Liberal and Labour: Parties, Ideologies and Policies - No one could have predicted - 1920s - dramatic shift - Laboru moves from marginal positions - not a political party, more of a movement. - second most important political party in the country - linked - decline of liberal party, support lost and lost MPs - 400 plus to just 20 MP's - 1923 - Labour capitalises the sense of being a new party. Key Questions - How can we explain the tis elf Labour and the decline of Liberalism in the period? - To what extent was Labour a 'socialist' party before WWII? Mixed one, relationship with trade unions - What's the impact of the extension of the franchise on politics? All men given the vote in 1918, women over 30, then in 1928 all women get the universal franchise as well. (Vot- ing age is 1921 - 1960 it drops to 18) - Great deal of allegiance between the working classes and the conservative party Liberals after Gladstone - The Conservative Party dominated in the late 19th C. with victories in 1886, 1895, 1900. - Liberals had been divided by Gladstone's conversion to home rule. Constant campaign for independence. - Power vacuum in period after Gladstone - Conservatives were also more ef f ective in capitalising on imperial success - party of em- pire which really appeals to people. Liberal Landslide Victory of 1906 - 1902 - Education Act encouraged nonconformist Protestants to contribute to schools (which don't believe in Anglcian faith) so returned to Liberals (Question of religion) - Liberal success in promoting classic idea of free trade, tarif f reform (prtoectionsist eco- nomic policies, encroauging people to buy British things, putting high taxes and levin on foreign goods. - 1906 election victory - 401 liberal seats 157 conservatives Henry Herbert Asquith David Lloyd George New Liberalism - Michael Freeden arges that a distinct new party ideology emerged, drawing on Utilitari- anism, Evangelicalism, and political economy. Liberals are willing to allow the state to have a larger role. laissez fair - small state previously. aimed to create social harmony and raise living standards
- Importantly they dropped the association between liberalism and economic freedom. -Ideasinfluencedlegislationonpensions,unemployment(seenasapersonalthing, rather than a moral vice - believed now to be economic circumstance seen by liebrals) and free school meals. - State is beginning to operate in new ways. Liberal Social reforms - Registration of births, free school meals, 1908 Children's Act - improve choldrne's lives - 1908 Bidet pensions for elderly over 70 with income under 10 shillings - 1911 Insurance Act - in return for payment workers would receive income when sick People's budget of 1909 - shift in how working classes are being protected, lifted out of poverty, how liberals are being seen - Shift towards direct taxation of the rich levying taxes on the very rich (cars, petrol and land tax - House of Lords was outraged and threw out the budget (despite not being supposed to be opposed to