creator of the welfare state How well deserved is this description of the Labour government of
Kevin Laird This description is deserved to a small extent. Although it put the Beveridge report into effect and founded the NHS, other governments can take the credit for establishing the framework in which Labour built on. ... The Liberals moved into power in January 1906 after having defeated a Conservative party which had been in government for most of the previous 20 years. Most Liberals were still committed to the causes of traditional Liberalism – non governmental interference and tax collection but at the turn of the century a small group of young Liberals began to campaign for more state action to help improve the conditions of the poor. ... During its lifetime the Liberal Government brought in a series of new laws directed towards the young and old. ... The Government did take steps to deal with these problems and by 1939 350,000 slum houses had been cleared though 600,000 were still estimated to be standing. The Government believed that houses vacated by lower middle class who were buying new houses, would be taken up by people further down the economic ladder. ... Churchill’s Coalition Government took over in May 1940. ... After a public campaign the government issued free immunization which immediately had an affect, the deaths of children from diphtheria dropping from 3,000 to 818 in the space of four years. ... Thanks to the evacuation of children more of the richer classes were becoming more worried about poverty and persuaded to take up on the idea of the welfare estate. ... During the life of this Coalition government and before the election of Labour, Churchill brought forth the idea of family allowances in 1941. ... William Beveridge is associated with the creation of the plans for postwar welfare state. ... When the Labour government came into power it was able to carry out its social and economic policies to the full, particularly that of dealing with the areas Beveridge had highlighted which was that the people would pay a single weekly based contribution to the state insurance fund. ... In 1946 Labour introduced their National Insurance Act which offered cover “from the cradle to the grave”. ... All workers and employers had to pay a contribution as well for which in return they would be provided insurance against industrial injury. Although Labour brought these plans into play, the original idea was based on the proposals of the Beveridge report.