The Liberal Reforms 1906 -1914

The Young

The Main Reforms:

• School Meals 1906• Medical Inspections 1907• Children’s Charter 1908

Analysis of main areas tackled

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?CHILD POVERTY

•1906 Free school meals

•By 1914, 14 million meals were provided in total (1906 = 3 million)

•However, less than half of all local authorities provided meals in 1912•Detected a great deal of medical problems e.g. in Glasgow, 30% of children were found to be “verminous”

•1907 Compulsory medical inspection of all schoolchildren

1907 Medical Inspections

(continued)

•Although grants were being given to some local authorities by 1912, there was no compulsion to treat the health problems found.

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?

The Old

• Pensions for the elderly had been discussed for over 20 years with key figures such as Charles Booth supporting the idea.

• Other countries had already introduced them e.g. Denmark, New Zealand, Germany.

• Two main obstacles existed – • the cost • the opposition from Friendly

Societies who provided pensions to the ‘thrifty’ working class.

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?

OLD AGE

•1908 Old Age pensions introduced for those over 70.

•By 1914, nearly a million people were receiving it.

•Amount awarded (5s in 1909) was below Rowntree’s poverty line.

• Affected a very small proportion of people and could be withheld in ‘undeserving’ cases.

The Unemployed

The main measures to help the unemployed were:

• The Unemployed Workmen’s Act 1905

• Labour Exchanges 1909• National Insurance Act (Part 2) 1911

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?

WAGE EARNERS

•1911 National Insurance Act

Part I – Sickness and Disability

Workers, employers and the state contributed.

Benefits payable for sickness, disablement and maternity.

•Compulsory for all earning under £160 a year.

•Did not cover death of the insured worker or hospital treatment.

•Workers families not eligible for treatment.

What did the liberals do?

How effective was this?

•1911 National Insurance Act

Part II – Unemployment

Workers, employers and state contributed

7 shillings a week paid to those out of work

•Only 2.3 million workers covered.

•Only compulsory in cyclical trades e.g. shipbuilding

•Benefit limited to 15 weeks out of every year.

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?

•1909 Labour Exchanges set up

•413 set up by 1913

•3000 people found work this way every day by 1914

•1909 Trade Boards Act

•Employers in ‘sweated trades’ were prosecuted for paying less than the Boards minimum wage.

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was this?

INDIRECT MEASURES

•1911 Parliament Act

•1909 budget drawn up to tax wealthy Conservative landowners and fund social reforms was carried forward.

The Employed

The main measures to help the employed were:

• Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906• Coal Mines Act 1908• Trade Boards Act 1909• Shops Act 1911

What did the Liberals do?

How effective was it?

•After 1911, The Lords could not interfere with a money bill or bills passed 3 times by the Commons

This left the Liberals capable of pursuing more reforms e.g. National Insurance

•1911 Parliament Act (continued)

The Effectiveness of the Liberal Reforms – Positive Viewpoints

• The Liberals tried to tackle the key cause of poverty and provide safeguards against old age, sickness etc.

• Some historians – C Cross, G Williams, EJ Evan argue they were the beginning of the modern welfare state.

• By our standards the reforms appear limited but they were radical for the time and the government was accepting responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.

The Effectiveness of the Liberal Reforms – Negative Viewpoints

• The Liberals did nothing to tackle other important social issues e.g. extending education provision, tackling slum housing or providing free medical treatment.

• Some historians – EJ Evans, ME Rose argued the reforms were too limited e.g. only covered certain people,and benefits were only payable for a fixed amount of time.