the problems of poverty in Britain in the early 1900s? • Introduction • Brief paragraph on problems in Britain pre-Liberal Reforms • Young Name Act, explain, how successful • Elderly Name Act, explain, how successful • Workers Name Act, explain, how successful • Other acts Name Act, explain, how successful • Conclusion

Essay Title • How successfully did the Liberal Reforms of 1906-1914, deal with the problems of poverty in Britain in the early 1900s?

Introduction and Conclusion • Should always start “Was a limited success but very important because first time any government made an attempt to improve the welfare of its people”. • Show balance of more successful reforms 1st and then balanced with less successful/omissions.

Content of Essay • In your essay you must show: 1. An understanding of the problems Britain faced – brief paragraph. 2. What the Liberals did – details of legislation passed. 3. Strengths and limitations of reforms.

Example paragraph – National Insurance • Both National Insurance Acts I & II were for the first time a recognition that something had to be done to help workers made temporarily unemployed by sickness or by cyclical/seasonal unemployment. National Insurance I gave health insurance to 15 million low paid workers as well as maternity benefits to female workers. National Insurance II gave 2 ¼ million workers in certain low paying trades such as construction and shipbuilding benefits of 50p for up to 26weeks. However it was clear that both reforms were limited in scope to a minority of workers and for a limited period of time as well as giving benefits well below what Rowntree calculated would be necessary to keep a family above the breadline.

Summary – were the reforms successful? • Young • Elderly • Workers Act Good points Bad points Successful?

Conclusion • In conclusion, • On the one hand…(good points) • On the other hand…(bad points) • Overall,

In conclusion, the liberal reforms went some way towards tackling the problems of poverty in Britain, however it would be an exaggeration to say that they were successful. • On the one hand, reforms aimed at helping the young did improve the diet of young people and made it easier to identify health problems through medical inspections. Furthermore, pensions introduced by the Liberals went some way to support older people. Finally, national insurance reform aimed at workers provided some people in employment with added security in times of difficulty. • On the other hand, none of these reforms went close to solving Britain’s main social problems. Children only got free meals on school days and families couldn’t afford medical treatment following inspections. Most older working class people didn’t live long enough to reach pension age and national insurance acts for workers only benefited people in certain trades. • Overall, the Liberal reforms signified the first movement of a British government away from laissez faire towards a more hands on approach to tackle the country’s problems. However the reforms were piecemeal and did not solve any of the country’s five main problems of want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness.

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An assessment of the effectiveness of the Liberal social welfare reforms

Introduction to the reforms.

• The Liberal welfare reforms were a response to the growing problem of poverty in the UK.
• Between 1906 and 1914 , the Liberal Government introduced many measures to improve the lives of British people.
• Reforms targeted vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, the sick, and unemployed, acknowledging that state intervention was necessary to alleviate poverty.

Measures Implemented

• The Children’s Act (1908) , School Meals Act (1906), and Education (Administrative Provisions) Act (1907) were introduced to better cater to children’s needs.
• The Old Age Pensions Act (1908) aimed to provide financial security to individuals over 70.
• The National Insurance Act (1911) was introduced to provide protection to workers in times of sickness and unemployment.
• The Labour Exchanges Act (1909) was established to help the unemployed find work.

Effectiveness of Reforms

• The introduction of free school meals benefited countless impoverished children, improving their nutritional intake and overall health.
• The Old Age Pensions Act was the first step towards a state pension , but it was criticised for its low rates and stringent qualifications.
• The National Insurance Act provided limited support, covering only certain occupations and providing benefits for a short period.
• Labour exchanges helped tackle unemployment, but could not prevent or counter the effects of economic depressions or downturns.
• The reforms overall reduced levels of poverty and improved health and wellbeing, but the help was insufficient and not universal.

Response to the Reforms

• The welfare reforms were controversial and faced opposition from both the left and right politically.
• Many thought the reforms did not go far enough, while others viewed them as an unwarranted governmental interference in the free market.
• While they were met with resistance, over time these reforms became an accepted part of society and paved the way for future welfare development.

Overall Assessment

• The Liberal welfare reforms marked a significant shift in policy and ideology towards social welfare in Britain.
• They acknowledged that the state had a role in tackling poverty and reinforced the principle of state responsibility for its citizens’ welfare.
• Despite their limitations, these reforms represented a meaningful first step towards the establishment of the welfare state.

Liberal Reforms (1906-1918)

Attitudes towards poverty in the 1890s 

• Poverty was often blamed on the individual which was blamed in laziness ( laissez-faire ). 
• Politicians believed that people were responsible for their own welfare and that they should work hard and save for their old age.
• The only way to get up if you were poor was to enter the workhouse. Conditions in the workhouse were poor to discourage people from seeking help. 
• Charities to help the poor existed, but many relied on family. 

Living conditions in the 1890s

• Many people moved from the countryside to the cities in hope of jobs in factories from an industrialising Britain.
• Poor housing
• Unemployment
• Irregular work
• Little help for elderly, sick or unemployed.

​ Why did the Liberal Government introduce reforms to help the young, old and unemployed?

• By 1900, public opinion was changing as people realised that poverty was a cause of several factors. 
• Charles Booth - he carried out research into poverty in London and published a book to display this.
• Seebohm Rowntree - he studied poverty and its causes in York and published a report on it.
• Both researchers found that 28 - 31% of the population lived around the poverty line. The poverty line meaning unable to afford decent housing, food, clothing, healthcare or even a luxury, such as a newspaper.

The Boer War

• In 1899, Britain went to war with South Africa. Half of those who volunteered to fight for the army were actually unfit for the service. The % of unfit people varied according to where they lived. 
• Many had been so badly fed as children that they had not grown fully. This was worrying for the government. 

Dynamic Individuals

• Two leading politicians, Lloyd George and Churchill believed strongly in reform. They believed social reform would make the people better off and the country stronger.

​ Rivalry with Labour

• In 1906, the newly formed Labour Party did well in the general election. This worried the Liberals as they wanted to win over ordinary people with their reforms so that people would vote Liberal, not Labour. 
• It is evident that in 1906 - 1910, Labour Members of Parliament increased so this could be a factor as to why reforms were brought in. However, the number of Labour Members of Parliament is so miniscule compared to that of the Liberals, so Labour may not have even been an issue. 

How the Liberal Reforms helped the children (The Children's Charter)?

Education (provision of meals) Act 1906

• Allowed local authorities to provide free school meals to needy children
• Originally Labour Members of Parliament private members’ bill
• Raised debate of state responsibility for welfare of nation
• Passing of bill meant significant advance in role of state
• Gave poor children chance of one hot meal per day
• By 1914 14 million meals were provided for 158,000 children
• Limitations
• Only voluntary basis, many local authorities failed to provide meals
• Imperialists’ motives to help National efficiency after failures if Boer War

Education (administrative procedures) Act 1907

• Required medical inspection of children and permitted medical treatment
• By 1914 most local authorities were providing children with some medical treatment
• Helped cut child mortality
• Gave children chance of medical help when previously received none
• Imperialist motives after poor standard of health in Boer War recruits
• Did not compel local authorities to set up clinics
• Only gave children free care, parents unable to receive any

Children’s Act 1908

• Dealt with child neglect
• Set up juvenile courts and remand homes
• Prohibited imprisonment of children
• Banned children from pubs buying cigarettes
• Highlighted difference between children and adults
• Gave children protection from parents and adults

How the Liberal Reforms helped the unemployed?

• All male householders now had the right to vote.
• Working hours had been reduced and working conditions improved.
• Limitations: N.I.A. had trades where seasonal unemployment was common, including buildings, shipbuilding and engineering. 

How the Liberal Reforms helped the sick?

• The National Insurance Act meant that they were insured if they got sick. They also got free medical treatment and maternity care. Three groups paid for this : Taxpayers, Employers, Workers.
• Limitations: N.I.A. only for people who were on low income (less that £160 a year) 

How the Liberal Reforms helped the old?

Old Age Pensions Act 1909

• Introduced pensions which gave weekly pensions from Government funds to the elderly of 5 shillings per week to those over 70 and married couples get: 7s 6d (later made 10s)
• Break from past
• State offered security for first time without stigma of poor law relief
• Gave pensioners chance of a better life
• Small amount, bare minimum to survive
• People under 70 did not qualify, many people did not live to this age
• Those who had been in prison or failed to work were excluded
• Had to be living in Britain for 20+ years
• Income of below £21 a year
• However, better than nothing, a start to progress from and a break from the past

More reforms passed during this period:

• 1906 - the Trade Disputes Act reversed Taff Vale judgement; gave unions right to strike and picket; gave unions more power
• 1906 - the Workmen's Compensation Act granted compensation for injury at work.
• 1907 - school medical inspections.
• 1908 - eight-hour day for miners.
• 1910 - half-day a week off for shop workers.
• A Merchant Shipping Act improved conditions for sailors.
• From 1911, Members of Parliament were paid. This gave working men the opportunity to stand for election

How effective were Liberal Reforms?

• Proposal from Royal commission to abolish poor law were not carried out
• Proposals to abolish poor law, workhouses and stigma were ignored
• Nothing done for agricultural labourers who remained worst paid of all workers
• Between 1900-14 real wages rose very little
• Trade unions were little impressed by reforms as militancy escalated
• By 1914 the percentage of army volunteers rejected through ill health was only slightly better than 1900
• However Rowntree’s follow up survey in 1936 found that percentage of people living in primary poverty had fallen from 9.9% to 3.9%
• Far better than anything offered before
• Recognition from government of need for state intervention
• Beginning of a social service state where government ensure minimum standards

​ Reform of the House of Lords

Crisis over the House of Lords erupted when peers rejected the Liberal government's budget in 1909. The Liberals hit back with laws to strip the Lords of power to reject legislation approved by Members of Parliament.

The Parliament Act of 1911 said "money" bills became law within a month if peers did not pass them without change. And Members of Parliament could force through other bills if the Commons passed them in three successive sessions after a two-year delay.

​This video looks at how British society changed from 1890 to 1918:

• Coal Mines Act 1908
• Introduced maximum 8 ½ hour working day for coal miners
• Milestone – first time British government had intervened to regulate maximum working hours
• Disliked by owners as would have to pay more to workers for overtime
• Seen by many Liberals as interference into market forces and profitability
• Labour Exchanges Act 1909
• Labour exchanges set up
• Employers with vacancies could advertise position in one place
• Unemployed could easily see positions available
• By 1913 430 exchanges in Britain
• Made easier to find work
• System was voluntary
• Those unemployed not living near exchanges could little afford to visit
• Trade Boards Act 1909
• Set up minimum wage in 4 occupations
• Tailoring, box making, lace making, chain making
• In 1913 was extended to cover 6 more sweated trades
• Almost 400,000 workers were protected
• Only small percentage of workforce covered
• Shops Act 1911
• Gave shop assistants statutory half day per week off
• Did not set maximum working hours
• Many workers forced to make up lost time during week
• Payment of Members of Parliament Act 1911
• Payment of £400 per year
• Working class could now afford to enter politics
• Conservatives very critical
• Said would attract people into public life for personal gain rather than to serve the people
• Miners’ Minimum Wage Act 1912
• Set up local boards to fix minimum wage in each district to help miners working difficult seams
• Emergency measure forced through to end strike that lasted from February to April
• Did not satisfy miners who wanted more: 5 shillings per day men and 2 shillings boy
• Trade Union Act 1913
• Reversed Osborne Judgement
• Trade Unions could now divide subscriptions into political and social funds
• Gave Labour Party funds to allow push to become opposition party to Conservatives
• Gave trade unions ability to enter politics and cause further strikes and industrial action
• National Insurance Act 1911
• Introduced to help drive for national efficiency
• Lloyd George concerned over 75,000 tuberculosis deaths
• Both attempts to head off socialism in Britain
• Out of population of 45 million only applied to 15 million
• Part One – National Health Insurance
• Health cover provided to workers in certain industries by automatically deducting 4 pence from wages
• Employer added 3 pence and government 2
• Workers got 10 shillings a week sick pay
• Entitled to free medical care
• Maternity grant of 30 shillings
• Benefits did not apply to family members only payee
• Many workers paid voluntary health insurance schemes
• Insurance companies lost business
• Lack of hospital provision
• Criticised by trade unions for taking money from already low wages
• Part Two – Unemployment Insurance
• Worked on same principle as health insurance
• Benefit of 7 shillings per week up to 15 weeks in any one year
• Gave some unemployment protection
• Better than what had been in place before
• Established idea that funds needed to be contributory
• Only applied to workers in particular seasonal trades where demand fluctuated
• Building, shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, vehicle construction, iron founding and saw milling
• Only covered small number of trades
• Only for limited time, no cover if go over 15 weeks

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How Successful Were the Liberal Reforms?

• Created by: Skye (spud)
• Created on: 29-08-13 15:44

   Between 1906 and 1914, the Liberal government introduced a series of radical changes aimed at addressing the key issue of poverty in Britain. Various legislations were introduced with the aim of improving the lives of the working class Britons. These reforms took place against a backdrop of Victorian Britain where poverty was widespread and the government policy was that the population were self-sufficient and had no dependency on the state. Although the reforms were radical for their time, the Liberals failed to comprehensively address the issue of poverty. However the reforms were successful in achieving a significant degree of social change in Britain, and it was this that paved the way for the establishment of the Welfare State we have today.

   The Liberal government introduced social reforms designed on tackling the issue of poverty based off reports by Charles Booth (1899-1902) and Seebohm Rowntree (1904) in London and York. Previous to the reports it was believed that 2-3% of the population lived in poverty, but it was discovered that about 1/3 of the British population lived in poverty. It was these reports, and various other influences which encouraged the Liberals to pass the reforms.

   The first reform to be passed in 1906 was aimed at helping children. The School Meals Act was aimed at ensuring school pupils were not “in want in hunger”. The idea behind the reform was that if the next generation of the population was to be healthier than the previous then the Empire would continue to grow. However, the measure was only partially successful as it was not compulsory at first for local authorities to supply the school meals, and since no government money was provided many did not. Yet, some local authorities did adopt the scheme.

   The next act to be passed was the Free School Medical Inspections. The aim behind this measure was to help the children be healthier and better educated. Local authorities could now, if they desired to do so, provide school pupils with free medical check-ups. The scheme had very little success until 1912 when the government provided money for the service. However until the Public Health Act – the introduction of the NHS – was passed, treatment for illness and disease shown in the check-ups was still expensive. The scheme became successful when the treatment became free, along with the inspections.

   In 1908 the “Children’s Charter” (also known as the “Children’s …

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Liberal Reforms – Success? Essay Plan

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Liberalism, Labour and Social Reform, 1905–14

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• G. R. Searle  

Part of the book series: British History in Perspective ((BHP))

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The landed aristocracy did not topple over, politically, when attacked, as perhaps some Radicals had intended. But there was at least this satisfaction to be derived from the situation. Organised Labour — and the clear majority of working-class voters — sided with the Radicals. The assault on feudalism, though it led to complications aplenty, at least helped Lloyd George in his attempts to win over the working man. For the Constitutional Crisis raised issues of fundamental importance to ordinary working people. After all, it was very much in the interests of Labour that Radicalism should prevail. The Labour Movement, for example, had a vested interest in securing a reduction in the powers of the House of Lords. Many Labour MPs would have preferred the total abolition of the Upper House, but they saw a removal of its absolute veto as a step in the right direction. Irish Home Rule was viewed with greater ambivalence. Labour supported Home Rule, but one senses a certain weariness with the everlasting complaints of relatively prosperous Irish tenant farmers. Perhaps what most brought the British Labour Movement out in warm support for Asquith’s Home Rule Bill between 1912 and 1914 was the unconstitutional nature of the opposition which it encountered.

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Fforde, M., Conservatism and Collectivism, 1886–1914 (Edinburgh, 1990), pp. 158–9

Google Scholar  

Packer, I., ‘Lloyd George and the Land Campaign, 1912–14’, in Loades, J. (ed.), The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (Bangor, 1991), pp. 143–52.

For the most convenient general introduction, see Hay, J. R., The Origins of the Liberal Welfare Reforms 1906–1914 (London, 1975)

The best single study of the subject remains Gilbert, Bentley B., The Evolution of National Insurance in Great Britain: The Origins of the Welfare State (London, 1966).

Emy, H. V., ‘The Impact of Financial Policy on English Party Politics Before 1914’, English Historical Review , 15 (1972), esp. p. 130.

Tanner, D., Political Change and the Labour Party 1900–1918 (Cambridge, 1990), pp. 123, 448–50. The 1906 Plural Voting Bill was rejected by the House of Lords, while the more wide-ranging Franchise and Registration Bill of 1912 became entangled with the divisive issue of women’s suffrage and was withdrawn. Incidentally, between 1886 and 1918 the Liberal Party failed to win a single seat in any of the University constituencies, whose electorate consisted of graduates. The 1912 Franchise Bill would have abolished these constituencies.

Blewett, N., ‘Free Fooders, Balfourites, Whole Hoggers. Factionalism within the Unionist Party, 1906–10’, Historical Journal , 11 (1968), pp. 95–124.

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H. V. Emy, Liberals, Radicals and Social Politics, 1892–1914 (Cambridge, 1973), p. 226

For the circumstances in which this Budget was produced, see Murray, B. K., ‘Lloyd George, the Navy Estimates, and the Inclusion of Rating Relief in the 1914 Budget’, Welsh Historical Review , 15 (1990), pp. 58–78.

Blewett, N., The Peers, the Parties and the People: the British General Elections of 1910 (London, 1972), Ch. 12.

Book   Google Scholar  

Clarke, P. F., Lancashire and the New Liberalism (Cambridge, 1971).

Blewett, Peers , pp. 346–8; Koss, S., Nonconformity in Modern British Politics (London, 1975), pp. 117–18, 105.

Beveridge, Lord, Power and Influence (London, 1953), p. 92.

Clarke, P., Liberals and Social Democrats (Cambridge, 1978).

Lloyd George and Masterman later quarrelled. See Masterman, L., C. F. G. Masterman (London, 1939)

David, E., ‘The New Liberalism of C. F. G. Masterman’, in Brown, K. D. (ed.), Essays in Anti-Labour History (London, 1974), pp. 17–41.

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Perkin, H., The Rise of Professional Society (London, 1989), pp. 155–70.

Hay, R., ‘Employers and social policy in Britain: the evolution of welfare legislation, 1905–14’, Social History , 2 (1977), pp. 435–55.

Turner, J., ‘The Politics of “Organised Business” in the First World War’, in Turner, J. (ed.), Businessmen and Politics (London, 1984), pp. 34–5.

Gilbert, B. B., ‘David Lloyd George: The Reform of British Land-holding and the Budget of 1914’, Historical Journal , 22 (1978), pp. 117–41; also Emy, ‘Impact of Financial Policy’, p. 130, though some were Radicals who disliked the form of the Budget rather than its contents — for example, Molteno (Tanner, Political Change , p. 69).

Clarke, P., ‘The End of Laissez Faire and the Politics of Cotton’, Historical Journal , 15 (1972), pp. 493–512.

Searle, G. R., ‘The Edwardian Liberal Party and Business’, English Historical Review , 98 (1983), pp. 28–60.

Bernstein, G. L., Liberalism and Liberal Politics in Edwardian England (London, 1986), pp. 22–4

Bernstein, G. L., ‘Liberalism and the Progressive Alliance in the Constituencies 1900–1914’, Historical Journal , 26 (1983), pp. 617–40. On the West Riding ‘millocrats’

see Laybourn, K. and Reynolds, J., Liberalism and the Rise of Labour 1890–1918 (London, 1984), esp. pp. 6, 80, 123, 167. For evidence that such old business oligarchies were coming under challenge from within the Liberal organisation during the Edwardian years, see Tanner, Political Change , pp. 255–8, 269–73.

Searle, G. R., Corruption in British Politics, 1895–1930 (Oxford, 1987), Ch. 6.

Ibid., Ch. 8; Gilbert, B. B., ‘David Lloyd George and the Great Marconi Scandal’, Historical Research , 62 (1989), pp. 295–317.

Bentley, M., The Climax of Liberal Politics: British Liberalism in Theory and Practice 1868–1918 (London, 1987), citing Ellins, pp. 144–5.

For example, Pringle in North-West Lanark in Jan. 1910 and MacCallum Scott in Bridgeton in December 1910 (Hutchison, I. G. C., A Political History of Scotland 1832–1924 [Edinburgh, 1986], p. 239).

John Howe, ‘Liberals, Lib-Labs and Independent Labour in North Gloucestershire, 1890–1914’, Midland History , 11 (1986), p. 135.

Cook, C., ‘Labour and the Downfall of the Liberal Party, 1906–14’, in Sked, A. and Cook, C. (eds), Crisis and Controversy (London, 1976).

Sheppard, M. G. and Halstead, J., ‘Labour’s Municipal Election Performance in Provincial England and Wales, 1901 – 13’, Bulletin of the Society for the Study of Labour History , 39 (1979), p. 42. For the working of the anti-Labour pact in Bradford, see Laybourn and Reynolds, Liberalism , pp. 150–1.

See Appendix, pp. 216–17. Only by treating Labour MPs as surrogate Liberals is it possible to conclude that the Liberals had strengthened their hold over working-class constituencies in England between 1892 and 1910, and even then the improvement is hardly dramatic. The Liberals won 100 seats in English urban working class and mining constituencies in 1892, and eighty-nine in January 1910 (when Labour won thirty-one seats in this type of constituency). Of course, the Liberals did better in 1910 than they had done in 1895 and 1900, when the party as a whole was in the doldrums, but that was to be expected. It seems invalid to demonstrate a realignment in British politics between 1906 and 1910 by comparing the results of the 1910 elections with the highly untypical result of 1900, which is what has been done by Stephens, H. W., ‘Party Realignment in Britain, 1900–1925’, Social Science History , 6 (1982), pp. 35–66.

Rowland, P., The Last Liberal Governments: Unfinished Business, 1911–1914 (London, 1971), p. 80.

Clegg, H. A., Fox, A. and Thompson, A. F., A History of British Trade Unions Since 1889: Vol. I 1889–1910 (Oxford, 1964), pp. 402–3

See also Thane, P., ‘The Working Class and State “Welfare” in Britain, 1880–1914’, Historical Journal , 27 (1984), pp. 898–9.

Lloyd George to brother, 6 May 1908, in George, W., My Brother and I (London, 1958), p. 220. Churchill to Asquith, 29 December 1908

Churchill, R. S., Winston Churchill, Vol. 2 Young Statesman 1901–1914 (London, 1967), pp. 307–8.

Thane, ‘Working Class and “Welfare”’, pp. 877–900. The article is a response to an earlier claim that the ‘Welfare State’ initially encountered heavy working-class and Labour resistance (Pelling, H., ‘The Working Class and the Origins of the Welfare State’, in Popular Politics and Society in Late Victorian Britain [London, 1968], pp. 1–18).

On the Great Labour Unrest, see Clegg, H. A., A History of British Trade Unions Since 1889: Vol. II 1911–1933 (Oxford, 1985), Ch. 2; Tanner, Political Change , pp. 62–3.

Gregory, R., The Miners and British Politics 1906–1914 (Oxford, 1968), passim.

Cited in Richter, M., The Politics of Conscience: T. H. Green and His Age (London, 1964), pp. 374–5.

See Phelps Brown, E. H., The Growth of British Industrial Relations: A study from the standpoint of 1906–14 (London, 1959), Ch. 6. But the government was sometimes accused of not being sufficiently willing to employ the police to maintain order during industrial disturbances

see Morgan, J., Conflict and Order: The Police and Labour Disputes in England and Wales 1900–1939 (Oxford, 1987), pp. 43–4.

In May 1910, with industrial tension mounting in the valleys, the Welsh journal, Liais Llafur pointed out that the Liberal MPs representing South Wales included seven major industrialists, as well as five ministers and many lawyers (Peter Stead, ‘Establishing a Heartland — The Labour Party in Wales’, in Brown, K. D. [ed.], The First Labour Party 1906–1914 [London, 1985], p. 67).

McKibbin, R., The Evolution of the Labour Party 1910–1924 (Oxford, 1974), Chs. 3–4. For a very different view, see Douglas, R., ‘Labour in Decline, 1910–14’, in Brown, Essays in Anti-Labour History , pp. 105–25.

By 1914 Labour was holding 171 seats on municipal councils in England (outside London). True, there were cities where the Labour Party succeeded in significantly increasing its representation on the eve of the war, such as Bradford and Leeds (Laybourn and Reynolds, p. 152). In Birmingham, Sheffield, and the East End of London, on the other hand, Labour was very slow to make any impact at all (Michael Cahill, ‘Labour in the Municipalities’, Brown [ed.], First Labour Party , p. 99; Adams, T., ‘Labour and the First World War: Economy, Politics and the Erosion of Local Peculiarity?’, Journal of Regional and Local Studies , 10 [1990], pp. 24–5), while in Scotland Labour could only claim sixty-nine town councillors and thirteen county councillors even as late as 1915 (W. Hamish Fraser, ‘The Labour Party in Scotland’, Brown [ed.], First Labour Party , p. 57).

McKibbin, R. I., ‘James Ramsay MacDonald and the Problem of the Independence of the Labour Party, 1910–1914’, Journal of Modern History , 42 (1970), pp. 216–35. The Osborne Judgment, a legal ruling upheld by the House of Lords in 1909, restricted the use of trade union funds for political purposes and thus struck a serious blow against the Labour Party.

Marquand, D., Ramsay MacDonald (London, 1977), pp. 150–1, 159–62.

Clarke, P. F., ‘The electoral position of the Liberal and Labour parties, 1910–14’, English Historical Review , 90 (1975), pp. 828–36.

For a statistical analysis of elections in five English boroughs which suggests that class realignment was not taking place on a significant scale, see Wald, K. D., ‘Class and the Vote Before the First World War’, British Journal of Political Science , 8 (1978), pp. 441–57.

McKibbin, Evolution , p. 54. ‘What even the closest friends of Labour in the Liberal party often failed to understand was that the demand for greater representation was itself the greatest single issue for the Labour party during any election’ (Petter, M., ‘The Progressive Alliance’, History , 58 [1973], p. 58).

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© 1992 G. R. Searle

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Searle, G.R. (1992). Liberalism, Labour and Social Reform, 1905–14. In: The Liberal Party. British History in Perspective. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22165-3_6

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History S5 and 6

Intermediate and higher resources for extended essay/response.

APPEASEMENT

A very good summary of reasons for appeasement especially for Higher  http://www.historyman.co.uk/road2war/

The Spartacus website is very detailed and most pages have primary sources at the end of each article. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWappeasement.htm  

Rhineland http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERrhineland.htm

Anschluss http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWanschluss.htm

Nazi-Soviet Pact http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSnazipact.htm

Sudetenland http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERsudetenland.htm

Munich Agreement http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWmunich.htm

John D Clare has an excellent website – Reasons for and against appeasement including some quotes (historiography) http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII4.htm

There is also a handy table including quotes http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII4_AppeasementStatements.htm  

One of the books we have in class is available as an e-book http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3tQoAEo9Y6oC&pg=PA1&lpg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Video on appeasement that we watched in class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFl0NsUpLuI&list=UUyJWqwbI7CPAZpCqJ_yTg2w

CRADLE TO THE GRAVE

Excellent booklet with historiography on the effectiveness of the Liberal reforms Effectiveness of Liberal refoms – Hodder education

Poverty overview – cartoon summary, very good http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/liberal/motives_lib/video/

Higher Bitesize on the causes and effects of the Liberal reforms http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/liberal/

This history teacher has produced excellent class notes on the Liberal reforms along with a few historians’ quotes   http://www.mrsmith.moonfruit.com/#/liberal-reforms-how-effective/4551152705  

How successful were the Liberal reforms? http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/britain1906to1918/g2/gallery2.htm  

Reasons for Liberal reforms – overview http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/lessons/british_1895/liberal_reforms.htm

Education scotland posted this ppt on Labour reforms aimed at Higher but also of use to Intermediate paperone04labwelfareref_tcm4-123425

FREE AT LAST

BBC website specifically for the Free at Last topic – contains TIMELINE and PRIMARY SOURCES, also a section to test yourself. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/freeatlast/timeline/standard/attitudes/  

Some youtube revision videos a history teacher has posted on youtube http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLED74F8B267D8868C  

Montgomery Bus Boycott – Primary source quotes at the bottom of the page http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmontgomeryB.htm  

Freedom rides http://www.core-online.org/History/freedom%20rides.htm  

BBC history page http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/civil_rights_america_03.shtml

A good overview along with links to prrimary source photographs and documents. Also links to other useful websites at the bottom of the page. http://investigatinghistory.ashp.cuny.edu/m11.html

Black Panthers website http://blackpanther.org/Vision.html

Malcolm X research project website by University of Columbia  http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/

Links to Malcolm X’s speeches http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/mxspeaks.html

Civil Rights timeline http://www.usm.edu/crdp/html/cd/timeline.htm  

Radio extracts from interviews with African-Americans about life under Jim Crow http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/remembering/

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