Minority report (Poor Law) facts for kids

The Minority Report was an important document from the early 1900s in Britain. It was one of two big reports made by a special group called the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905–1909. This group was studying how to help poor people.

The Minority Report was led by a famous social reformer named Beatrice Webb. She was a Fabian socialist, which meant she believed in using government action to improve society. The report suggested a completely new way to help people, very different from the old system known as the Poor Law. Beatrice Webb and others, like George Lansbury, felt it was unfair to expect poor people to always be able to help themselves. They thought society had a duty to support them.

Who Wrote the Minority Report?

The Minority Report was one of the most famous works by Beatrice Webb and her husband, Sidney Webb. Even though Sidney wasn't officially part of the Royal Commission, he worked closely with Beatrice on the report.

Beatrice Webb explained that the report's main goal was to make sure everyone had a basic, decent life. This meant:

• Enough food and good education when they were young.
• A fair wage for adults who could work.
• Medical care when they were sick.
• A safe and modest income for those who were disabled or old.

Why Was This Report Important?

Many historians believe the Minority Report was a very important study of social policy in Britain. It's often compared to the Beveridge Plan of 1942, which led to the creation of the modern welfare state. A welfare state is a system where the government takes responsibility for the health and well-being of its citizens, providing things like healthcare, education, and social security.

William Beveridge, who later wrote the famous Beveridge Report, actually worked as a researcher for the Webbs on the Minority Report. He helped study how to set up job centers, which were called "employment exchanges" back then. Beveridge later said that his own report was inspired by what he learned from the Webbs.

Different Ideas About Poverty

The Minority Report had different ideas compared to the other report, the Majority Report. The main people leading these different ideas were Beatrice Webb for the Minority Report and Helen Bosanquet for the Majority Report. Their arguments are still discussed today when people talk about poverty and welfare.

Beatrice Webb believed that poverty was caused by big problems in society, not just by individuals' choices. She argued that the government should play a much bigger role in making sure everyone had a basic standard of living.

Helen Bosanquet, on the other hand, thought that charities should be the main way to help people. She worried that if the government did too much, it would stop people from taking personal responsibility and would also harm the work of charities.

In 2009, a newspaper called The Guardian wrote about the 100th anniversary of the Minority Report. They said that the ideas in the Minority Report were like a "seed" that eventually grew into Britain's welfare state. Even though the old Poor Law system lasted until 1948, Beatrice Webb's report in 1909 had already shown that it was outdated.

What Happened After the Report?

Even though the Minority Report had strong ideas, the government at the time didn't follow its recommendations in 1909. The government didn't agree with either the Majority or the Minority Report.

However, the Webbs didn't give up. They sold 25,000 copies of a special edition of the Minority Report to spread their ideas.

Politically, working on the Minority Report campaign was very important for the Webbs and other Fabian socialists. It made them realize that instead of trying to influence the Liberal Party, they should focus on building up the Labour Party.

The new Labour Party in Parliament tried to introduce laws based on the Minority Report's ideas. Not many Liberal politicians supported these ideas, but Winston Churchill was one important exception. The Webbs also started a public campaign to get rid of the old Poor Law system. This campaign included a newsletter called 'The Crusade,' which later became the famous magazine New Statesman.