The Article on the Spec Paper:
- Labour governments have focused on abolishing poverty, the redistribution of wealth and economic planning.
- Then came an approach where Labour governments should become more gradual by working through existing structures through voting and elections
- Capitalism must not be overthrown by force. Without it, reform cannot happen, and the system would decline
- Essentially speaks of how socialism can be achieved. Through revolution and evolution.
- Fabians want to education, agitate and organise.
- Gradual reform
- United by rejection of violent upheaval as a method of change preferring to use power of local government and trade unionism to transform society.
- Webb formed the minority report which provided for much of the modern welfare state.
Key
Thinker 3: Beatrice Webb (1858-1943):
- Capitalism was the cause of ‘crippling poverty’ bringing selfishness among men and women
- Charity was a sustainable solution to the problem of poverty and inequality
- Poverty can be eliminated through trade unionism and state intervention
- Reforms needs to be gradual rather than revolutionary.
- Active in the Fabian society. Who wanted evolutionary socialism via reforms at Westminster
- She was instrumental in the decision to align the Fabian and the Labour party and drafted Clause 4.
- She was active in the creation of a welfare state when she argued that the state should guarantee ‘sufficient nourishment and training when a young person needed it”
- Webb’s view on poverty and inequality therefore pre-dated both the agenda of a democratic socialist government and the emergence of a welfare state in the UK.
Plan
For Spec Paper Question:
- Best way of achieving socialism is through Parliament reform
- NHS is the less selfish (in human nature) and more equal
- Can get common ownership and comradeship through Parliament
- Social service state is common ownership
- Marx says evolution is wrong and capitalism must be overthrown immediately
- Can’t change class consciousness – must be a radical move
- Marx wrote before the vote was given. Before the vote had been given it is revolutionary but it has been given so it is evolutionary.
- Still we have a need for materialism, still a clash of economic interests. It’s good we’ve got the NHS but we have inequality. Still needs to be revolution – What Marx would say if he saw society today.