Welfare State
The purpose of this essay is to introduce to the reader the importance of the welfare state and its original interception in 1946, the different political views, the Beveridge report and its impact on the current society.
The welfare state is a social system which enables the government of a state to take responsibilities for the economy and social welfare of its citizens by means of grants, pensions and other benefits. The modern welfare state in Britain today was founded by Beveridge in 1942.
William Beveridge, a liberal economist, was appointed by the war time government to find solutions that will help prevent poverty in Britain after World War 2. In his report, he identified 5 evil giants existing in Britain: want (poverty), Squalor (lack of housing), Disease (Lack of proper health care), Idleness (lack of employment) and ignorance (lack of education), which needed urgent action in order for Britain to be modernised from post-World war
www.merrian-webster.com.dictionary and oxford Dictionary.
In 1945, the labour government, with the leader Clement Attlee, proposed to establish free National Health Service, for everyone and the National Insurance Scheme to support those families who are in financial or social need, if voted into power, as well as to implement on the Beverage report. Due to these proposals, he was voted into power, overpowering the war-time prime minister, Winston Churchill, in the conservative government. The labour government also acted on the area of education – Education act which initials free, compulsory education for children aged between five to sixteen years old. The housing act helps to build affordable, new houses for families to live decent homes.
There are different types of political parties in the UK; however, the two main ones are the left and right wings. The labour party, which is the left wing has ideologies which is more of social reform and, are implemented fully on the welfare state package together with Beveridge’s outlined report. The left wing ideology served people interest, more tax for the rich, regulation of big business, and they aim to support those in social/financial needs. In fact, the labour ideology is progressive in nature.
While the conservative party, holding the right ideology, aim to reduce the welfare system, capitalize on free Market system, inequality, education and national health service should be paid for by every individual who uses the service. Wwwukpolitic.co.uk Furthermore, the transformation of the country’s biggest companies such as railways, gas, electricity, mines and coal enable the government to create and manage unemployment crises. Moreover, the National Health Service, adopted by the labour government enables all governmental hospitals and medical staff to operate on the same roof in order to deliver efficient care to every citizen without charging them. By 1948 the welfare state was in full system this then reduced the government’s economy as spending was out of control and the money assigned for four years was running out thereby causing a debate on how to mend and reorganize the welfare state again. From the mid-40s to late 70s, the financial problems were still being debated upon by the government as they needed to decide what to do, to solidity the budget. Then, the labour government decided to cap on workers’ salaries by a 5% increase. This resulted to workers having a massive strike, also known as Winter of Discontent (junior /senior workers). Following this significant economy imbalance, the labour government was voted out during the general election and were replaced by conservative government, with the leader being Margaret Thatcher (also known as the iron lady) who was the first lady prime minster in Britain. She Led Britain from 1979-1997. With Margaret coming into power, she made the biggest alterations in the area of benefit system and in the part of government expenditure, she privativsatised the state companies such as British gas and telecom as well as cut down on inflation which result to massive unemployment and increase expenditure on un employment benefits she was later known as Thatcherism. All the same, Margaret Thatcher was known certain things -introduced the right for tenants to buy council houses with a law and also introduced polling tax which are still in existence in Great Britain today.
Thatch administration came to an end after contesting the general election with the new labour leader government Tony Blair in 1997. With Blair coming into power , citizens expected the new government to restate most of the restricted facilities and benefit Thatcher eliminated in her era but the new labour preserved most of the alterations instead concentrate on the area of immigration , going into war and assisting single parents and low income families and joining the European union which is now a major issue today in Britain. The coalition government consisting of the conservatives and liberal Democrats leaders came into power in 2010 in view of tracking or reducing the state deficit ,announcing five years austerity crises, which results to greatest welfare cut entitlements since welfare inception, Also this government created the universal credit benefit in 2013 in order to bring range of benefit into a single payment, cuts was made in the area of public sector as well and also raise the pension age from 65 to 66in men and 60 in women , the university tuitions fee triple from £3,ooo to £9,000 yearly this dramatic increased resulted in student going into a big demonstration all over the country . The collation government did not only end their cut but interfere into people’s homes by introduction bedroom tax on families pose difficulties on affected families
On the aspect of education Beveridge Report outlined that lack of education was a major and social problem in 1942 hence the education act 1944 came into operation and according to Bo chel el-at (p238) the act play an important role by allowing compulsory and free education for children hence the labour government acted on the act in 1947making education free till the age of 16years. The system of education was shared among the central and local government, giving local authority power to monitor the affairs while the central government assist with the finances ,however there are 3 different system namely the grammar schools mainly academic, technical studies and the modern schools with admission based on Eleven plus. The impact of the policy was to create system allowing children from difference background to attended school of parents’ choice, needs and their ability.. In 1979 when conservatives came into power changed was made to the educational system but did not materialized until 1988 as thatcher laid part of the blame on the Britain economy. (social policy of education)
However changes continued to exist in the area of education as there was a massive cut in welfare system by the conservatives government placing families in misery and difficulty position , more also, free school meal and allowances for the older children has be abolished, tuition and accommodations fee for university students increase , replacing grants for loans more importantly the new conservatives government plan to stop student nurses tuition free in the year 2017 which the society think will have greater effect on the health care settings ,With all the cuts in educational system and no job opportunity this will have greater effect on the state as well as cut in child tax credit