‘It is rather hard’, the Liberal Chancellor David Lloyd George said of the ‘People’s Budget’ of 1909, ‘that an old workman should have to find his way to the gates of the tomb, bleeding and footsore, through the brambles and thorns of poverty. We cut a new path for him... through fields of waving corn’. Old age, unemployment and sickness were foremost among those ‘accidents of life’ that the Liberal government sought to address after winning a large majority in the 1906 general election - along with the health of future generations. This lecture will consider the nature of these reforms, the constitutional crisis that they provoked, and the argument that they laid the foundations for the modern welfare state.
Course aim
This lecture will examine the welfare reforms that followed the Liberal landslide victory in the 1906 general election, the constitutional crises that they provoked, and the argument that they laid the foundations for the modern welfare state.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- This is a live lecture delivered by a subject specialist in an online webinar video learning platform. You will need to be able to access the internet on a device with speakers or earphones. There will be opportunities to take part in discussions and chats. If you’d like to know how to use Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- No skills or experience needed
- This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Explain why the 'People's Budget' of 1909 precipitated a constitutional crisis.
- Decide how far the Liberal welfare reforms represented a break with the past, or a continuation of Victorian social policy.
- Develop your skills of critical analysis of historical evidence.
How will I be taught?
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
What else do I need to know?
- What you need: You will need an internet connection, speakers, a microphone and a webcam so that you can use our video learning platform, Zoom. If you’d like to understand more Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- Nothing else is needed
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next
Download full course information sheet
Edwardian Britain: Through fields of waving corn–Liberal Social policy 1906-14
