© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Objectives
In this activity you will:
Learn the reasons for welfare reforms.
Learn why the Liberal Party supported welfare reforms in
the early 20th Century.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
In the grid below are various reforms introduced by the Liberal Party in the
early 20th Century.
Using your textbook, additional research and the internet, try to find out
what these reforms did and how they might have improved the lives of
people living in poverty.
Arrange the reforms in the correct chronological order.
1911: NationalInsurance Act
1909: Trade Boards Act
1906: Trade Disputes Act
1908: Miners’ Eight Hours Act
1907: Education Act
1906: Introduction of School Meals
1908: Children’s Act
1908/09: Old Age Pensions
1909: National LabourExchanges
1907: Medical Inspections for Children
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
You should now understand the different types of welfare reforms the Liberals introduced in the early 20th Century.Now complete the following task in pairs:Read through screens 6 and 7, which highlight the different reasons why the Liberals supported welfare reforms.Organise these reasons into an order of significance.Number 1 should be the most important cause and number 6 should be the least important cause.Remember to include clear explanations for your choices.The next screen has a brief example, which may help you explain your own choices.
Now compare and discuss your ideas with the rest of the class.
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
‘A very important reason why the Liberals supported welfare reforms was to gain the vote of the working classes. The success of the Labour Party in the 1906 election convinced the Liberals that supporting welfare reforms would prevent more of the working classes voting for the Labour Party’.
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
Reasons:
1. People’s attitudes were changing towards poverty, and there was
more support for helping the unemployed.
2. Many people believed that for Britain to maintain a strong empire
and to compete with the USA and Germany, the population of
Britain had to remain healthy. Therefore, welfare reforms would
help to create healthy children who, if needed, could serve in the
British Army.
3. British businessmen needed a healthy workforce.
List continues on next screen
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
Reasons (continued):
4. T.H. Green – an influential member of the Liberal Party –
developed the idea of ‘positive freedom’. He argued that people
needed help from the government to achieve real freedom.
5. Liberals hoped welfare reforms would gain them votes from the
working classes.
6. The Labour Party was becoming more popular amongst the
working classes. At the 1906 General election, Labour gained
30 MPs.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Change and continuity
Why did the Liberal Party support welfare reforms in the early 20th century?
Why have you ordered your list the way you have?
Compare your list with that of your neighbour – how
similar is it and how different? Can you explain the
differences?
From what you have discovered, was the Liberal Party
really interested in welfare reforms, or did it just want to
keep power?
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