Modern British History
AS-Level Overview
The Exam Questions
Look back at past few papers
 Always a question on foreign policy –
usually related to Britain’s eventual entry
into WW1
 Always a question on change brought
by war – role of women, increased state
etc.
 3rd. Question (political change) is more
variable – Liberal reforms, Unionist
defeat, rise of Labour.

Overview of Main Developments
These include:
 Reasons for the rise of a new Labour
Party
 Unionist Party reforms and policies while
in government under Balfour
 Reasons for Unionist defeat in 1906
 The extent of Liberal victory
The Rise of Labour - Background
The 1880s saw an increase in workingclass militancy
Reasons:
 Trade depression in 1870s and 80s;
 Low wages and large numbers of
unemployed
 Poor Law was the only relief for most,
and it was harshly applied

Reasons for Militancy (contd)
Spread of elementary education made
many working-class people more
politically conscious.
These factors were seen in a rise of strikes
and demonstrations by the late 80s.
New trade unions for unskilled workers
were formed – industrially based (not
craft) and more politically conscious

Trade Union Battles
1893 – Mine-owners imposed 10% wage
reduction, and imposed a lock-out of 15
weeks;
 1897 – Engineers defeated after a 30
week strike;
 Taff Vale Ruling (1901) – a railway
company had to pay compensation of
£23,000 to company for loss caused by
strike.

Importance of Taff Vale
This House of Lords ruling meant that
any strike would be ruinous for a union.
 As well as furnishing strike pay for
members, unions now liable to
compensate losses of employers.
 Strike weapon effectively useless.
 Only Parliament could overturn this.

Taff Vale showed the need to get more
working-class representatives into
Parliament.
 New laws were also needed to alleviate
working-class conditions – further need
for more sympathetic MPs.

Working-Class Problems with
Conservatives and Labour
Conservatives were not well-disposed
towards workers and had offered little
help in the past (party of landowners and
employers)
 Liberals were divided over social reform,
had offered timid solutions, and had not
encouraged more working-class
representation in Parliament.

Labour Representation in
Parliament
There were various socialist groups in Britain at
the end of the 19th. Century:
 The Marxist Social Democratic Federation
(revolutionary overthrow);
 Fabian Society – middle-class reformers
committed to gradualist change;
 Trade Unions – remained Liberal Party
supporters
 Radical wing of the Liberals (e.g. John Burns,
one of the few working-class MPs – prominent
in 1889 London Dockers’ Strike)
Independent Labour Party – formed from
various local groups by Scottish miners’
leader Keir Hardie
 Hardie won election as MP for West
Ham South in 1892 – far from his
Scottish roots, it suggested the appeal to
workers of a specifically working-class
party.

Kier Hardie set out to unite the different
socialist groups into one party.
 Trade Unions persuaded to join and in
1900 the Labour Representation
Committee was set-up (although the
revolutionary SDF refused to join).

Increasing Labour Representation





1900 – just two LRC members elected, one of
them Hardie
Taff Vale Case led to increased union backing,
however, improving revenue.
1903 pact with Liberals – LRC given free run
in some constituencies by Liberals.
1905 – Liberals and LRC agreed to support
each others’ candidates.
1906 – 29 LRC MPs returned to Parliament –
taking their seats as members of the Labour
Party.
Unionists and Liberals
1895 election marked beginning of a 10
year Conservative dominance
 Liberal split over Home Rule had led to
Conservative ranks being reinforced by
key Liberals – especially Joseph
Chamberlain.
 Chamberlain advocated a mix of
Imperialism and Radicalism

Conservative lack of enthusiasm for
radical reforms led to Imperialism being
Chamberlain’s main focus.
 Conservatives became known as
Unionist Party (to indicate support for the
issue on which the Liberals had left their
party).

Unionist Actions in Government.
Limited social reform – Workmen’s
Compensation Act (1897), giving
compensation for injury at work; largely the
work of Chamberlain.
 Salisbury focused on foreign affairs.
 Ireland – Land Purchase Act, enabling tenantfarmers to buy their farms with govt. money.
Quarter of a million tenants took this up; went
some way to ‘pacifying’ Ireland.

Education Act (1902), under Balfour – national
system of secondary education.
 County Councils responsible for funding, aided
by govt. grants.
 This Act was a major achievement in
extending education, although some debate
remains as to whether there should have been
a stronger focus on providing ‘technical’, rather
than ‘academic’, education.

Tariff Reform

Deprived of the chance to generate social
reform, Chamberlain advocated a plan for an
Imperial Customs Union, supported by Tariff
Reform.
 Chamberlain had taken post of Colonial
Secretary.
 Reputation dented by Boer War
 His plan challenged Free Trade – an article of
faith for Unionists as well as Liberals.
Chamberlain resigned from government
to pursue his Tariff Reform campaign,
which opened 1903.
 Import duties were proposed for nonEmpire trade, to give imperial
preference.
 Import duties would pay for social
reforms at home, and development in the
colonies, as well as Navy costs.

The scheme was designed by
Chamberlain as the centrepiece for
Conservative revival
 Instead, it contributed greatly to
Conservative defeat.
 It allowed Liberals – split over reform and
Imperialism – to rally around a call to
protect ‘Free Trade’.

Why did the Tariff Reform idea Fail?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Big industries (iron and steel, cotton, coal)
were flourishing under Free Trade
Danger of Tariffs increasing costs of living for
many workers
Trade outside empire was greater than within
It created division within Unionist party –
some left (incl. Churchill) for the Liberals.
Liberals could fight as united party, with
effective fear campaign – big loaf, little loaf.
Why did the Conservatives lose the
1906 election?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tariff Reform (unpopular policy/Unionist split)
‘Chinese slavery’ scandal – related to poor
treatment of imported Chinese labourers to
Transvaal gold mines – exploited by Liberals.
Balfour’s ministry seemed tired and failed to
deliver – or even consider - new social
policies
Even Education Act alienated
nonconformists, who disliked Church and
Catholic schools being funded by govt.
How big was the Liberal victory?
On the surface, it looked like a landslide:
 Liberals had 377 seats; Conservatives 157 (down from
402 in 1900); Labour 53; Irish Nationalists 83.
 Liberal share of vote, however, was just under 50%.
 Conservative vote stayed the same as in 1900 – the
Liberal victory was generated by an increase in their
vote amongst previous non-voters (Robert Blake)
 First-past-the-post system translated small Liberal
majorities into substantial Liberal victory!
Further Revision
Details of Conservative policies need
checking;
 Tariff Reform debate should be
understood – Chamberlain’s motivation,
and its impact;
 Reasons for rise of Labour Party;
 Analysis of Liberal victory and what it
meant – did it indicate a reinvigorated
Liberal Party?
