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To understand the factors that led to the introduction of liberal social reforms, it is perhaps essential we firstly have a firm understanding and knowledge of their origin. We must be aware of the social and economical status of Britain at the time and how this also helped shape and influence their introduction. Many Historians believe that several factors have helped in the culmination of these reforms and within this essay I will attempt to illustrate and dissect these factors by re-tracing and capturing an impression of early twentieth century Britain. To be simplistic and incorporating my own personal opinion, the social reforms where a fabrication of New liberalism and to some extent salvation from social degradation and perhaps arguably Classical liberalism. These New changed, liberalist views flooded the dawn of the twentieth century and where influenced by such social surveys carried out by men like Booth and Rowntree. Both revealed the extent to which poverty had infiltrated the country, as studies show The proportions arrived at for the total population living in poverty in York and London respectively were London 30. 7 %, York 27. 84 %.
Rowntree concluded from his studies a definition of the term Physical efficiency meaning to be Functioning physically and effectively. He later went on to declare The position of the lowest paid labourer is one of particular hopelessness, the vicious circle is complete. The New liberalist's where very much against this circle, they argued against limitations and believed this born into poverty infliction was not fair. They where very much supportive of opportunities and believed that society should encourage the poor to succeed instead of condemning them to this inherited lifestyle. It is important to perhaps point out that the reality behind these social surveys proved significant in the formation of New Liberalism.
New ideology emerged from these findings, questions where asked of the effectiveness of the Laissez Faire policy. New attitudes to the poor and society materialized through New Liberalism, people began to wake up to reality and understand that poverty for some was like a vicious hereditary disease, inescapable despite attempting to. They proposed a modernistic view in which they believed there was a right for the state to intervene in peoples lives under certain circumstances. This idea was fortified by results from experiments within local governments where the intervention of public facilities proved popular.
New liberalist's once again urged this to be applied on a national scale. They also argued over taxation and believed taxes should be raised and regurgitated in order to help fund schemes which would help those unable to help themselves. This collided with the Old liberalist's who maintained the belief that taxes should be kept low, so people can remain independent in expenditure and still be self-sufficient. This of course, led to inevitable conflict between these two forms of liberalism and fundamentally we can narrow this down to individualism vs. community. T.
H Green, who proved an inspiration for many of the New liberalist's, defined society as Organic, he said co-operation helped society have a value of its own and Individuals where merely cells that made up the one body. He further argued that the state should monitor and regulate the behaviour of the cells. We have established so far the fact that new liberalism ideas did in fact help drive the introduction of these reforms, yet we must also consider the fact that the liberals where responding to specific problems in times of political crisis. The reforms have often been viewed by many historians as revolutionary for they symbolism the first time the government interfered in public matters. Their birth can be related back to four basic categories Compassion, ideology, power and politics. I intend to now look at these four factors in depth.
The compassionate belief dealt with the dissatisfaction of such schemes like the poor law. Findings reveal the extent of the laws immorality, as Dr J. H Standard explains Poor law officers regard the pauper as a contemptible animal, he makes no effort to raise himself or his children. Those in workhouses where treated maliciously and there appeared to be no morality or sympathy amongst the officers who patrolled them. They where saturated of any positive emotion and it was to say the least like signing your life away in hell. It stood at the nucleus of the problem, cheating old people out of retirement and killing the future of youngsters who where unfortunate enough to go there.
Compassion led people to seek new ideas and become more sympathetic towards the turmoil. New liberalist's especially became more sympathetic towards the situation. In the shape of the old pensions schemes and sickness insurance however, there was belief that the poor law would slowly vanish. The ideological belief was the concept of individualist erosion and collectivist growth, it also involved the idea of the minimum imposed by the New liberalist's. New ideology that arose was often perceived as dangerous, as it neglected traditional conservative beliefs. The introduction of this new ideology led slowly to the demise of the Victorian belief in self-help.
The concept of the minimum also contributed to the death of individualism. This new ideology asked questions like whether or not each person should be entitled to the basic necessities of civilized life. This was referred to by W. H. B Court as urbanization, claiming the cities problems led to great progress in sanitation, public health and electric supply.
He also believed that the growth of trade unions and collective bargaining was rising and employers and trade unions agreed on the search for common minimum standards of wages, hours of employment and conditions for work. There was a growth in the civil service and an increase in medical and sanitary officers who shared a genuine interest in improvement. This ideology was designed to improve living and working conditions and to help the poor find work to as Sir Charles Trevelyan says provide a great remedy for crime and further corruption. Taxation was to be applied if the attempts where deemed impossible and this was to hit the rich heavily in the 1909 budget. David Lloyd George who said They are problems the state had neglected too long best implied the influence and effectiveness of New liberalism in 1908. The belief in power was also a main aspect in the reasons for change.
This belief was associated with national efficiency and how important an efficient workforce was to trading amongst other countries. It was agreed that without a healthy and economical workforce, Great Britain would not maintain its status as the workshop of the world. New liberalism was in turn influenced by Bismarckianism. Bismarck; the German chancellor had introduced similar reforms in pension and insurance schemes which had been implied earlier in Germany. This was praised by Winston Churchill who even went as far as to say Thrust a big slice of Bismarckianism over the whole underside of our industrial system.
The worrying concern of national efficiency stemmed from those rejected volunteers for the Boer War. A report in 1904 illustrated the low standards of living and psychical fitness that was evident in many cities. Britains existence as a major world power was soon to become concerning as an avalanche of incompetence reverberated in South Africa. There was a worrying concern of imperial territory and survival. The formation of the Boy scouts movement which preached patriotism and tried to imbued manly and military ideals helped ease the problem partly. Yet as Lord Roseberry stated The survival of the fittest is an absolute truth in the conditions of the modern world, an empire such as ours requires an imperial race.
Political ideology was the last of the four reasons. The liberalist's feared political challenge and the emergence of new radical ideology. This especially came through their nearest rivals the independent Labour party. The great election victory of 1906 proved a landmark in liberalist history yet there where worrying signs in the election through the 29 labour members and 24 Lib-labs that had emerged. The New liberals where firmly imposing the social reforms to protect themselves from the threat of labour. Cleverly, the Liberals exploited Labour by contradicting themselves a little.
If they where to introduce Labour ideas, they would get support, they therefore used socialist ideas to promote themselves, (hence the social reforms). The growth in trade organization to the unskilled labourers began in the 1880 s but did not continue to run so smoothly, unions faced times of depression and unemployment. In contrast the trade union movement in the early 20 th century was deep-rooted. Union membership was rapidly increasing from 2. 5 million to 4. 1 million within 7 years from 1907 - 14, yet wages remained constant and politics and collective bargaining was inseparable. In a time of such depression, New liberalist's still believed they would prevail and provide the much-needed improvements within society.
Free trade was an issue that arose once again and the liberals believed that if they could deliver their reforms without taxation this would intimidate the conservatives and their belief in Tariff Reform. There was an almost certain feeling of aggression and extremism amongst these political parties. Two of the youngest men, Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George where seen as the delegates behind the reforms. They both strived for political recognition and where both eager and ambitious. Churchill himself even praised the reforms saying they where the untrodden field in politics. One historian even went as far as to suggest the reforms where like impalement through the heart of British politics, they created mass hysteria amongst people.
However the reforms were not just about improving working conditions, they where also about helping people improve mentally. People needed self-belief. They needed good morale levels in order to function. Churchill best illustrated this point with Make England a different country for the poor.
This was further expanded upon by Lloyd George Remove national degradation of slums, widespread poverty and destitution in a land glittering with wealth. Lloyd George and Churchill where labelled the driving force behind New liberalism for it was their determination that brought them into the limelight. Many will continuously argue that social reformation failed to satisfy everyone. The 1909 budget was perceived by many as a blatant attack on the aristocracy and the rich members of society. I suppose there is a paradox that lies within these reforms in the sense that many where expanded attitudes of Victorians and foreign (Bismarck) influence and ideas in order to help improve Britains economical and social status. Tradition of course, cannot maintain itself if it is not functioning properly and the New liberalist's reacted against tradition.
Laissez Faire was a problem that needed to be addressed, children and adult workers, the unemployed, the sick and the old aged could not live independently and the New liberalist's recognised this through the introduction of such measures School medical inspection, 1907, The childrens Act 1908, Old aged pensions, 1908 and Workmen's compensations act, 1906. I believe that the introduction of the reforms where a cry for help, a long awaited response to tradition and a landmark in changing times in ideology. They where certainly beneficial to those whom they addressed.
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