History Essay
How effectively did the Liberal Government (1906-14) deal with the problem of poverty?

Between 1906 and 1914, the Liberal Government introduced several social reforms. These were aimed to improve the conditions of children, the elderly, the sick and the unemployed below the poverty line. These were four main areas covered by the Liberals. Charles Booth and Seebohn Rowntree conducted surveys in London and York, discovering that one third of the population was living in poverty. This was shocking news and did not play well with Labour’s promise of ‘‘from the cradle to the grave’’. The first reforms concerned the health of children living in poverty. The 1906 Education (provision of Meals) Act was introduced to attempt to let children have at least one square meal a day. This was a g...

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