1906 Election, New Liberalism and Poverty

BRITAIN AROUND 1906:

Economy

• US is growing but Britain is growing slower
• less agriculture industry
• 10% own own 90% of Britains wealth
  leads trade action e.g., ships,steel,coal and textiles

Political situation

• many call for reform
• female public and 1/3 of men cannot vote
• Ireland want more national control
• not a very good democracy but not as bad as others like Russia
• Parliamentary Monarchy

Political parties

• Liberals
• Conservatives
• Labour

Society and Religious Values

• pride in empire
• north-south divide (social divisions)
• some criticise Boer War after one year (put wives into concentration camps)
• Christianity

Empire

• 1/4 of the world
• vast resources

Social conditions

• 4 million at or below the poverty line
• Boer war shows lack of nutrition
• stark wealth divide (1/3 of income went to 3% of population; 89% of property is owned by 1 million people but 10% shared by 43 million)

Conservative Party

• represents landowners, the Church of England and Big Businesses
• voted for by mainly upper classes but also working and middle classes
  beliefs in limited government interference, keeping Irish rule and a strong foreign policy promoting British interests and the empires

Liberal Party

• middle classes, non-conformists, skilled craftsmen, business men, Trade unions
• FREE TRADE
• believed in limited government interference, Irish Home Rule, lessen the effects of privilege and being hostile to imperialism
• in Wales, the disestablishment of Anglican church

Free Trade= no tariffs in and out of country

Labour Party

• working man
• believes in Trade Unions, Welfare, Health care and housing that is accessible and reduction in private ownership

Irish Nationalist Party

• HOME RULE
• predominately Catholic areas of Ireland
• aligned by Liberals (Home Rule was supported by Liberals)

FACTORS FOR THE LIBERAL LANDSLIDE 1906:

Boer War

• the longer the war runs the more costly in lives and money
• some methods used to defeats the Boers were unethical e.g., putting wives of Boers in concentration camps
• exposes the malnutrition in Britain during Conservative leadership (1/3 recruits rejected on medical grounds)

1902 Education Act

• provides for LEA (Local Educational Authority) funding for both…