The persistence of Victorian liberalism: Social reform in Britain during the 'Great Depression', 1869-1899

This analysis of British social theory during the late Victorian era addresses the issue of whether there was at this time a fundamental ideological break between the small-government liberalism of the mid-Victorian period and the principles which underlie the twentieth century Welfare State. The common view among historians is that such a shift did occur between 1870 and 1900. A close examination of middle and upper class opinion between 1870 and 1900, however, reveals a very different picture. The Victorians, while recognizing new challenges at home and abroad, did not cast aside their traditional faith in national "progress." Widespread concern about the poor during the "Great Depression" did not cause the Victorians to abandon their belief in self-help, "character," and private charity. The revival of the "Condition of England" question did not increase public confidence that poverty could be ameliorated through social legislation. The emergence of London socialism and the Independent Labour Party, far from spurring social reform, served to energize and focus the attention of those opposed to the expansion of the State. The "New Unionism" largely concerned itself with traditional working class issues--wages, hours, and factory conditions--not with the overthrow of capitalism or the establishment of the Welfare State. Furthermore, neither the Conservative nor the Liberal Party proposed ambitious social programs to reduce poverty prior to the turn of the century. Nor did the discussion of social reform in the late Victorian public sphere stray far from the liberal path. The poor were to be left to fend for themselves for the most part, although the "deserving" could expect some aid from private charity and, to a far lesser extent, the State. The "undeserving," however, were to be punished for their lack of "character" through the rigorous enforcement of the Poor Law and the withholding of societal largesse. Those proposals that ran counter to the dominant liberal paradigm had no chance of being enacted into law or even of attracting a popular following prior to 1900. In brief, British liberalism remained a viable political option up to, and even after, the turn of the century.