The Workman’s Compensation Act was the second bill passed in 1906 by the Liberals. This act was brought about by continued pressure from the Labour party. The act extended compensation for injury at work to 6 million workers, as well as this, new categories of injury were introduced and the time in which compensation was to be paid was shortened. Not long after this, the provision of school meals act came about after increasing concerns that children were becoming malnourished due to economic problems at the time. This act gave permission to the local authorities to provide school meals for necessitous children and the right for school care committee’s to be established. Many traditional Gladstonian Liberals were unhappy with this act as it undermined the Victorian principle of self help, allowing local authorities to have an active role in providing food for school children. This act was followed in 1907 by the authorization of regular medical inspection of school children and the setting up of a medical department within the board of education. This act came about because the government were concerned about the state of the of children's fitness, therefore introducing a medical department within the Board of education. The results of this inspection revealed that one third of the children needed medical treatment but medical treatment was not permitted until after 1912. The third part of this act was that at least 25% of secondary school places had to be reserved for elementary schooled children. The fourth part of this act was the 1908 Children's Charter this included the following points, Separate courts called Juvenile Courts and Borstals where established for children under the age of fourteen, it was made illegal to sell alcohol or tobacco products to children under the age of 18, parents could now be prosecuted for the neglect of children and the regulation of employment of children outside school hours.
After the resignation of Henry Campbell-Bannerman due to his rapid decrease in health, Asquith became the new Prime Minister, with David Lloyd George becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer and Winston Churchill assuming the role of president of the Board of Trade. Things had begun to improve at this time, though poverty was still a major factor that affected the population. This could be believed to have been the reason behind the introduction of old age pensions, brought forth by Lloyd George in 1908. The act was to provide between 1 shilling and 5 shillings a week to people over 70.This was only eligible to citizens whose incomes were under 12 shillings, this excluded those who were incarcerated and those who habitually failed to work.
The following year saw what many historians believe to be the turning point for the Liberals as Lloyd George introduced his first budget, aptly called ‘the people’s budget’. With the old fashioned methods of Gladstonian Liberalism behind them, their New Liberal views argued that taxes should be raised to pay for schemes to help those unable to help themselves. The People’s budget was George’s first budget, introducing land tax, road tax and income tax on the rich. The money raised was used for old age pensions and the less able bodied poor.
At this time there were growing concerns that unemployment was reaching an all time high, it appeared that the poor were getting poorer. The Trade Board Act of 1909, introduced by Winston Churchill, was set up to aid the working class. It set up job centres to help the unemployed, set up boards of officials to supervise pay and to set up the minimum wage in certain sweated industries. Such acts as these aimed to help the working class and this it did to a certain extent. The Parliament Act, 1911 was the product of the constitutional crisis arising from the Lords rejection of the People’s Budget. The act prevented the Lords rejecting money Bills, allowing them to delay but not reject, legislation’s passed by the commons as long as it passed in three successive parliament sessions. Not long after this, the National Insurance Act was passed. Issued in two individual parts, the first introducing National Health Insurance for all and the second Unemployment Insurance.
It is evident from each of the reforms that were made between 1906 and 1911 that social problems at the time largely influenced their proposals. Lloyd George and Churchill in particular proved to have good hindsight, delivering what the working class needed. They worked hard and affectively to improve conditions for the poorer people, this got them over as good leaders and this reflected in the amount of Acts that were passed in their time.
