Why did the liberal government embark upon an extensive programme of social reform in the years
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Why did the liberal government embark upon an extensive programme of social reform in the years 1907-11?
Before 1906, the attitude towards poverty was one of non-government intervention and self-help. However, by 1906, a new attitude called New Liberalism developed. Traditionally many Liberals began with the idea that state intervention in the working market was wrong. This particularly applied to projects of social reform which would involve public expenditure. The old Liberals argued that the state's role was to allow people to live their lives as they thought best. If state intervention occurred in the lives of people facing difficulty, it would have been wrong because the people would not have motive enough to try to improve themselves. New Liberals disputed this view and argued that in many cases, it was right for the state to intervene in people's lives.
There were many reasons why the Liberals embarked upon an extensive programme of social reform in the years 1907-11. The conditions of the poor had been highlighted by the reports by Booth and Rowntree and this produced a reason for social reform...