Higher History Motives for the Liberal Reforms

Link to Today Poverty Line = £206 per week

The context of the reforms - Introduction The context of the reforms - What were attitudes towards poverty like before 1906? What help could the poor receive before 1906? What help was in place by 1914? The factors - Reports of Booth and Rowntree National Security and Efficiency New Liberalism p42-45 Political Changes The Argument - Introduction to Lib Reforms.mp4 Either the Liberals passed the reforms out of a genuine desire to help people out of poverty after the reports of Booth and Rowntree, or they did it to gain political advantage (Threat of Labour), or it was designed to maintain Britain's military and economic power.

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Factor 1 - The Investigations of Booth and Rowntree Watch Read Seebohm Rowntree and the poor.mp4 p121-123 p45-47 Key Points p50-51 p25-29 Describe Booth's investigations in London. Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act? Describe Rowntree's investigations in York. Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act?

Booth 35% poverty London, government had to intervene as problem was so huge, threat of socialist revolution if nothing was done. It can be argued that Booth's reports were crucial in prompting the Liberal Reforms as he provided irrefutable statistical evidence about the extent of poverty. He also identified that some people had no chance to help themselves out of poverty, and the idea of the 'deserving poor' was an important theme running through the Liberal reforms. Rowntree 30% poverty York, 'Primary' and 'Secondary' poverty, Poverty line (£1.08), close friends with Lloyd George. It has been suggested that Rowntree's report was pivotal as it proved that poverty was a nationwide issue, not one solely affecting London. By identifying the underlying causes of poverty, he provided a road-map of reform which was followed by the Liberals (e.g. Pensions).

“New Liberalism was given a powerful impetus by the revelations of Booth and Rowntree”. Peter Murray Social investigators such as Booth and Rowntree “focused attention on the deep-seated reasons for deprivation, about which poor people could do little unaided: low wages, sickness, old age, raising children”. Graham Goodlad Andrew Marr argues that Rowntree's report 'set thinking Britain alight', and paved the way for the abandonment of laissez-faire.

Possible Evaluation Links Extremely crucial as it defined the problem and prescribed the remedy. Therefore - gave the new Liberals the motivation and to act and the legitimacy to take over party policy. - provided the path to improve national efficiency and security - gave the government evidence that socialism would grow unless they solved some of the issues highlighted in the reports

Factor 2 - Concerns Over National Security and Efficiency Watch Britain and the Boer War.mp4 Read p23-26 p123-124 p47-48 p56-57 p32-35 Key Points Describe the issues raised by the Boer War. Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act? Describe the growing threat to Britain's industrial supremacy. Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act?

Security Boer War, 25% declared unfit, worse in industrial areas, Interdepartmental Committee on Physical Deterioration established to investigate the problems/causes of poor health. Results identified poor diet and overcrowding as problems. Recommended free school meals and medical examinations for school pupils. These were some of the first reforms passed by the Liberals in 1906 therefore it can be argued that fears caused by Boer War had direct impact on introduction of reforms. Efficiency Germany and the USA overtaking Britain for industrial efficiency. British workers not as healthy or as productive as their foreign equivalents. It has been suggested that this was crucial as if Britain did not have a fit and healthy workforce then they would not be able to retain their status as ‘Great Power’. It led to specific reforms which aimed to make the British workforce more efficient, such as the Labour Exchanges.

Quotes “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 Eric Evans suggests that the single most important factor for the passing of reforms was 'fear of the consequences of an unfit and debilitated population'. “Our species is being propagated and continued increasingly from undersized, streetbred people.” Arnold White, “Weekly Sun”, 1900 Evaluation Can you link these concerns and the findings of Booth and Rowntree? What impact would these concerns have had on important members of the Liberal party?

Factor 3 - New Liberalism Read p54-55 p124-125 p48-53 p29-31 Key Points Describe the beliefs of new Liberals compared to 'old Liberalism' Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act? Describe the character and attributes of Lloyd George and Churchill. Why did this help to persuade the Liberals to act?

Analysis Most reforms came after 1908 after Campbell Bannerman had died and cabinet positions changed; bringing in New Libs such as DLG and Churchill. Reforms included; OAPs and National Insurance Acts. Shows direct link between the political ideology of the Libs and motives for introducing reforms. Can be argued this would not have happened without new Liberalism as these acts were distinct move away from Laissez Faire. The importance of New Liberalism as before they arrived on scene, the Lib govt. did very little to help the poor. Their progressive ideas changed the views of others in the party e.g. Robertson (MP) said ‘Laissez faire…is quite done with.’ Analysis + However, historians have pointed out that the new Liberals were still vastly outnumbered by ‘old’ laissez-faire Liberals and it was only when ‘old Liberal’ Campbell Bannerman died in 1908 that the new Liberals were able to introduce their interventionist ideas. Some important reforms came before 1908 e.g. School Meals Act

“It is rather hard that an old workman should have to find his way to the gates of the tomb, bleeding and footsore, through the brambles and thorns of poverty.” Lloyd George, 1909 “I see little glory in an Empire which can rule the waves and is unable to flush its sewers”. Winston Churchill “After all, this is a rich country. It is the richest country under the sun; and yet in this rich country you have hundreds and thousands of people living under conditions of poverty, destitution and squalor that would, in the words of an old Welsh poet, make the rocks weep”. David Lloyd George

Factor 4 - The Threat of Labour/Socialism Harry Enfield on The Working Class.mp4 Read p125-126 p48 p27-28 p38-40 p53 Key Points Evidence the fact that the Labour Party was growing. Analyse why this was significant in encouraging the Liberals to pass their reforms.

It can be argued that....to counter the threat from the socialist and Labour movement, the Liberals realised that they had to introduce social reforms or risk losing political support from the working classes so they tried to ‘buy off’ voters with smaller reforms to avoid bigger ones e.g. offered pensions but raised the age limit to 70 years old. However many historians have pointed out that the Liberals cannot have been truly worried by the Labour promises otherwise they would have included promises to pass reforms in their 1906 election manifesto. The Labour party were still very small in 1906 (29 seats) so probably did not pose a threat in terms of winning an electoral majority.

“Some reforms. can be directly traced to Labour Party pressure “Some reforms ... can be directly traced to Labour Party pressure. Fear of ‘socialism’ may well have encouraged the Liberals to bring forward their own reforms, so that there would be no need for the masses to turn to Labour”. Graham Goodlad “The 1906 election provided the Liberals with the chance to show that there was a party of concern and conscience which could legislate in the interest of the poor and that there was no need for a party designated to this one sole interest in society”. Derek Fraser “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

Factor 5 - Municipal Socialism

Attachments Introduction to Lib Reforms.mp4 Seebohm Rowntree and the poor.mp4 Britain and the Boer War.mp4 Harry Enfield on The Working Class.mp4