reasons for the liberal reforms

• In the late 19^th century, the attitude of the wealthy ruling classes towards the poor was uncompassionate and often cruel, blaming them for their own helpless predicament whilst exploiting them as workers.
• The government adopted a policy called ‘laissez-fair’ towards poverty meaning leave them alone to resolve their problems.
• The poor were encouraged to improve their lives by ‘self-help’ as opposed to government assistance, charities tried to help out but could not cope with the demand.

• a buisnessman in London who was the first to conduct research into poverty in London
• he carried out his research during 1886 and 1903
• with his research he concluded that 35% of the poeple living in London lived in poverty
• Booth argued that people who earned less than 21 shillings per weeek were living in poverty
• Booth also argued that if the governemnt didn't help sort out poverty then they would be in danger of s socialist revolution 

• he carried out a second investigation into to poverty only this time focusing on York
• he discovers that 30% of the poepel living in York lived in poverty 
• his researched showed epople that if there was this much poverty ina  typicl engilsh city then what would it be like in other cities, hence making it a nationwide issue
• his research defined a "poverty line"
• he descovered there was two types of poverty; primary and secondary
• primary poverty was when people didnt earn enough for the bear minimum 
• secondary poverty was when they earned enough to stay abouve the line but because of smoking, gambling and alcohol they fell bellow
• he argued that poverty did have to be constant and people would fall beloow the line at different points of there lives

this was important because they were well investiagted reports by to very respectible upper class wealthy influential social reformers. they proved that poverty was in fact more widespread than previously acknowledged; dispelling the myth that sever poverty was restricted to city slums.

however, historians agrue that the work of Booth and Rowntree was not significant, when the liberals introduced social reforms such as old age pensions, these were set beloow the primary line of shillings as identified by Booth and Rowntree

• Britain became involved in a war in South Africa which was a part of the British Empire.
• needed volunteers to swell the ranks
• nearly 25% of the volunteers were rejected because they were physically unfit to serve in the army
• one in three were declared to have failed army medical inspections, so were told they were unfit for military service
• in 1904 stated that free school meals and medical examinations should be introduced to try and prevent the poor physical conditions of man British citizens

This was important because it placed serious doubt over Britain’s military strength and ability to sustain her vast empire in the future, which was a cause of great concern for the army and in turn placed pressure on the government to take action.

However the liberal government reforms made no effort to improve the lives of young adults as the early reforms were centred on young children, suggesting that this was not their priority. 

• municipal socialism can be understood as the spending of local athourity money 
• public works schemes to improve living conditions and punblic health 
• these were set up and run by the liberals 
• these local schemes showed the possibility that they could work on a nationwide level
• there were a number of influencing figgured dubbed "Glasgow City Fathers"
• they aimed to imrpove the health of ordinary people 
• Lord Provost John Black was largly responsible for the 1866 City Improvemnt Act
• introduced to bring clean water supply into they city form Loch Katerine project
• Gas and electricty soon followed 

This was important because the action of some local authorities did provide clear evidence that health and well-being could be addressed successfully within communities. This placed pressure on the government to support local authority action on poverty and encouraged it nationwide. 

However, critics argue that much of this work was carried out in the 1860’s and only in isolated areas. The liberals started there reforms in 1906, in the vast time in-between meant that the impact would have been limited.