The conservatives enjoyed two administrations the first under Lord Salisbury in 1899 to 1902 with the next under Balfour in 1902-1905. In his fourth term Salisbury’s administration achieved little in domestic affair costs i.e. Public expenditure kept taxes and rates down. The Boer war brought plans for domestic reforms to a halt. The conservatives however were fortunate because the economy was doing better and standard of living was rising as isolated pieces of legislation and reforms took place, Ireland – the land act 1896 this increased selling land amount to tenants, county councils were introduced in 1899, but the two major pieces of reform were the education act (increased state funding church schools) and the workmen’s compensation act. Chamberlain squeezed money for some colonial reforms. Otherwise the status quo was defended with success – Salisbury.
When considering how effective the conservatives dealt with the difficulties that faced them in office we could argue that Salisbury proberley achieved what he set out to do and that is limited reform, to defend the interest of the landed classes (the conservative support power base) and to steer Britain safely through a stormy period. In which the empire was growing rapidly and various agreements had to be reached in order to alleviate colonial tensions.
The difficulties faced by Balfour was the Taff Vale case in 1901 – the House of lords acting as their final court of appeal made their judgement in the Taff Vale case. Taff Vale rail company in south Wales took the workers union which was the almaganated society of railway servants to court the union had to pay £23,000 in the damages the wider implications were clear no union could strike without fear of damages. In response to this Balfour’s cabinet set up a royal commission rather reverse the Taff Vale judgement in law. In terms of the Taff Vale situation Balfour’s “solution” was a fudge by having a royal commission set up rather than reverse the law which would help the working class. Balfour’s record of helping unemployed was also inadequate i.e. The employed workmens act 1905 this helped urban unemployment find work through distressed comities like labour exchanges but their was no state funding for these. To pay unemployment benefit they were forced to rely on private charity so Balfour was seen as (in Robert Blake’s view) “…Singularly insensitive to anyway save the most predictable reactions to the working class…”
In education the 1902 Education Act was as most commentators agree a considerable achievement because it set up a new frame work for secondary schools that would remain in place until the Butler Act of 1944. The act dealt with the clear inadequacies of secondary school provision. The education act of 1870 only made education provision for elementary schools but many school boards were using the money to provide advanced courses for more senior pupils. In 1901 the lord on school boards was successfully sued for providing their secondary education thus action was required by the state to take responsibility for both elementary and secondary education. (see page 287 for education act)
Chinese Slavery proved to be another minefield Balfour could have avoided with a little for thought the government might have recognised the decision to send thousands of Chinese slaves to Africa would provoke an outcry, which would undermine their electoral popularity. Another disaster Balfour could have avoided was Chamberlains tariff reforms see page 289.
In introducing these Tariffs Chamberlain intended to challenge the orthodoxy of free trade, which was a dominant value for liberals and the conservatives.
