The Liberal Welfare Reforms of 1906-14 as a Foundation for British Welfare State - Essay Example

The Liberal welfare reforms of 1906-14 as a foundation for British Welfare State Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: University: The Liberal welfare reforms of 1906-14 as a foundation for British Welfare State Introduction The Liberal governments of Asquith and Campbell-Bannerman, which was in charge of Britain during the decade preceding the First World War, were very significant. Social reforms were introduced including National Insurance and Old age pensions, which have been a vital building component of the later Welfare State. They were in constant conflicts with the House of Lords, which changed permanently the constitution balance. They struggled with issues of unrest in the trade union, women votes, and tried to impose self-government to Ireland (Bosanquet 1899, p.298). This period marked the fall of the Liberal Party, and rise of Labor Party as the controller of centre-left politics of Britain. This essay explores the Liberal welfare reforms from 1906 to 1914, and its contribution to the British welfare state, and how accurately it can be claimed that it laid the foundation for the Welfare State. The Liberal government that was newly elected commenced a series of welfare reforms that are wide-ranging; designed to free people from poverty. The liberals’ policies were mainly influenced by the eminence of New Liberalism, which was founded on social reform, as well as welfare state as opposed to the old liberal view where people were responsible for their own actions. The Liberals were dominant in the Commons, but the House of Lords possessed built-in commons who had to get approval of lords before being approval as law and this proved to be challenging (Jones 1909, p.198). The conservative leader in the Commons work tirelessly to make sure that the legislation passed to the Lords were in favor of the country, and not the Liberals. Some of the Bills that tended to turn non-conformist into Liberals were thrown out. The generals elections held in 1906, saw the Unionists (Conservatives) lose heavily to the Liberals. They remained with one hundred and fifty seven seats in the House of Commons. The Liberal had 400 seats and therefore, could make major decisions without the support of Labor allies and Irish Nationalist. The Liberal government social reforms laid the basis under which the state took the responsibility of the citizens’ welfare rather than themselves (Titmuss 1963). The social reforms that were undertaken targeted at easing the plight of the poor and improvement of standard of life. The Liberals were compelled into legislation to provide free meals to children who were needy. Prior to the creation of state in the twentieth century, the ‘Poor Law’ was only the form of assistance being offered to the poor. The Poor Law included workhouses and outdoor relief. The living conditions of the poor were pathetic. The modern welfare state can trace its origin to era of the Liberals from 1906 to 1914, owing to the kind of reforms they put in place. The Liberal reforms targeted four major areas, which included the unemployed, children, and the sick. Since the Liberal took poor with no particular plan for social reforms, they were open to ideas proposed by individuals and outside bodies, as opposed to previous governments, especially in intricate fields like National Insurance and pensions. Reforming Ministers like Churchill and Lloyd were to depend on amalgamation of expert advice and political judgment (Burgess 1980, p. 258). They recognized the task of balancing between the cost and the benefit. They did not want to alienate Old liberals by going too far with their ideas. They were aware of the threat of Labour Party, and they saw their reforms as socialism, political antidote. The major threat came from the Conservative Party, and they instigated reforms to gain political credit when compared to the Conservatives. The range, speed, and extent of Liberal Reforms was not premeditated and many historians have argued that this programs laid the basis of the Welfare State that is the norm of the day, where citizens are supported, and it is engraved on the principles of collectivist. These principles constitute the acceptance of the role of the state than leaving the individuals to find solutions to their own problems or issues. Welfare state is the provision of equal, comprehensive, and universal services by the state for the target of preventing squalor, disease, ignorance, idleness, and want. The reform legislations carried out from 1906 to 1914 was quite unique. The reforms were actually major steps forward in areas that are associated with the welfare state, which include insurance, unemployment, old age pensions, and health. For the first time the government involved itself with the issues of individuals. The grant idea was embedded in the ‘People’s Budget’ of taxing the rich for the objective of redistributing the in social benefits form to the less privileged or the poor (Esping 1990, p.93). This is a typical understanding of welfare state. Lloyd George, one of the reformers, saw the entire scheme as the first turn towards a state assistance system that was more comprehensive. He was optimistic that the state would take more care of the unemployed and the sick. Free meals demonstrated that the state could take responsibility for inability of parents to provide meals to their children. By the year 1914, fourteen million school meals were being offered. Medical inspections followed by treatment backed up this principle. The treatment of children by their parents became a concern of the state following the 1908 Children’s Act. This Act prevented neglect and also prevented children from turning into criminals. Pensions were not tagged on contributions and hence, it was difficult for the poor to save for old age. In its measures touching on the employed, the Liberals extended the State role by providing protection to workers as opposed to abandoning them to their own care (Willetts, 1992). Employers were bound legally to compensate their workers for diseases and injuries occurring while in line of duty, or at the place of work. The Mines and Shops Acts came into force to restrict the hours allowed for work. The Trades Boards Act ensured decent wages for sweated workers. Liberal implementation of the welfare reform was done expertly to the extent of bypassing Poor Law, and bringing in a system that won the hearts of many. The insurance benefit was a way of winning approval for intervention by state. Liberal collectivism was able to make an appeal to labor going around the objections of socialist, which gives the explanation why the Welfare system of Britain was founded on the National Insurance basis. Other scholars of history are of the view that reforms were very limited in their scope and failed in their quest to deal with welfare matters such as housing and education. It can be said that the reforms had shortcomings; pensions were very little, health insurance excluded the family of the employee and unemployment insurance was applicable only to seven trades. The old age pensions were very little. Since the year 1911, the state helped to insure specific classes of workers against unemployment and sickness. Total expenditure on social services almost doubled with the wake of Liberals being in power. The state broadly acted to assist those who were unable to help each other. The reforms by Liberals moved the rule from Laissez faire to an approach that was more interventionist. But the Liberals cannot be credited entirely for the creation of a Welfare State. It is therefore accurate to state that the reforms of 1906-1914 laid the foundation of a Welfare State. The benefits given were tied to the whole idea of the undeserving poor and the deserving rich. Churchill and Lloyd saw their reforms as a first step to a Welfare State, which was brought to a halt by the start of the First World War (Vincent & Plant 1984, p. 234). It is not very clear how the Liberals could have accomplished much more during this time, in regard to the taxation constraint, and the truth about their philosophy not being socialist and did not acknowledge the individual role in personal responsibility and enterprise. The Liberal Party cannot be seen as that is united. The social reformers were only in control from 1908 when Churchill and Lloyd George had cabinet positions. Another section of the party was still embracing the elements of Laissez faire, and impeded intervention by state despite the realization of the threat of labor. Liberal reforms were limited by self help ideology. National Insurance for the unemployed and the sick came from workers’’ contributions making sure the State compelled workers into some level of virtuous self help. Payment received for unemployment and sickness benefit was not enough to make a family not to save. Health insurance did not shift the responsibility to the state and rather left it to the family. Labour exchanges did not intervene with the market for labour through provision subsidies or work. The market was made efficient for both the worker and the employer. This analysis means that Liberals did not discard the principle of self help but they redesigned it. Old age pensions were confined to those people over the age of seventy years, a decision that was harsh considering that the poor aged quickly and passed away at a young age. They hardly attain the age of seventy (Freeden 1979, p.664) National Insurance was limited to a few range of trade. Liberals did not try to ensure that they do not offend private insurance companies that had ventured in health insurance. Instead the companies were used as agents of collecting contributions to support Liberal reforms. The health services remained limited. Save for charity schemes and insurance, hospital treatment and medical assistance had to be paid for. Education was not free or universal for children above twelve years old. Cities and towns in Britain remain congested. The effect of the reforms consequently highlighted the problems of the old, unemployed, young and the sick which came to be the basic foundations of the Welfare State (Macadam 1925, p.44-8). Liberal reforms were not responsible for the creation of a Welfare State. Liberal reforms highlighted the important issues that were later used in the creation of a Welfare State. Liberal reforms were a starting point for the later creation of a Welfare State, since they defined the crucial areas that had to be looked at in the Welfare State. The Liberal reforms were the largest system of social legislation undertaken by any given government. The reforms indicate a radical turn around from the government led by the principle of Laissez faire. The state was called upon to be concerned about the individual needs of the citizens. At the time, the Liberal must have done all the best they could manage. Social reform opposition and Naval race expenditure threatened to overstretch Liberals to a place where they could lose everything. The breaking out of the First World War must have cut short what had not been realized fully by the Liberal reforms. If there was no First War may be the Liberal reforms may have attained their full target (White 1923, p.209). There are a number of issues that were not well tackled by the Liberal reform like education, but it surely set the ball rolling for the architects of Welfare State. The Liberal reforms may have failed to deal with the problems being experienced at the time may be due to enough support, but they did point out the path to be followed in the achievement of a Welfare State. Liberal reforms were very significant. Absence of strategy may have contributed to their failure. Conclusion The Liberal reforms that were witnessed in Britain from 1906 to 1914 experienced many problems and inadequacies. There was strong challenge from the conservatives and social reforms were vehemently countered. It is skillful maneuvering that Liberals were able to accomplish some of the social reforms that had anticipated putting in place. Lloyd George and Churchill played an important role. The extent to which this reforms set precedence to the modern British Welfare State can be extensively debated. The fact that they highlighted the crucial areas that define a modern day Welfare State cannot be lost to many. It will be agreed that to a large extent the Liberal reforms of 1906 to 1914 set the foundation for the modern Welfare State in Britain. Bibliography Bosanquet, B, 1899, The Philosophical Theory of the State, Macmillan, London. Burgess, K 1980, The Challenge of Labour: Shaping British Society, 1850-1930, Taylor & Francis: London. Esping, A, G 1990, The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Polity Press, Cambridge. Freeden, M 1979, Eugenics and progressive thought: a study in ideological affinity, History Journal, Vol. 22, (3), 645-71. Jones, T 1909, Pauperism: facts and theories, International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 20, p. 198 Macadam, E 1925, The Equipment of the Social Worker, Allen and Unwin, London. Titmuss, R.M., 1963, Essays on the Welfare State, Allen and Unwin, London. Vincent, A., & Plant, R 1984, Philosophy, Politics and Citizenship: The Life and Thought of the British Idealists, Basil Blackwell, Oxford. White, E. M 1923, The purpose of civics and how it is served in recent English textbooks, Sociological Review, Vol. 25, , p. 209 Willetts, D 1992, Modern Conservatism, Penguin, Harmondsworth. Read More