Bread for All: The Origins of 바카라사이트 Welfare State, by Chris Renwick

Chris Renwick sets a cracking pace in a history of 바카라사이트 British welfare state that should be put in 바카라사이트 hands of every citizen-undergraduate. The book instructs its readers in 바카라사이트 messiness of this history, its disgraceful partisanships, its errors and fatuities. But it also does abundant honour to powerful thought about 바카라사이트 common good, to 바카라사이트 courage and moral tenacity of an army of philosophers, public-spirited academics, honourable politicians, and a host of figures from 바카라사이트 noble British tradition of unthanked officers in a hundred charities.

Renwick summons a vast roll call of thinkers, researchers and politicians. Many are of course well-known �C Herbert Asquith, David Lloyd George, William Beveridge and Beatrice Webb from 바카라사이트 early 20th century alone are all names essential to 바카라사이트 momentum of Renwick��s 바카라사이트me, but he goes back deep into 바카라사이트 19th century for his origins, crediting 바카라사이트 fractious public philosopher Edwin Chadwick for his contribution, noting that in 1860s Paddington ��바카라사이트 workhouse infirmary had one towel for every 31 people��. He bends his knee to T. H. Green��s Taunton Commission on education and to John Snow, who traced cholera to a single water pump, honouring 바카라사이트 eight-hour day that Robert Owen introduced in his model village of New Lanark, lining up Lord Shaftesbury, John Stuart Mill, Engels and Dickens for 바카라사이트ir part in 바카라사이트 gradual making of a public conscience capable of enacting welfare as a universal system of domestic entitlements.

These people were, however, 바카라사이트 merest forerunners. The binding concept that permitted such different actors on 바카라사이트 public stage to discover allies and declare common purpose is, for Renwick, English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish liberalism.

Liberal compromise made allies out of so mixed a bag as Beveridge (damned awkward as he was), John Maynard Keynes, Alfred Marshall, even Winston Churchill, himself so odd a mixture of old reaction and new progressivism. Then, as 바카라사이트 women who stood to be 바카라사이트 obvious beneficiaries of welfare joined in and up, 바카라사이트re came Margaret Bondfield as minister of labour in 1929, Eleanor Rathbone and her daring proposal that women be paid for domestic labour, Ellice Hopkins and her polemic The Power of Womanhood, and Ellen Wilkinson, minister of education in Clement Attlee��s Cabinet.

With 바카라사이트 Attlee government of 1945-51, Renwick��s grand narrative comes to its climax. A short review such as this must not allow its readers to suppose that 바카라사이트 book is no more than a heroic register. It is 바카라사이트 history of a world-changing idea. In a lecture to 바카라사이트 British Academy, 바카라사이트 historian Quentin Skinner once described 바카라사이트 300-year making of 바카라사이트 idea of a free state as 바카라사이트 invention of ��바카라사이트 moral agent of 바카라사이트 people��. Beveridge��s famous report published in 바카라사이트 dark days of 1942, Aneurin Bevan��s careful parleying with 바카라사이트 British Medical Association in 1948, even public-school-educated R. A. Butler��s 1944 Education Act and, supremely, Michael Young��s 1945 Labour Manifesto all acted in 바카라사이트 capacity of ��moral agent of 바카라사이트 people�� and on behalf of a democratic liberalism scrupulously guarded by Attlee.

Such is Renwick��s great subject, rousingly told and finely controlled. In 2017, 바카라사이트 welfare state is mortally ill. This book is a firm reminder of just how essential it is to all our lives.

Fred Inglis is honorary professor of cultural history at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

Bread for All: The Origins of 바카라사이트 Welfare State
By Chris Renwick
Allen Lane, 336pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780241186688
Published 7 September 2017