The Liberal government

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The Liberal government
Gladstone
Campbell-Bannerman Asquith
Lloyd George
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The old Liberals

• Under Gladstone the reforms were disappointing
• 1868-1874, 1880-1886, 1892-94
• Why?
• Faced many obstacles despite having a majority in
  The house of Commons

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The old Liberals

• Policy to keep taxes low and limit expenditure
• Belief in self help
• The Irish Question this split the Liberals and
  placed them in the political wilderness from 1886
  to 1906 only in office 1892-4

'The Catholic Workingman' by John Wheatley,
published in 1909
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Liberals in Office

• Came to power in 1906 with a majority of 356
  (including labour and Irish nationalists)
• Although Conservatives dominated the House of
  Lords
• Main concern still free trade but minority of
  New liberals were able to influence the party
  and commit them to social reforms

Churchill
Herbert Henry Asquith
David Lloyd George
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Liberals in Office

• 1906-1908- Introduced reforms of a limited kind,
  Campbell-Bannermann
• 1908-1914-More far reaching and innovative- under
  Asquith,Lloyd George, Churchill

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1908-turning point- Why

• Change of leadership and cabinet
• New liberal thinking
• Threat from Labour party
• Socialism wants to pull down wealth, liberalism
  seeks to raise up poverty Churchill
• National efficiency looked to German programme
  of social legislation

Trade union militancy worried political leaders
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Parliament

• 1909 the House of Lords rejected the budget put
  forward by Lloyd George to find 16 million to
  finance social reforms and arms race
• However the 1910 election increased the Liberals
  grip on power
• The Parliament Act 1911 was passed to reduce HOL
  authority

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The Liberal reforms

• Directed towards
• The young
• Elderly
• Sick
• Unemployed
• Vulnerable workers