Liberal Reforms 20th Century Essay

At the start of the 20th century, it was clear that Britain’s laissez-faire system was failing: the country was infected with the disease of poverty. To combat this, Liberal reforms were introduced. While it can be argued that national interest was the key reason behind these reforms, reasons can also be found in other factors such as New Liberalism, political advantage and the reports of Booth and Rowntree. To fight the second Boer War, Britain needed a larger army. Thus, many men volunteered – however, on the basis of a failed medical test, almost a quarter of them were rejected. This number was even higher in industrial centres. It was clear that Britain was not capable of fighting a relatively small war: if a larger one came along, they would be annihilated. This information also forced the

This decline in national efficiency was a great concern to the government. It could easily be traced back to the poverty amongst workers. Much greater production was required for Britain to stay important, and for this a healthier workforce was necessary.

To evaluate, national interest was the most important factor in causing the Liberal reforms. It impacted the government and its politicians themselves via the possible crumbling of the empire. The government wished to hold onto the empire, and remain a pioneer in the industrial world, and for this they needed workers fit enough to work and fight. It was clear that they must reform. New Liberalism was the belief that the current laissez-faire system was failing and that the magnitude of poverty necessitated government involvement. This change in politicians’ attitudes was key: if they had not genuinely believed in helping people, such lengths would not have been gone to to help them. Reforms would’ve been unlikely, with amendments to the pre-existing Poor Law much more