Issue 4 – Evaluation of the reasons for the Liberal reforms

Reasons for Liberals

introducing welfare reforms

Booth and Rowntree Surveys

Party advantage

Fears over National security

New Liberalism

Foreign examples

National efficiency

Municipal socialism

What was Victorian povery like?

4

Norman Pearson believed…

The poor were “made of inferior material…and cannot be improved…” [They are] poor in their blood and their bones”.

CONTEXT • The industrial revolution had brought great

wealth but also great poverty to Britain. • LAISSEZ-FAIRE was the order of the day =

The state should not interfere in people’s lives or the economy.

• If you were poor – it was your own fault!

• A Scot called Samuel Smiles wrote a book on Self-Help: – “Self-help is the root of all genuine growth”

Individuals are obliged to look after themselves and their family based on HARD WORK and

DETERMINATION.

DISCUSSION POINT

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE/POLITICIANS WERE RELUCTANT TO INTERVENE?

WHAT WOULD THEY FEAR MIGHT HAPPEN?

HOWEVER!• In 1906 – 1914 the Liberal Party

launched the largest programme of SOCIAL WELFARE REFORMS ever seen in BRITAIN to help the young, elderly, sick and unemployed (YESU to help you remember).

Line of argument• What is the most important factor

that caused the Liberal Party to move away from LAISSEZ FAIRE towards STATE INTERVENTIONISM?

• 2013 Exam - To what extent did the Liberal Government of 1906–1914 introduce social reform due to the social surveys of Booth and Rowntree?

HISTORIOGRAPHY• “Arguably, the single most important precondition for the

spate of social reforms between 1906 and 1914 was fear of the consequences of an unfit and debilitated population”. Eric Evans

• “The success of foreign economies suggested that the British workforce was inferior to that of the foreign rivals the Nation faced. The work of Booth and Rowntree, by revealing the depths of poverty in English cities, reinforced this concern”. Peter Murray

• “The high proportion of army volunteers from the large towns rejected as physically unfit appeared to confirm the alarming findings of Booth and Rowntree”. A. Sykes

• “I see little glory in an Empire which can rule the waves and is unable to flush its sewers”. Winston Churchill

• “Political historians have commonly seen the Liberals’ reforms of 1906-14 as a pragmatic and doomed attempt at propping up their increasingly threatened position on the left of British politics”. Duncan Tanner

Solutions before reform?• Poor Law – The last resort was the

dreaded workhouse. • Charity – Philanthropy e.g. YMCA,

Salvation Army, Barnardo’s

LIMITED RESULTS

FACTOR 1 – BOOTH AND ROWNTREEIn the 1890s and 1900s two wealthy businessmen/social investigators, surveyed Victorian poverty in York and London. They revealed the true depths of poverty and made alarming conclusions based on their findings. ARGUMENT – • They quantified poverty and proved that it was a

NATIONAL problem not a local problem. • They discovered the true causes of poverty and that

there was little an individual could do to ‘help themselves’ thus debunking the ‘self help’ approach.

• They raised national awareness amongst middle and upper classes who read their work -> pressure on government.

• Charity was clearly not enough – state intervention was needed to cope with the widespread scale of the problem.

Beliefs as to what caused poverty in Britain:

BEFORE SURVEYS AFTER SURVEYSIDLENESS CASUAL LABOUR

DRUGS POOR PAY DRINK UNEMPLOYMENT

GAMBLING SICKNESSLARGE FAMILIES OLD AGE

IGNORANCE

Key findings • Booth’s classification of the Poor – solidified the

idea of the ‘deserving poor’• Rowntree devised a ‘poverty line’ (building upon

Booth’s work) which outlined the minimum level of income needed for a person’s/family’s survival. E.g. 2 adults and 3 children – 21s 8d (£1.08) required

• Rowntree categorised poverty into 1) Primary poverty = total earnings are less than

minimum required to physically survive. 2) Secondary poverty = total earnings are enough

for survival but is not sufficient because a portion is spent elsewhere (ie drink, drugs)

FACTOR 2 – NATIONAL SECURITY• In 1899-1901, war broke out

between the Boers in South Africa and the British empire. For 3 years!

• Like most wars- waves of British volunteers rushed to join up! But 1 in 3 failed the medical exam and 25% were rejected on the grounds that they were unfit, especially volunteers from industrial towns.

• ARGUMENT – If 25% are rejected as unfit, how can Britain defend itself against a future enemy much larger than the Boers?

Boer Soldiers

Britain were surprised that the Boers were so formidable. These 60,000 ‘Dutch farmers’ were well led, well equipped and

well trained

This triggered…• Interdepartmental Committee on Physical

Deterioration established to investigate the problems/causes of poor health.

• 1904 results identified poor diet and overcrowding as problems. Recommended free school meals and medical examinations for school pupils.

• ARGUMENTS: These were some of the first reforms passed by the Liberals in 1906 therefore fears caused by Boer War had direct impact on introduction of reforms!

FACTOR 3 – NATIONAL EFICIENCY• This led to fears about the British Empire and their

position as the most prosperous industry leader. • Germany and the USA were overtaking GB in

industrial productivity. ARGUMENT:• Britain needed to maintain its international

economic power and stave off competition. To do so required a healthy population of workers who were well educated.

• Churchill argued unemployment imbalance resulted in the poor not knowing where the jobs were which in turn weakened industrial output. This prompted the creation of Labour Exchanges.

‘Old Liberal’ PM Campbell Bannerman died in 1908 and

replaced by…

New PM in 1908, the much younger Herbert Asquith

who appointed people like David Lloyd George in his

cabinet who promoted state interventionism

FACTOR 4 – NEW LIBERALISM• Old Liberalism meant Laissez – faire.• After Bannerman’s death in 1908, Asquith the new

PM appointed Lloyd George/Churchill to the cabinet. ‘New Liberalism' argued that there were circumstances in which it was right for the state to intervene in people's lives.

ARGUMENT:• The appointments of Lloyd George, Asquith and

Churchill in the Cabinet coincide with a wave of interventionist reforms.

• After 1908 the Liberals passed many reforms, this proved the New Liberals did have a significant influence on the passing of reforms.

• However it cannot be argued that the New Liberals influenced the early reforms pre-1908 as these were passed by an old Liberal who did not share their ideology.

FACTOR 5 – PARTY ADVANTAGEAs a result of the increasing working class electorate since

1884, the Liberal party were keen to retain these new voters. The Labour Party was competing for them by 1906 therefore it was in Liberal interests to alter their welfare policies even if they were not fully sold on the idea.

A very selfish view?ARGUMENT• Historian Tanner believes the threat of the Labour party

motivated Liberal reforms.• Reforms like pensions or free school meals helped ‘New

Liberals’ to get recognition and at the same time help working class voters who in return would vote for them.

• For ambitious men like Lloyd George it was also a way of gaining power in his own party e.g. as chancellor of the Exchequer he had been famous for passing a ‘super tax’ to pay for reform.

FACTOR 6 – MUNICIPAL SOCIALISM• A.k.a. ‘Gas-and-water socialism’ • Municipal = local• Some Liberal controlled local authorities began to make

improvements to welfare such as clean water and street lighting. E.g. Birmingham under Liberal Mayor Joseph Chamberlain – cleaned up the water supply which at that time only provided piped water 3 days a week. He bought the waterworks and cleared slums. In Glasgow, 1850s controlled water supply, 1860s provided street lighting.

• Money came from local taxes (the rich) to pay for public services. An example of addressing the needs of an urbanised society and applying the basic socialist idea of redistributing the wealth to help.

ARGUMENT This was used as a model for national policy.This set the scene for greater national reforms.

FACTOR 7 – FOREIGN EXAMPLES

• Bismarck introduced pensions and employment support for workers who succumbed to ill health or accidents in Germany in the 1880s.

ARGUMENT:Germany was militarily strong which drove British politicians to make the connection between a healthy population and strength in the military and the economy. If it worked in Germany, surely it could work in Britain?

BISMARCK

When writing your conclusion…

• Remember to summarise your main points BUT this alone is not enough.

• Judge each factor you have discussed in your essay in order to answer to the question – compare how some were more influential than others.

• Address the isolated factor – was it the most important or if not which one was?

Conclusion • Many motives for Liberal reforms.• New Liberalism certainly influenced ideas and

approach. • Labour party competition caused fear of losing

votes and may have acted as a catalyst. • National security threat was a serious

consideration for politicians.• Booth and Rowntree were an over-arching

cause because of the success they had in raising awareness of causes of poverty – a driving force behind the reforms.

Model ‘A’ conclusionIn conclusion, the Liberal reforms were the results of

many influences. On one hand, political advantage was an important factor in pushing the Liberals towards social reforms. Fear of losing voters to the new Labour party may have made the need to reform more urgent. On the other hand, concerns over Britain’s national security and economic position in the world made politicians realise a healthier working class was essential. However, without the reports carried out by Booth and Rowntree, the Liberals may not have carried out a programme of reform. These reports made it clear that poverty was not always the fault of the individual and the concept that the deserving poor needed national assistance was at the core of the Liberal reforms.