1. Why did poverty become a political issue?
The Liberal welfare reforms
What do you need to know?
What ‘new Liberalism’ means
The political context of the reforms
The role of Lloyd George and Winston Churchill
The 1910 budget
Details of the reforms
Why did poverty become a political issue?

2. What had been achieved by 1900?
Hours of work had been reduced and working conditions had improved
Slum clearance schemes were well under way
Most houses had piped water and lavatories that were connected to sewerage systems
All children had to go to school
All male householders had the right to vote
Wages had risen and the average family was better off
HOPE

3. BUT…
The poor had to depend on private charities, which provided help in the form of clothes, money or food. There was no national system for poor relief
There were thousands of abandoned children living in Britain living in towns and cities who lived on the streets b begging and thieving
Many of these children died from starvation, disease and neglect
Workhouses provided food and shelter for the poor. The conditions were awful and there was tremendous shame and disgrace attached to being labelled ‘a pauper’. To accept relief was to give up responsibility for yourself and your family; to admit defeat
People were expected to save their wages so that they had enough to help them through the bad times. Few people could do this so sickness and unemployment were things to be feared. Above all, people dreaded retirement when they were too old to work.
HOPELESS

4. Why did poverty become a political issue?
Booth and
Rowntree

5. What were the Liberal Reforms?
In 1906 the Liberal party won the election. They immediately embarked on reform…
Many younger liberal politicians such as Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Churchill (President of the Board of Trade) believed the state should provide the framework within which everyone could live in security and freedom. These politicians were known as the ‘New Liberals’.
Influenced by the books of Booth and Rowntree, the New Liberals gained a new understanding that the poor were rarely to blame for their own poverty.
The Liberals had introduced a number of schemes towards the end of the 19th century including providing clean piped water to houses, connecting houses to sewerage systems, lighting the streets and cleaning them. These showed what could be done on a local scale and raised the possibility of what could be done nationally
What were the Liberal Reforms?

6. Reforms that helped children
Reforms that helped the sick and unemployed
Reforms that helped the elderly

7. Work in pairs…
Person 1 = How effective were the Liberal Government reforms? Person 2 = Why was there opposition to the reforms?

8. How successful were the Liberal Reforms?
Were the Liberal Reforms about creating a Welfare State or an economic policy aimed at improving Britain’s workforce?
However you interpret the Liberal Reforms, it is clear that the range of social initiatives undertaken by the Liberals was impressive. The desperately poor were helped and the State took on responsibility for this.