The Beveridge Report: 5 Giants Still apply

[Historyphil]

Hello each, given todays news about labour fighting old battles from 40/50 years ago. does the The Beveridge Report identifying: 5 Giants (Want [poverty], Disease [NHS], Squalor [Poverty], Ignorance [Education] , Idleness [unemployment] to be beaten post WWII still need fighting or are they beaten, as today's politicians state?

 

"What are the 5 giants?

 

Origin: In the 1945 general elections Labour won a landslide victory over the standing conservative government led by Sir Winston Churchill. With an overall majority in Parliament there was the new government started carrying out its reform programme.The British public believed that a Labour government would be more likely to achieve a social reform. Labour's reforms were based on the Beveridge Report so it began by tackling the five giants identified in the Beveridge Report.

 

1. Want:

Poverty was seen as the key social problem which affected all others. National Insurance Act was passed which provided comprehensive insurance against most eventualities. It provided sickness and unemployment benefit, retirement pension and widow and maternity benefit. It was said that social provision was made for citizens from the 'cradle to the grave', catering for their needs from their time of birth to their death.

 

2. Disease:

In 1946 the National Health Service Act was passed which saw the introduction to a new heath service (The NHS). British citizen could receive medical, dental and optical services free of charge. Treatment by GPs and in hospitals was free also. These benefits were free at point of use, no patient being asked to pay for any treatment.

 

3. Squalor: Most of Britain still had slum areas especially in London. The overcrowding was a serious problem made worse during the Blitz. To deal with the problem of squalor the government concentrated on building decent homes for the working class after the war.

 

4. ignorance: In 1944 the war time Coalition government passed the Education act. The act was passed the Labour government but originally a Conservative government idea. The act said that secondary education shouuld become compulsory until the age of 15 years with pupils to be provided meals and medical services at every school.

 

5. idleness: After the war, Britain gradually rebuilt itself. The Labour Government succeeded in maintaining high levels of employment after the war. Job vacances became more readily avalible by 1946, unemployment was reduced to 2.5 %. Despite post-war problems such as shortages of raw materials and massive war debts to pay off. One way in which the government kept almost full employment was through nationalisation".

 

source BBC bitesize

Edited August 13, 2015 by Historyphil
missed out quttation marks

[Mister M]

There are different challenges to those of 50 years ago with regards to the original 5 giants.

I started a thread a while ago on what people considered were todays 5 giants that needed to be slain....Here's the linky: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1160086&highlight=beveridge

[Historyphil]

Hello, I agree that there are additional challenges today but the original giants: lack of housing, un and underemployment, health if you can afford it, poverty and poverty wages, lack of decent education for the poor still exist despite what the politicos would have us belive.