The next general election.

[Hugh]

Advent of state welfare
Lloyd George did not therefore invent the welfare state. As we have seen it was already very much in existence. But he did, along with a young Winston Churchill, refine the concept and drive it forward into the arms of the state - surprising for a Liberal politician. But we have jumped too far ahead in our story.

Labour idea??

These are not my words but a quote from a book.

Don't Blame M. Thatcher blame the very greedy union leaders who brought down the the labour party. They drew their wages while their members were on strike. They boasted they would also bring down M. Thatcher. The union bosses through power and greed destroyed the nationalised industries. The lady had no choice but to fight them and to ensure they didn't gain so much power again.

[Ivanhoe]

These are not my words, but a quote from a book,-



The Welfare State was introduced by Atlee’s government after their election victory in 1945, in response to the Beveridge Report of 1942. The Welfare State was created by the Labour government to end poverty and look after everyone "from the womb to the tomb" or the "cradle to the grave".

 

The Beveridge Report had targeted "want" as the issue the country needed to address to improve society as a whole. It stated that the country needed free medical treatment for the people; when people were ill and incapable of working they needed support. All people, the report, stated must live in a "socially secure" country.

 

The two chief reforms for the Welfare State were the National Health Service and the National Insurance Act of 1946.

 

The National Insurance Act combined into one scheme the three insurance schemes that already existed covering unemployment insurance, national health insurance and a contributory pension scheme. Under the 1946 Act, insurance was made compulsory for all of the adult population. State funds provided slightly more than 50% of the finances needed. The rest was made up of a combination of employees and employers contributions.

 

The benefits that the system introduced were wide ranging covering fourteen areas. Probably the most important was the introduction of a retirement pension scheme which superseded the 1908 pension scheme. A family allowance had already been introduced in 1945 by the wartime coalition. With a thorough pension scheme in place and families now receiving financial support, Atlee’s Labour government could claim to have introduced a system that looked after everyone from the "cradle to the grave".

 

[Hugh]

The welfare state was also in Churchills manifesto but labour won the election and the prize, but it would be very interesting to know whose idea it was in the first place?

[Ivanhoe]

////////The Welfare State was introduced by Atlee’s government after their election victory in 1945, in response to the Beveridge Report of 1942. ///////

There you go.

[Ivanhoe]

William Beveridge (1879 - 1963)

William Beveridge, responsible for the 'Beveridge Report' which has since formed the basis for much social legislation c.1943  © Beveridge was a British economist and social reformer, closely associated with the development of the welfare state.

William Beveridge was born on 5 March 1879 in Bengal, India, where his father was a judge in the Indian Civil Service. He trained as a lawyer but came to prominence during the Liberal government of 1906 - 1914 when he was asked to advise David Lloyd George on old age pensions and national insurance. During World War One, Beveridge was involved in mobilising and controlling manpower. In 1919, he became director of the London School of Economics where he remained until 1937.

When, in 1941, the government commissioned a report into the ways that Britain should be rebuilt after World War Two, Beveridge was an obvious choice to take charge. He published his report in 1942 and recommended that the government should find ways of fighting the five 'Giant Evils' of 'Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness'.

In 1945, the Labour Party defeated Winston Churchill's Conservative Party in the general election. The new prime minister, Clement Attlee, announced he would introduce the welfare state outlined in the 1942 Beveridge Report. This included the establishment of a National Health Service in 1948 with free medical treatment for all. A national system of benefits was also introduced to provide 'social security' so that the population would be protected from the 'cradle to the grave'. The new system was partly built on the national insurance scheme set up by Lloyd George in 1911. People in work still had to make contributions each week, as did employers, but the benefits provided were now much greater.

In 1946, Beveridge was made a peer and became leader of the Liberals in the House of Lords. He died on 16 March 1963.

[Papaumau]

Interesting debate...but may I just inject a point of order:

The connection between the state pension and the average wage was introduced by Labour's Barbara castle in 1974 and dropped by the Thatcher government in 1980 when she re-connected this standard to the inflation rate.

Because of this action every pensioners in Britain would need - after this connection to the average wage might be re-made - if back-dated - a very large sum of money.

Everybody in and out of government agree that this connection must be re-made and if still in power a New-Labour government would do this in about four years. Even the Tories admit that this connection must be re-made !

[Ivanhoe]

And may I inject even further,-

By the time the link with earnings is re-established, millions of pensioners will have died.

PS. I dont believe the link with earnings will ever be established, irrespective of which government are in power.

[Hugh]

This must be a rare occasion when I agree with you Ivanhoe.

[Ivanhoe]

Hugh, The political party you pay homage to broke the link that kept the contributary State pension linked to increases in British prosperity through an earnings link, in 1980, almost 30 years ago.

So while you were happily voting for Thatcher, 12 million uk pensioners were witnessing their stated pension dwindle in value due to Thatcher's pensions policy.

Todate due to New Labour continuing that same policy, 1 in 5 pensioners live below the poverty line, and millions have to choose between heating their homes and buying food.

And this is just one reason why Tory/Thatcher supporters make me puke, and Im not even a pensioner.

[Hugh]

Am I right in thinking you work or worked in the mining industry because they are the only people I have ever met who show so much hate to wards M. Thatcher and her party. M. Thatcher may have done some awful things in your eyes but new labour have done far worse and done nothing to address M. Thatchers and her wrong doings in 13 years in power. New Labour took us into two wars against our wishes, sold our gold reserves at the worsed possible time, raided private pension funds making them almost worthless.
I lived through the bad  old days of Thatcher and like many other pensioners from the working class have managed to save and enjoy sun shine holidays abroad each winter. We go by the thousands. I have 3 weeks booked South Africa in May, 2 weeks Tenerife in October and January. Because of New Labour wasting all our money, and you depending on your age will have to work way past the retirement age of 65 and an hell of a lot more pensioners will move into poverty.  Keep puking mate but tomorrow like many other pensioners will be down the GYM exercising and talking about our future holidays. 

[Ivanhoe]

As stated, the basic State pension was run down by Thatcher, and you sir are clearly among those richer pensioners with other income who simply dont care.

End of story really.

[Hugh]

Do you know how much of a pension rise we are getting this year. £2 that should gain a load of votes for your dear old friend G Brown. Do I care yes, what can I do? vote to get rid of New Labour.
I am enjoying life as a pensioner earning my right to it. Never took one penny out of the welfare state during my life. Served my country in war, took a job when I left which people on welfare would not touch.
I am reaping the rewards of a life time work which my wife and I have earned. My taxes have been paid in full.
 

[Ivanhoe]

 ///////Never took one penny out of the welfare state during my life/////

No, but you paid into it, like the rest of your generation, many of whom are living in poverty.

Tell me, have you always been such a smug individual ?.

[Hugh]

Your beloved labour party have left them in poverty not me. They have had 13 years to do some thing for pensioners but done sod all. not quite true but still left some pensioners in poverty. Some pensioners are living in poverty because they don't claim what they are due, they are proud and feel they are begging.                 I don't smoke or drink and knew I had to save for retirement. The cruel fact is the old age pension is being devalued year on year. Each pension rise as been taken off us in council taxes. This year makes a change no council tax rise but only a £2 rise.

[Ivanhoe]

You dont know what you are talking about, you may have hard earned richess, but you are smug and complacent, so I wont be responding to your postings anymore, no matter what they say.