Explain why the Liberals introduced social reform between 1906 and 1914

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Explain why the Liberals introduced social reform between 1906 and 1914

Prior to the Liberal government, there was no compulsory intervention of the state into the welfare of people’s lives. Due to this, the Liberals introduced a number of acts dealing with children, old age pensioners, sick people and workmen. The liberals saw social reform as a way of containing the rise of socialism.

The attitudes towards poverty in the early 20th Century were appalling. The poor were seen to be responsible for their own poverty and had a fear of the workhouse. They were also expected to save their money but many feared sickness and unemployment and the old faced problems of no relations being able to look after them which led to them retiring late in their life. Charles Booth found that 30% of Londoners were below the poverty line. He concluded that poverty was due to unemployment and low wages and not due to the poor themselves. Seebohn Rowntree confirmed that this was the case in York as he found that 28% of people in York were below the poverty line. The Liberals could see that they needed to introduce social reforms due to the attitudes towards poverty and also due to other factors such as the Boer War. Half of the volunteer recruits were unfit for service die to ill health. Germany’s industrial power was rising as they had a better-educated and healthier workforce, which meant that they were more efficient and allowed more rapid economic development.

New Liberalism was a fundamental change in what liberalism stood for.  They wanted to give the more vulnerable citizens help. Figures such as David Lloyd George were influential as he sympathised with the working class and resented aristocracy. Winston Churchill who became Liberal in 1906 was a supporter of social reform. Prior to the Liberals there was no system for children and orphans were looked after in the workhouses. A few charities helped poor families with children. A number of acts were passed to improve children’s lives. In 1906, local councils were given more power to give free school meals to children that came from poor families. However, it wasn’t until 1914 that the government made it compulsory for authorities to provide the meals. School medical inspections were introduced in 1907 so that medical checks could be carried out on the children to make sure that they were fit and healthy and recommend any necessary treatment. Treatment wasn’t given for free until 1912 when school clinics opened. The education act was also passed in 1907, which allowed children from poorer backgrounds to gain scholarships. Secondary schools that received money from the local government were to reserve 25% for children from elementary schools. In 1908 the children’s act was passed. Special juvenile courts were set up to try children accused of crimes.  Children were now protected, by law, against cruelty from their parents.  These acts were put in place so children could have a better future, as they could be well educated and healthier meaning Britain could gain a more efficient workforce and allow more rapid economic development like Germany.  Children were now, even more than before, regarded as worthy for help from the government.  This was largely permissive, as the children’s act was not trying to eradicate poverty unlike the schools meals and medical inspections acts.  

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As well as reforms being put in place for children, they were also put in place for the old. The pensions act was put in place in 1908, which provided a pension of 5 shillings a week for single people and 7s and 6d for a married couple. The Liberals set up this act for the old as it provided them with a pension for when they retired so that they didn’t have to fall back on relatives. The act disqualified people on moral grounds and the amount they received was based on their income. However, the level of ...

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