13-515: National railway strike of 1911 was the first national strike of railway workers in Britain. It arose from longstanding disputes between workers and railway companies, combined with the desire of the unions to assert their unity and strength. The strike lasted only two days, but the show of strength succeeded in forcing the Liberal Government to set up a royal commission to examine the workings of
26-500: A government. In the subsequent election , the Liberals won an enormous majority. Campbell-Bannerman was succeeded as prime minister by H. H. Asquith in 1908. The Liberal government was supported by 29 Labour Party MPs . Chancellor David Lloyd George crafted the People's Budget and introduced a great deal of social legislation, such as old age pensions and unemployment insurance for
39-597: A mandate to pass the budget. The general election resulted in a hung parliament , with the Conservative Party led by Arthur Balfour and their Liberal Unionist allies receiving the most votes, but the Liberals , who were now led by H. H. Asquith following the death of Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1908, winning the most seats, returning two more MPs than the Conservatives. Asquith's government remained in power with
52-664: A national strike would be called. The government were keen to ensure that the railways would not be shut down. The Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith told the rail companies that police and troops would be deployed to help keep the trains running. Troops were "marched into London and 32 other towns in England and Wales". The Home Secretary, Winston Churchill suspended the Army Regulation, which required that local authorities needed to request troops before they were sent. Liberal Government 1905%E2%80%931915 The Liberal government of
65-479: A significant part of the working population. For many working people, for whom in old age the threat of the workhouse was very real, these represented a very significant change. Equally groundbreaking was the Parliament Act 1911 which: Many of the members of Asquith's cabinet, however, opposed the social measures promulgated by leading figures such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George . This resistance
78-532: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1905 and ended in 1915 consisted of two ministries: the first led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman (from 1905 to 1908) and the final three by H. H. Asquith (from 1908 onwards). With the fall of Arthur Balfour's Conservative government in the United Kingdom in December 1905, the Liberals under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman were called in to form
91-602: The 1907 Conciliation Board. The strike also led to the Llanelli Riots of 1911 , in which two people died in clashes between railway workers and troops, which had been sent in to stop the blockade of the line by strikers. The strike arose from widespread dissatisfaction with the activities of the so-called "conciliation boards" which had been set up to negotiate between workers and rail companies. A series of local disputes led to unofficial action in July and early August 1911. A meeting of
104-508: The cabinet are in bold face. January 1910 United Kingdom general election H. H. Asquith Liberal H. H. Asquith Liberal The January 1910 United Kingdom general election was held from 15 January to 10 February 1910. The government called the election in the midst of a constitutional crisis caused by the rejection of the People's Budget by the Conservative-dominated House of Lords , in order to get
117-499: The discontent of the electorate by using the existing structure of government to correct the ills of society through innovative legislation. Two-thirds of the Liberal candidates, including Edwin Montagu, had pledged support for such measures during the campaign. While their support was often expressed in general terms, their intent was clear: Social and economic reform must be the first order of
130-545: The feeding of schoolchildren, while several cabinet members (such as Crewe, Fitzmaurice, Harcourt, and McKenna ) were critical of Lloyd George's progressive "People's Budget." Nevertheless, according to Neil Smith, the majority of the members of the Edwardian Liberal Cabinets were supportive of social reform and social progress. As noted by one study, They (the Liberal Cabinet members) sought to respond to
143-690: The main rail unions was arranged in Liverpool to coordinate action nationally. Delegates were from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS), the General Railway Workers' Union (GRWU) and the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society (UPSS). The unions issued an ultimatum to the rail companies to accept direct negotiation with their representatives within 24 hours or
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#1733085802639156-641: The new government. Although the government lost a great deal of support by the two general elections of 1910 , they managed to hold on by dint of support from the Irish Parliamentary Party . After early mismanagement during the First World War , particularly the failure of the Dardanelles Campaign , Asquith was forced to bring the Unionists into the government in a coalition. Members of
169-558: Was arguably a reflection of the extent to which many Liberals still adhered to the Party's Gladstonian , classical liberal tradition in spite of the growth of the " New Liberalism ". Morley was opposed to both old-age pensions and the provisions of the Trade Boards Act of 1909, while Runciman was against the eight-hour day for miners and compensation for workers. Burns, Bryce, Loreburn, and W.S. Robson were opposed to land reform, insurance, and
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