The turning point

Abstract

In 1900, local government in Britain appeared to have a clear purpose within the Constitution, along with resources and prestige much greater than had been the case fifty years previously. The Acts of 1888, 1894 and 1899 for England and Wales, and parallel legislation for Scotland, provided a platform to vest responsibility for delivering a wide range of public services in multi-purpose local authorities. The new liberal values that influenced reform-minded politicians of all parties, and the fears of Conservatives and Liberals over the growth of what they saw as a potentially socialist party in their midst, ensured that central government could not trust local authorities to pursue the policies which were now expected of them. This chapter discusses the growth and decline of local government in Britain. It examines social reform, liberal values and the role of local government, as well as the Local Government Board and the Ministry of Health, housing and town planning, the emergence of the Labour Party and poplarism.