British history 1890-1990- Poverty and Unemployment

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Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
(1- Poverty)
Food prices falling.
Urban growth: Poor housing, overcrowded slums.
Life expectancy in 1893- 53.
50% Boer war volunteers unfit.
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Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
(2-Unemployment)
12% of workforce unemployed.
Agricultural great depression 1873-1896.
US/German competition against outdated British industries=Cheaper foreign goods
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Government action 1890-1906
Public health act 1875:
Improved sanitisation.
Houses of the working classes acts 1890, 1900: Slums built, lack of new homes built.
Education acts:
Focus on elementary education
Unemployment Workmen act 1905:
Local committees set up to provide work for u
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Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
Not tackled greatly due to laisse faire attitudes.
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Changing attitudes (1890-1906): Individualism vs collectivism
Boothe and Rowntree:
Third of population living in poverty.
Poverty line= 21s 8d per week.
Poverty cycle showed unemployment caused low pay, sickness and laziness being consequences and causes.
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Changing attitudes (1890-1906):
Individualism vs collectivism
Fear of socialism, liberal reforms introduced favoured working class.
National efficiency:
Made poverty national problem due to social and economic security over foreign competition.
Humanitarianism:
Focused on impact of poverty on people.
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Royal Commission on poor law 1905
Majority report= No need for state intervention- poverty fault of the impoverished
Minority report= Cause of poverty economic and beyond control of individual, state intervention needed.
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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
Realised need for social reform-especially for unemployed and sick.
New Liberalism, believed whole society needed caring for (influenced by T.H. Green).
Influenced David Lloyd George and Winston Churchil.
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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Trade union reforms)
Trade dispute act 1906- Reverse Taff Vale decision and now allowed strikes.
Trade unions act 1913- Reversed Osborne judgement so unions can pay money to labour party.
Met trade union pressures- now able to strike, picket and pay a part in politics.
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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Reform for children)
Free school meals 1906- set precedent for state intervention, only compulsory in 1914.
Free medical inspection 1907- 75% of LEA's provided free medical inspection and 2/3 provided treatment by 1914.
Children and young person Act 1908- Increased role of s
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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Elderly reforms)
Old age pension- Non contributory, financed by Gov out of tax.
Represents gov intervention in care- significant change.
Not universal.
5s/week over 70.
Could be seen nationalising outdoor relief.
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Poverty and unemployment
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Reform for working class)
Labour exchanges 1909- Helped unemployed find jobs, by 1914, 2 million registered. Exchanges found 3,000 jobs a day.
Trade boards act 1909- Churchill set minimum wages in 10 'sweated trades'.
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Poverty and unemployment
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(National insurance act 1911- Part 2, Unemployment)
Covered workers effected by cyclical unemployment.
Benefit of 7s/week for 15 weeks/year (unless fired for misconduct.)
Unemployment found by Boothe and Rowntree as Key cause of Poverty.
New thinking found need for state intervention.
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Poverty and unemployment:
Significance of Liberal reforms 1906-1914 (1)
National insurance set precedent of how to fund future reforms, and provided mixed self-help + collectivist tone.
Clear attempt to tackle unemployment:
Increase state intervention for poor.
NI most important, first step caring for sick, old and unemploy
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Poverty and unemployment:
Significance of Liberal reforms 1906-1914 (2)
Welfare support for children, elderly and unemployed provided significant poverty 'safety net'.
Peoples budget, secured political acceptance of taxing to fund reform.
Liberal not socialist- individual responsibility. Not universal or comprehensive, some
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
(2-Unemployment)

Back

12% of workforce unemployed.
Agricultural great depression 1873-1896.
US/German competition against outdated British industries=Cheaper foreign goods

Card 3

Front

Government action 1890-1906

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Changing attitudes (1890-1906): Individualism vs collectivism

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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