The Liberal Government
At the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 thousands of patriotic young men volunteered to serve, but were found to be too unhealthy and unfit for army life. This was a profound shock as Britain was the most advanced and powerful country in the world at the turn of the century.
Only two fifths of the volunteers were passed ready and fit for active service. Their diets and living conditions had taken a toll on their health.
The War, Booth’s study and Rowntree’s findings made it clear to the Liberal Government that action must be taken urgently. Lloyd George and Winston Churchill set about creating these laws.
- 1906 – Free school meals for poor children
- 1907 – Medical inspectors sent into schools.
- 1909 – Old Age Pensions Act – pensions for those over 70 who had little income.
- 1911 – National Insurance Act which protected workers by taking a cut of their wage so they could claim benefits if the were ill or unemployed later in life.
Believe it or not, there was resistance to these ideas. People said the Government should not interfere in people’s lives, others objected to possible tax rises to pay for pensions!
LINKS | 19th C Industrial Revolution: Public Health | Chadwick | Public Health Acts | Snow & Cholera |
LINKS | 20th C: Philanthropists | Wartime | The Liberals | The NHS | Bevan | Beveridge | Anatomy | Surgery |