Liberal - motives Flashcards
(6 cards)
Introduction
Prior to 1907, the British people struggled with very little help from the government. In the early 1900s, the Liberals came into power and introduced reforms to assist the British Population. There were various reasons why the reforms were passed such as New Liberalism, Municipal Socialism, Booth and Rowntree, Fears over national security and the rise of Labour.
New Liberalism
One factor that contributed to the Liberal reforms was New Liberalism. After Bannerman’s death in 1908, Asquith was elected as the new Prime Minister. He appointed David Lloyd George and Churchill Winston to the cabinet. They booth represented poorer areas. Lloyd George represented in Wales and Churchill represented Dundee. The new Liberalss supported Booth and Rowntree’s reports and argued that government should intervene in wellbeing. This is important because after 1908, the Liberals passed many reforms relating to the young and the old, these timings proved that new Liberal politicians did drive forward the passing of reforms. They had a genuine concern for social welfare. However, new Liberalism was not part of the manifesto in 1905 with which they won the election, which therefore proves that welfare reforms was not a committment of the Liberal Party.
Municipal socialism
Another factor that contributed to the Liberal reforms was municipal socialism. Money came from local taxes to pay for public services therefore applying the basic socialist idea of redistributing the wealth to help the less fortunate. In Glasgow, water supply was controlled, and fresh water was pumped in from Loch Katrine. This was important because the Liberals had proved municipal socialism worked therefore local authority success was used as a model for a national policy. However, not everyone supported an increase in taxation to achieve this. Wealthy people especially opposed to being taxed more to help the needy.
Booth and Rowntree
Another factor that contributed to the Liberal reforms was Booth and Rowntree. Booth researched poverty in London and found that 30% of the London population lived in poverty and only 3% received help. He showed that low pay and illness could cause poverty. Rowntree researched poverty in York which showed it was a national problem. He also devised the poverty line, which was the minimum needed to survive on. This was important because it quantified poverty. They both raised awareness amongst the middle and upper classes who read their work which put pressure on the government. However, because the reforms foccused on inner cities, it did not lead to nationwide change. Many people inclucing MPs challenged the surveys and still believed poverty was down to the individual wasting money on things like alcohol and gambling
Fears over national security
Another factor that contributed to the Liberal reforms was fears over national security. In 1899-1991, war broke out between the Boers in South Africa and the British Empire. 1 in 3 people failed the medical exam and 25% of people from towns and cities were rejected for being unfit. The 1904 results from the Interdeptpartmental Committee on Physical Deteriotion identifed poor diet and overcrowding negatively impacted health. They reccommened free school meals and medical examinations for all school pupils. This was important because the government was concerned that Britain might not survive future wars because of the poor health of the population. However, many historians have challenged this view that politicians had any genuine concern for the welfare of the poor and instead only wanted to pass reforms for political advantage.
Rise of Labour
The final factor that contributed to the Liberal reforms was the rise of Labour. In 1902, Labour had 5 MPs. By 1906, the party had 29 seats. The party values were based on the protection of trade union rights and interests. This was important because historian Tanner believes the threat of the Labour party in 1906 motivated the Liberal reforms, not concern for welfare from the New Liberals. However, other historians believe their influence was limited prior to WWI. Labour was a minority party and therefore not as big a political party as they had imagined.
