1906 - Liberal Landslide

The Boer War 1899-1902
1. Began in 1899 with the expectation of victory
2. It cost lives and money (more than expected)
3. The methods used were seen as wrong by people
4. Revealed the effects of poverty and the need of social reforms
5. Liberals gained support by claiming the Conservatives neglected social reforms
6. Encouraged Joseph Chamberlain to push his campaign for tariff reform
Balfour- 1902 Education Act
1. It brought all schools under local council control which angered non conformist
2. The schools were mostly controlled by Anglicans and they feared that Anglicans would control the schools = religion
3. It led to great campaign against the act
  1. Some refused to pay tax
  2. Some non-conformist schools refused to accept council supervision and went independent
Lib-Lab Pact
1. The Conservatives = failed to do anything about the effects of the Taff Vale Judgement
  1. The Labour Party and Liberal Party formed an alliance
2. They formed in 1903
3. The two parties agreed not to fight against each other in constituencies at the next general election.
4. Labour would support Liberal reforms which would reverse Taff Vale
5. The Liberals offered the prospect of social reforms
Chinese Slavery 1902-1904
1. Chinese labourers were working for low wages
2. They were imported into South Africa
3. It raised moral outcry of the treatment of the Chinese
4. Trade union feared that employers might bring them into Brtiain
  1. It may cause the wages to go down in Britain and with employments very high in 1905
Taff Vale Case
1. 1901, a dispute had broken out in Wales between the Taff Vale Railway Company and the railway workers trade union
2. Led to strike action
3. The company took the trade union to court for compensation for loss of profits during the strike
4. In 1902, the House of Lords, the highest court ruled that a company was within its rights to sue a trade union.
5. The trade union were horrified
6. Only the Act of Parliament could over rule a Lord's judgement and the Conservatives refused
The Tariff Reform Campaign
1. This was the Conservatives biggest misjudgement
2. It was launched by Joseph Chamberlain
3. Proposed duties on many imports to counter competition from cheaper foreign goods.
4. He wanted to reintroduce tariffs with a lower tariff for goods coming into Britain from the empire than for goods, imported from non-empire countries. This was the Imperial Protectionism
5. Argued it was to protect British jobs, help pay for social reforms and strength Britain's position in the world
6. Damaged the Conservatives
7. Everyone feared the tariffs because of dearer food and falling living standards.
8. Tariff Reforms divided the Conservatives government & party
9. Helped Liberals reunite and strengthen them since they believe in Free Trade
Balfour
1. He was highly intelligent but lacked political skills
2. Failed to forsee the anger that the Chinese labour and his refusal to reverse the Taff Vale Case
3. Misunderstood the working men's reaction to the tariff reform
4. Allowed Chamberlain to make tariff reforms a key unisonist
5. Responsible for the 1906 election through his unusual decison
6. He was indecisive on tarrifs and miscalculated the reation of the workin class on key issues.
Attraction to Liberal
1. They reunited in 1905
  1. The issues that divided them were pushed aside
2. All agreed and supported Free Trade and exploited this during the 1906 election
3. Exploited Conservative mistakes which led to winning the nonconformist support
4. Irish voters in Britain were more likely to vote Liberal with is support for the Home Rule this the anti-Home Rule Unionist.
Neglect Of Social Reform
1. Growing awareness of the extent of poverty
2. Boer War exposed the amount of malnutrition
3. Led to concerns about the physical decline of the Britain
4. Some Liberals were already working out a new form of liberalism
5. The Conservatives produced nothing other than the Education Act

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1906 - Liberal Landslide

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	Created by Lolade Oresegun about 9 years ago