How successful were the Labour Reforms?
Want

Social security reforms meant that everyone was covered from the
‘cradle to the grave’ (maternity grant to funeral expenses)

However, schemes took a lot of people to administer.
Not everyone was covered by NI, thus the safety net of National Assistance
Ignorance
 Butler’s Education Act defined the three stages of education.

Secondary education was free and compulsory for the first time.

However, education was not always appropriate for every pupil.

Not enough secondary schools built. was relied on by more than anticipated.


Disease
NHS was completely comprehensive.
‘It remains an important symbol of a brave new world of welfare reforms launched by Labour after 1945.’
Idleness

Labour did actively promote full employment as they knew that without low unemployment, the welfare state would not be able to function.

Unemployment never rose above 2.5%

However, on balance Labour probably don’t deserve much of the credit for keeping unemployment low. American loans, the baby boom and private
 industry probably contributed more.
Squalor
 Labour’s record on housing was poor when considered in a basic statistical manner.
However, given the scale of the problem it could be argued that Bevan ‘made real progress’ at a time when there was a shortage of workers and materials.

A separate housing ministry was not created and therefore, it can be argued, that
Bevan had an impossible task, as Minister of both Health and Housing.

Labour failed to calculate properly the scale of the housing problem.

Did Labour establish a welfare state?/Do they deserve all the credit for this?
Welfare state – when the government takes responsibility for the welfare of citizens from the ‘cradle to the grave’
A welfare state provides:
- Universal and free education
- Universal and free healthcare
- Contributory benefits – e.g. National Insurance (incl. Pensions)
- Non-Contributory benefits/Benefits in kind e.g. National
Assistance/Family Allowance
- Social housing
- Assistance with finding employment
No they Didn’t/Don’t Yes they did/do o The Labour reforms were universal and comprehensive, unlike previous reforms. o Care was in place from the
‘cradle to the grave’ o The Liberal Government of
1906 – 1914 laid the foundations of a welfare state by introducing pensions and
National Insurance for the first time. o The National governments of the 1930s built on these reforms and have an especially good record on house building. o The wartime coalition (1939
– 45) introduced many welfare reforms – e.g.
Butler’s Education Act,
Family Allowances. o The Conservatives would have introduced similar reforms if they had won the o
1945 election.
PJ Madgewick – ‘Poverty was not abolished, but there is no doubt that the number of the people seriously lacking in food, clothing, shelter and warmth, was substantially reduced, compared with the 1930s.’

D Fraser – ‘The war was to have decisive influence in producing a common experience and universal treatment for it.’
Sir Keith Berille (Labour official) - ‘We have won the war and we have voted ourselves a nice peace’
M Bruce – ‘The decisive event in the evolution of the welfare state was the Second World War’
John Kerr – ‘For the first time, the financial uncertainties of unemployment and serious illness were banished by the welfare state.’
Robert Pearce – ‘By 1951 Labour was seen as the party of the Welfare State. It deserved this reputation.’