Paper 2: British Depth Study: Liberal Reforms

Seebohm Rowntree: 2 years Research in York.

Poverty caused by:

• Old age
• Illness
• Trade Cycle

Felt the country should have ways to protect the: Young, Old, Ill and Un-employed.

Impact:

•  Supported Liberal Gov. all his life and was an influence
• Had Connections in Liberal Gov. (David Lloyd George)
• Wrote a book.

Charles Booth: 9 years research in London

Poverty Caused by:

• Low wages
• Casual work
• Trade depression
• Old age
• Illness

Impact:

• Respected businessman
• Wrote a set of books
• Joined Liberal group

Liberals stood for:

• Each person has rights
• Gov. provide security, freedom, laws and police
• Poverty was a REAL problem. (persuaded by Booth and Rowntree)

1906 election Liberal party came to power, brought in series of welfare reform. Wanted to improve lives of: Old, Sick, Young, Un-employed.

National Efficiency (Workforce):

• From 1870 plus USA and Germany challenged Britians Empire
• Germany had a welfare programme, impressed Lloyd George
• Improved health and created more efficient workforce
• Forign competition made jobs scarce, not (just) laziness

National Efficiency (Boer War):

• 1899 & 1902 Britian fighting for territory in South Africa
• Half recriuts un-fit due to ill health
• In poor areas 69% un-fit
• Recriuts from poorer palcess had so little food, grew different
• Army had to lower height limit
• Set up Comitee on Physical detoriation, influenced Liberals

Social Reformers:

• Rowntree had connections in Liberal Gov.
• George (Chancellor) agreed with Rowntree - Not always fault of poor.
•                                                               - Role of Gov. to support poor.

Politics:

• Main Rivals Conservative Party (created welfare programmes when in power)
• Labour got votes from working class

Scale of the problem:

• Poor people died earlier
• More chance in getting illnesses and injuries
• 10% population owned 92% of countries wealth
• Britian in some palces was like a developing country (as we would class it now-a-days)

Group - Before Liberal Reforms - Measures by Liberals - Limitations of Reforms

• Children.
• No real system, some charaties helped families with children, orphans in workhouses
• 1906 Liberals brought act that said authorities had to provide meals, fed 14 million children by 1914.
• 1907 medical check.
• 1912 school clinics.
• 1908 Children and Young person's act, now parents could be prosecuted for neglect and it was illegal to insure  a child's life.The Act included courts for child crime, also set up special 'homes' for youn offenders so they don't go to prison.
• Feeding was not force-able, only 50% of children were fed.
• Medial Checks differentiated as it's was up to the local authorities.

Group - Before Liberal Reforms - Measures by Liberals - Limitations of Reforms

• The Old.
• Charities, Family and Workhouses.
• 1908 brought out Old age Pension. Over 70 you got 5 shillings. Married couples got 7s 6d. In the fisrt year 650,000 collected Old Age Pension, number claiming Outdoor relief fell by 80,000.
• Was directly funded , not just by local measures.
• If you got £31 or over you didn't recieve pension.
• Only if you lived in Britian in 20 years.
• Could sya you didn't deserve it if they thought you didn't work properly.

Group - Before Liberal Reforms - Measures by Liberals - Limitations of Reforms

• The Sick.
• Charities, Family and Workhouses.
• National Insurance Act - Part 1 - 1911. Any man/women under £160 a year had to join. Paying 4d a week they would get a stamp, Employer added 3d and Gov. 2d. Got 26 weeks of Sick pay, 10s per week.
• Widows didn't get counted or workers family.
• Contribute towards it - Tax.

Group - Before Liberal Reforms - Measures by Liberals - Limitations of Reforms

• Un-employed or Under-employed.
• Outdoor Relief, Volountary Labour exchanges.
• ALready Laboue exchanges in 1911, to help people get jobs.
• 1909 Labour Gov. set up thier own.
• By 1913 sending 3,000 people to jobs each day.
• National Insurance Act - Part 2 - dealt with Un-employment in trades such as: Building, ship building and engineering.
• Everyone would contribute and so Un-employed got 7s, for up to 15 weeks.
• Money ffrom NIA2 didn't supply the whole family.
• Didn't help all jobs which caused un-employment.

Political:

• Houses of Lords didn't want to pay for something that didn't benefit them
• Lloyd George said the Rich didn't earn thier money so should pay for reforms
• House of Commons passed the budget, but House of Lords didn't - had superior holding over Laws that needed passing
• Government brought in Parliment Act - House of Lords agreed to never defeat a budget and it could only delay a bill, not stop it
• Prime Minister called two general elections in 1910 - 1st for people's vote on budget, 2nd for people's vote on reforming House of Lords, less than 1906
• Labour wanted to spread wealth all around, Take money from taxation
• Conservatives called it 'Socalist', Labour party criticised budget for not going far enough

1908s People's Budget:

• Anyone earning over £3,000 per year paid 1s 2d(6p)
• Anyone earning less only gave 9d (4p)
• Earned over  £5,000 pay super-tax, death and land tax. Petrol tax also introduced
• Friendly socities and Insurance didn't give National Insurance to widows
• Workers didn't like less pay

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