Booklet 2: Social and Liberal Reforms: 1900-1918 Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is ‘New Liberalism’
•Increased taxes on the rich in order to finance state intervention to help the poor.
•Greater government intervention
•Increased government spending on social reform
•Increased personal taxation for wealthier classes
•More emphasis on collective responsibility
The Two Programmes under ‘New Liberalism’
•’Unauthorised Programme’ - led by Chamberlain proposed: abolition of school fees, property tax, reform of the House of Lords.
•’Newcastle Programme’ - promoted Home Rule for Ireland, limits to hours of working day, increase in democracy & voting, sick pay and pensions.
Old Liberalism
Enforces the Laissez-Faire attitude of the government. This highlights the lack of government intervention on the basis of everyday people’s lives. Old liberalism was committed to individualism, liberty and equal rights and believer ‘these goals required a free economy with minimal gov interference’.
New Liberalism
Espouses economic reform to create welfare states and significant state intervention in corporate law and the overall economic health of a country and the importance of personal liberty in the face of encroachment by the state.
Studies of Poverty:
James London: The People of the Abyss (1903)
Charles Booth: Life and the Labour of the People of London (1899-1903)
Seebohm Rowntree - Poverty: A Study of Town Life (1901)
John Galt - Photographer, providing portrayal of life in the East end of London.
National Efficiency
Reflected the belief that Britain needed to focus on the promotion of greater health and welfare for the poor, particularly children.
Concerns that Germany was overtaking Britain commercially and militarily, which needed to be tackled with better education, more knowledge of science and technology, and better management.
Improvements in ‘blood stock’ with a focus on racial eugenics.
Boer War: 1899-1902 (1)
• The Boer people had access to German weaponry -> were advantaged from the terrain in combat with the British.
•30,000 undefended Boer farmhouses
•160,000 women and children sent to ‘refugee’ camps, otherwise known as concentration camps.
•Emily Hobhouse (humanitarian) - 26,000 women and children died in British concentration camps.
Boer War: 1899-1902 (2)
•December 18th 1901 -> Lloyd George anti-war movement
->Birmingham town hall pro-war mob.
Boer War: 1899-1902 (3)Significance
Britain did not have a system of conscription so when additional troops were needed for the war, the army had to rely on those who were willing to volunteer. There was no shortage of recruits, but an alarming percentage of those who did apply were found to be unfit for military service through a variety of medical conditions. There was a concern that the nation was defensively weak.
National Efficiency: Defence/War
Reflected the belief that Britain needed to focus on the promotion of greater health and welfare for the poor, particularly children.
->future planning as concerns with international competition needing healthy future soldiers as Britain struggled to win the Boer War. 1899-1902
National Efficiency: Industry
•Poverty caused by irregular employment, illness, poor wages, living/workhouse conditions.
•Access to services to maintain basic health-> unhealthy, malnourished workers, no income.
•Old-fashioned educational system and scientific weaknesses.
•Other countries surpassed British industry.
Liberal Reforms: (1)
There are 5…
•Merchant Shipping Act: improved standards of food on ships, accommodation.
•Labour Exchanges 1909: provided a place for people to find work
•Medical Inspection of School Children 1907
•School Meals Act 1906: free school meals for poor children
•Coal Mines Act 1908-1911: introduced an 8 hour day, improved health and safety.
Liberal Reforms: (2)
There are 6…
•Old Age Pensions Act 1908: for those over 70
•Trade Boards 1909: introduced a minimum wage for workers in the sweated trades e.g chain and lace-making.
•National Insurance (Health) 1912: sick pay
•National Insurance Act 1911: Unemployment pay
•Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906: for those injured at work.
•Shops Act 1911: shop assistants given half a day off (as well as Sunday).
The Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1906: Success✅ and Failure⛔️
✅provision of free school meals for malnourished/poor children
⛔️The act was not made compulsory (until 1911) for Local Education Authorities to do this
⛔️It only ENABLED LEA’s to do this, not enforce it.
⛔️Less than a 1/3 of local councils implemented this act.
The Education Act 1907: Success✅ and Failure⛔️
✅Children would have medical inspections in school
✅Performed by a qualified doctor
✅At least 3 during their time at school
⛔️only an inspection, no provision of medical care/medication
⛔️does not include treatment
The Childrens Act 1908:
•Made parental neglect illegal
•Child allowances for the poorest of families (from 1909)
•Juvenile courts and remand homes were established for young offenders
•it was made illegal to sell tobacco and alcohol to children.
Old Age Pensions Act 1908: Success✅ and Failure⛔️
They had to have an annual income of less than £21, anything over £31 you received nothing.
You couldn’t receive a pension if: you had been in prison in the last 10 years, claimed poor relief in the last year, or not worked regularly.
✅previously the elderly had to work until they died
✅those over 70 were given 5s (25p per week)
⛔️By 1914, there were 970,000 claimants, costing the Exchequer a total of £12 million a year
⛔️70 was a hard age to achieve (high starting age for pension)
⛔️not everybody received a state pension, problematic restrictions.
The Trades Disputes Act 1906
Reversed the Taff Vale decision to ensure that trade unions on strike were protected from being sued by employers.
National Insurance Act 1911: Health Insurance
•Workers given sickness benefit of 10s for 13 weeks (7s 6d for women) (later became 10s for the entire 26 weeks)
•30s maternity grant for women
•5s a week disability
•free medical benefits under a doctor
This was available to:
•All workers earning less than £160 a year and aged between 16-60
•To pay for this weekly payments were taken from the worker (4d), employer (3d) and government (2d).
Restrictions of the National Insurance Act 1911 (Health)
•Non-working wives and children were not covered by the scheme, nor was hospital treatment
•medical benefits under a doctor but treatment not included.
•workers under 16 were not included
•5s for disability is impossible to live on as disability is something that constantly prevented people from working.
•Women granted with less
•Age - does not cover pensioners or elderly.
Nation Insurance Act 1911: Unemployment
•Paid by weekly contributions of 2 1/2 d from workers, employers and the government.
Insured workers had a payment of 7s per week up to 15 weeks
•aimed to support those out of work for a short time: in construction and engineering trades (labourers).
Restrictions of the National Insurance Act 1911 (Unemployment)
•Did not consider how long people would be out of work for
•construction and engineering trades were fluctuating areas of employment ->inconsistent job security
•did not resolve unemployment
•only on certain trades
•workers contributed mostly
Opposition to National Insurance: (1)
British Medical Association: a result of the influence of the wealthier doctors who feared that the status of their profession would be lowered if they were paid by the government.
Opposition to National Insurance: (2)
Opposition from the ‘Friendly Societies’ was a result of working class people not affording these policies and had no other protection - friendly societies provided payment towards policies such as sick pay or doctors visits, with this gone, working class people would never be able to afford medical treatment.
