The Boer War - The first the realisation of Britain’s physical deficiency came after after the Boer war ( ), where army recruits were found to be under height and under weight. - This prompted the government to act for their own self interest because their army was inefficient rather than for their genuine concern for the people. - The education act of 1906 and the acts that followed were only put into place following the embarrassing Boer war. Surely the acts would have been put into place prior to the Boer war if there was any concern whatsoever from the Government. - At the end of the 19 th century Britain was no longer the worlds top industrial nation and was facing competition from nations such as Germany. It was the health and education of British workers which determined the economic status – therefore this prompted the government to act before Britain became a second rate power.

- At the end of the 19 th century Britain was no longer the worlds top industrial nation and was facing competition from nations such as Germany. -It was the health and education of British workers which determined the economic status – therefore this prompted the government to act before Britain became a second rate power. National Efficiency

Influence of the Labour Party - The liberals could have lost votes to labour if nothing was done, to help improve the conds of the poor. - Liberals had to pass reforms as the labour party were coming in and competing for the same votes. - If liberals seemed unsympathetic towards the poor then what might happen in future elections. - Liberals had offer social reform even if they did’nt fully believe in the government intervention. - Presence of the labour party pushed liberals into taking action. The education act 1906 never campaigned on social welfare reform in the run up to the 1905 election.

Decline of laissez faire to collectivism Pressure to change in helping people as laissez faire was not working. At first they saw no need to help the poor get out of poverty “as it was their own fault”, which meant there was no need to pass reforms to help Young children were coming to school, dirty and hungry. This was therefore not helping to have an educated population; which would mean that it would effect the governments economy, as they would have a population which could not work and earn money.

Booth and Rowntree A study was carried out in a poor district in Dundee in It revealed that the children were significantly under weight and under the average height compared to the national average. A coconscious middle class were aroused by the unbelievable facts of poverty; discovered bu Booth and Rowntree.