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The Liberal reforms ( to a party of Progressive Liberalism and larger, more active government. The Liberal welfare reforms took place after a Royal Commission on how the countries Poor Law provision should be altered. Two contrasting reports known as the Majority Report and the Minority Report were published, and as they differed so greatly the Liberals were able to ignore both reports and implement their own reforms. During the 1906 General Election campaign none of the parties made poverty an election issue and no promises were made to introduce welfare reforms. Despite this the Liberals led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman won a landslide victory and began introducing wide ranging reforms as soon as they took office.http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/britain1906to1918/g1/gallery1.htm REASONS FOR THE LIBERAL REFORMS
SOCIAL LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE PREVIOUS CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT The Conservative government in office before the Liberals came to power passed the Unemployed Workman's Act in 1903 and the Employment of Children Act in 1905. Slum housing was also cleared for new houses to be built. Much of this legislation was left for local authorities to implement - their attitudes affected whether legislation was fully implemented.http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/britain1906to1918/g1/background.htm The Conservatives also set up a Royal Commission to enquire into the workings of the Poor Law. LIBERAL REFORMS 1906-1914 Children In 1906 Children were provided with free school meals and in 1908 the Children and Young Person's Act formed part of the Children's Charter which imposed punishments for those neglecting children. It became illegal to sell children tobacco and alcohol or to send children begging. Juvenile courts and borstals were created instead for young offenders so they did not have to stand in adult courts and go to adult prisons for most offences.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev2.shtml It was not until 1912 that medical treatment was available even though the medical inspections began in 1907. Education authorities largely ignored the provision of free medical treatment for school children.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev2.shtml The provision of free school meals was made compulsory in 1914- in which year fourteen million were served, most free.. In 1912, half of all councils in Britain were offering the scheme. Elderly In 1908 pensions were introduced for the over 70s. This paid 5s a week (25p in today's moneyhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/higher/history/liberal/impact1_rev.shtml) to single men and women and 7s 6d to married couples, on a sliding scale. The single persons rate applied to those over 70 earning under £21, this sum could be collected at the local post office.http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/higher/history/liberal/impact1_rev.shtml The pensions were means-tested (to receive the pension one had to earn less than £31.50 annually) and intentionally low to encourage workers to make their own provisions for the future and those that had failed to work during their lives received nothing at all. To be eligible you also would have had to live in the country for 20 years or more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Age_Pensions_Act_1908 Workers In 1909 labour exchanges were set up help unemployed people find work, by providing centres where a large amount of employers and the unemployed to post jobs and apply for them. The National Insurance Act (Part I) passed in 1911 gave workers the right to sick pay of 10s a week and free medical treatment in return for a payment for 4d . The National Insurance Act (Part II) gave workers the right to unemployment pay of 7s 6d a week for 15 weeks in return for a payment of 2½d a week. The government also set up work exchange posts where the unemployed or underemployed could look for a job. In 1913 labour exchanges were putting 3000 into a job every day Health Insurance Under Part 1 of the 1911 National Insurance Act compulsory health insurance was provided for workers earning less than £160 per year. The scheme was contributed to by the worker who contributed fourpence, the employer who contributed threepence and the government who contributed twopence. The scheme provided sickness benefit entitlement of nine shillings (45 pence), free medical treatment and maternity benefit of 30 shillings (£1.50).http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/higher/history/liberal/impact2_rev.shtml Unemployment insurance Under Part 2 of the 1911 National Insurance Act which dealt with unemployment insurance most insured workers were given seven shillings (35 pence) unemployment benefit which could be claimed for up to 15 weeks. This scheme was also financed through the contributions of workers and government. PEOPLE'S BUDGET AND THE 1909 CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS The Liberal reforms were funded by David Lloyd George passing his controversial People's Budget which heavily taxed the rich in order to pay for welfare solutions for the poor. The budget met opposition in the House Of Lords and passed with a Parliament Act to limit the powers of the Lords over the Commons. The crisis led to the Liberals losing their majority in the House Of Commons and relying on the support of the small number of Labour and Irish nationalist MPs. Lloyd George argued that his budget would eliminate poverty, while trying to get the Act passed he gave this speech outlining his reasons for supporting the reforms: "This is a war Budget. It is for raising money to wage implacable warfare against poverty and squalidness. I cannot help hoping and believing that before this generation has passed away, we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests".http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/britain1906to1918/g2/gallery2.htm REFORMS AFTER 1910 After 1910 the Liberal Party did not have a majority in the House of Commons and so entered into a coalition with 42 Labour Party MPs who had been elected. This led to further reforms as the Liberals required Labour support and Irish support to remain in office.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev3.shtml LIMITATIONS OF THE REFORMS While the Liberal reforms were one of Britain's most ambitious welfare reform programmes, there were several limitations to the reforms they passed. Free school meals were not compulsory. Pensions were refused to those who had not been in work most of their life and the labour exchange programme often managed to find people only part-time casual work. The poor had to pay National Insurance Contributions out of their wages and the 7s 6d was not enough to live on. Dole and sickness pay also only lasted for a limited time. Free medical care was available to only a wage-earner, not the wife or children.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev4.shtml CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM OF THE LIBERAL REFORMS The Liberal reforms received criticism from those who saw this level of government intervention in people's lives as preventing Self-help . The cost of the reforms was also criticised and there were also critics who suggested that the reforms would not work in practise.http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/britain1906to1918/g2/cs1/g2cs1.htm There were classical liberals who opposed this growing state intervention. '' (1907-1916), F. W. Hirst , also opposed the reforms and the welfare state in general.Ibid, p. 98. Some workers objected to paying 4d per week to the National Insurance contributions.http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Linsurance1911.htm The chant ''"Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief"'' was chanted at Lloyd George by workers and referred to the suggestion that Welshman Lloyd George was taking their wages away from them.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev4.shtml However, Lloyd George responded with his famous phrase "Nine pence for four pence" which referenced to that fact that employers and the government were topping up the workers' contributions.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/vo000202/text/00202-03.htm LEGISLATION INCLUDED AS PART OF THE LIBERAL REFORMS
From 1911 MPs were also paid, meaning that it was much easier for working class people to stand for election.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/liberalreformsrev3.shtml THE BEGINNING OF THE WELFARE STATE? With the Beveridge Report and reforms of the Labour government under Clement Attlee creating what would be considered the modern welfare state protecting citizens from "cradle to grave" it can be argued that the Liberal reforms show the emergence of the Welfare State some forty years earlier. However, the Liberal reforms were not a preconceived welfare programme; it was more a response to political change (the newly enfranchised working classes and emerging Labour Party) and political factors such as the Boer War. The reforms were not collectivist in the sense that they relied on local government for implementation and still involved working with Friendly Societies . The implementation of these reforms by local government was patchy. Only pensions were non-contributory, the health and insurance reforms required contributions. Rosemary Ree's argues in ''Poverty and Public Health 1815-1948'' that the reforms also contained an element of Victorian moral attitudes in that the reforms did not cater to sections of society considered undeserving of help. The reforms signalled a fundamental shift in attitudes towards poverty and the poor and the redistribution of wealth through higher taxation which occurred in Lloyd George's People's Budget would be repeated in Labour's reforms between 1945-1951. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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