The Liberal Welfare Reforms
Syllabus requirements
Government andsystem
People: whereby
socio-economic
the
problems in the period
and changing
government
takes role of
central government in addressing them as
responsibility
for
the
social
exemplified in: and economic security of
its population, e.g. old
• Liberal Government pensions.
1906 – 14 and the
problem of poverty
• i.e. considering origins of the welfare
state*
Poverty & the Decline of Laissez-Faire
• Up to c1870, governments followed policy
of ‘laissez-faire’.
• 1870 – 1900 policy increasingly challenged
Laissez-faire is the belief that the state
should not interfere in the lives of the
people or in the workings
of the market economy.
19th C Beliefs
1870 onwards
• Individuals free to • Laissez-faire
run own life
challenged
Dicey too
rigid in
classifications
• If destitute
then
• ‘Age
of
own fault, due to
Collectivism’
Overlap
moral failings
(Dicey)
• Poor relief
made
• Governments
Gradual intervention
since 1840’s
harsh to avoid
accept need to
laziness
regulate
and care
Series of acts governing
factories
their citizens
• ‘Age of
and public for
health
in certain limited
Individualism’
areas.
(Dicey)
Why change in policy?
• 1870’s + 1880’s period of severe economic
depression – mass unemployment – state
and voluntary efforts could not cope.
• Social investigations revealed extent of
poverty.
• Journalistic reports on slum life pricked
Middle Class consciences.
• Public and private poor relief system
deemed wholly inadequate.
Why change in policy?
• Political thinkers like T. H. Green, gave the
intellectual ammunition for the ‘New’
Liberals to challenge traditional
individualist ideology of their party.
• Socialist/collectivist ideas spread through
groups such as the SDF (Social
Pressure
for
change
resulted
in
Democratic Federation) and Fabian
welfare
legislation
tackling
Society.
public health, education and
poor relief.
Welfare State of late 19th C
• Transition period
• Ideas of self-help endured but private
solutions no longer capable of tackling the
severe problems of that period
• Poor Law inadequate - help from the
wealthy was forthcoming but in the form
of philanthropy, i.e. private charity
• Although not collectivist in response it
was a shift away from laissez-faire notion
of self-help
Charitable Organisations
• YMCA (1844)
• Christian or
humanitarian
• Dr Barnardo’s
motives Actions contradicted
Homes (1869)
social ‘Darwinism’,
• Tried to care for • Salvation Army
i.e. survival of the fittest.
the weakest
members of
society.
(1866)
• RSPCC (1884)
Charity Organisation (C.O.S.)
• Founded 1867
• Aim: more rigorous/coherent approach to
tackling poverty
• Key figure: C.S. Loch – did not believe in
indiscriminate charity – help ‘deserving’
poor + investigate applicants – restore
person’s independence and self respect
• 1890’s: more moderate line
– Widespread economic distress
– Acceptance some poverty unavoidable
– Economic reasons
Situation 1880’s & 1890’s
• Poverty largely untreated
– Few wanted shame of entering poorhouse
• 1880’s 3% of population received poor
relief; 30% in dire poverty
• Poor Law viewed as inadequate and
fundamentally wrong
– No point frightening unemployed worker into
finding work when none available
– Failed to deal with mass poverty revealed in
investigations
Refuge for homeless women
The Investigation of Charles Booth
• Aim: disprove Wealth
H. M.
• Findings
ship
ownera shock
Hyndman’s view that
• 30%1886
below– poverty
Studied London poor
1903 line
wages of a ¼ of
• Philanthropy
ineffective
‘The
Life
and
Labour
of
the
People
of
working men
•
Challenged
Poor
Law
London’
insufficient to keep
stats.
them healthy
Team incl. Beatrice Webb
• Some poverty due to
• Defined poverty/line
moral failings
Insufficient to obtain
•
Biggest
problem:
casual
‘necessities of life’
labour, poor pay &
i.e. minimum income
unemployment – outwith
18/- to 21/- per week
individual’s control
for family with 3
children
The Investigation of Seebohm Rowntree
• Distinguished
• Poverty
line:
Related to chocolate
firm, Rowntrees
between ‘Primary’
&
minimum
necessary
Studied
York
‘Secondary’ Poverty
for necessities:
• Primary Increased
– income awareness
food, of
rent, clothing,
sufficientOther
to meet
writers: light, fuel, etc. =
poverty by the middle class.
basic needs
Less academic 21/8
Driftapproach
towards ‘collective’
• Secondary – income • Findings
belief
social reform.
Largely
sufficient,
but inemotive
27.8% poor (1899)
of
misspentdescriptions
so as to
poverty
produce poverty
Other reasons for change in opinion
• Due partially to fear of working class agitation
• Political parties had to address needs of working
class with their enfranchisement in 1867 & 1884
• Boer War recruitment saw 1/3rd rejection rate
leading to campaign for ‘national efficiency’ fit population needed
• Other countries developing welfare schemes
Reasons for poor response by
Gladstone’s Liberals
•Little
Keep change:
public expenditure down
• Gladstone’s belief in self help
Law modified
•Poor
Preoccupation
with Irish question led to
Liberal split & out of office most of 1886
Job
creation schemes at exceptional times
– 1906
• Main aim: preserve personal freedom
Local govt. would not accept that poverty
no always the individual’s fault
Situation c1900
• Private charity + self help still fashionable
• BUT, increased help for ‘deserving’ poor +
deterrents for ‘undeserving’ to stop abuse
of system
Turning point:
Liberal Govt. social reforms 1906 – 14.
Conservatives and Reform
significant
reforms:
•3 In
power most
of 1870 – 1900
– 1890
Housing
Act – slum
clearance
+
• Lord
Randolph
Churchill
advocated
social
house
building
reform
but
deemed too radical
– 1891 Education
Act – free elementary
• Resigned
1886
education
• J.A.(primary)
Gorst also
critic of poor Conservative
– 1897, 1900 Workmen’s Compensation
record
Acts – compensation for injury at work
without having to prove employer
negligence – only some occupations
Did rise of Labour force pace of social
reform?
1880s
Appeal of socialism had to be tackled by
both political parties
Marxists like Hyndman saw social reforms
as inadequate - capitalism itself needed to
be destroyed.
Fabian Society wanted increased
intervention to relieve poverty – Webbs’
thinking spread through their books, etc
By 1900 Labour
Party established
Historical
Debate
– Protect Tradeover
Unionthe
rights
+ interestsof the
Disagreement
importance
–working
Represented
so Socialists
put pressureinonforcing
other
classWC
and
parties to attract
voters
pace of
reform
D. Fraser regards the Socialists and the
Labour as ‘a threat to the other two
parties’
However,
H. Pelling saw pressure from WC as
‘negligible’ before WW1