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This engaging biography of Sidney and Beatrice Webb, 'Unceasing War on Poverty', takes the reader into the world of the Webbs, the remarkable couple who changed Britain, inspiring a generation to fight for a better society.
Born in the 1850s, they came from very different backgrounds. They married in 1892 - but only after Beatrice had previously experienced a long, unhappy relationship. Their fifty-year partnership produced books and reports rather than children. Many of the reforms the Webbs demanded were enacted after their deaths. The hated Poor Law was abolished, and a National Health Service was established, transforming millions of lives. Michael Ward's fascinating book details their methods: meticulous research, private persuasion and hospitality, barnstorming public campaigning, and hard political organisation. They created and shaped institutions - the Fabian Society, the London School of Economics, and the 'New Statesman' - which flourish to this day. Their work is central to understanding change in twentieth century British politics and society.
Contents
Contents
List of Plates
PREFACE
Chapter One: Introduction
PROPHETS 10
BEGINNINGS 10
THREE INSTITUTIONS 12
FROM PERMEATION, VIA SOCIAL DEMOCRACY, TO A NEW CIVILIZATION 12
IDEAS 14
The Webbs and the State 15
The National Minimum 19
Political Leadership 22
ARTS, MUSIC, AND CULTURE 23
BEATRICE AS FEMINIST 28
MARRIAGE AND THE MORAL CODE 29
Notes to Preface and Chapter One 34
PART ONE: APPRENTICESHIPS 1858 - 1892
Chapter Two: Beatrice Potter 1858-1890
BEATRICE 1858 - 1875 38
'IRRESPONSIBLE GIRLHOOD' 1875-1882 44
SOCIAL APPRENTICE 1882-1890 47
Chapter Three: Sidney Webb 1859-1890
SIDNEY 1859-1880 62
'THE ABLEST MAN IN ENGLAND' 66
Chapter Four: Joseph and Sidney
FRIENDSHIP AND THE READING ROOM 75
'DANCING IN A DREAM TOWARDS SOME PRECIPICE' 81
SOCIALISM, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THE DOCK STRIKE 1887-1889 93
'A LONDON RETAIL TRADESMAN WITH THE AIMS OF A NAPOLEON' 103
Notes to Part One 133
PART TWO: PERMEATION 1892 - 1912
Chapter Five: The firm of Webb 1892-1899
MARRIAGE AND HONEYMOON 146
'LITTLE HOME ON THE BANKS OF THE THAMES' 147
THE WEBBS' YEAR 150
THE TRADE UNION BOOKS 154
THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL AND LONDON EDUCATION 159
'SOLID WORK IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PRINCIPLES' 163
Chapter Six: Grosvenor Road 1899-1905
THE WEBB MYTH 170
THE SOULS, THE SALON, AND THE NETWORK 176
HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOCAL GOVERNMENT 184
EDUCATION 187
THE BOER WAR 193
Chapter Seven: The disease of destitution 1905-1912
'THAT NASTY OLD POOR LAW' 202
'OUR TRUSTY AND WELL-BELOVED BEATRICE': THE POOR LAW COMMISSION 1905-1909 206
'THE GOLDEN TIME': THE FABIAN SOCIETY 1905-1912 229
'RAGING,TEARING PROPAGANDA' 253
ENDGAME:1910-1912 271
Notes to Part Two 286
PART THREE: SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: 'A POOR THING BUT OUR OWN': 1912 - 1931
Chapter Eight: Peace and war 1912-1918
A NEW ENGLAND 304
A NEW POLITICAL WEEKLY 308
FABIANS AND GUILD SOCIALISTS 311
THE COMING OF WAR 1914-1916 315
THE WEBB NETWORK AND THE WAR 317
THE MOVEMENT 323
THE WEBBS AND THE WOOLFS 328
WAR EMERGENCY WORKERS NATIONAL COMMITTEE 331
IMPACT OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 333
REMAKING LABOUR 337
RECONSTRUCTION 340
Chapter Nine: Inevitable gradualness 1919-1924
THE COAL CRISIS AND THE SANKEY COMMISSION 349
SIDNEY, LABOUR, AND SEAHAM 358
THE LSE AND THE NEW STATESMAN AFTER THE WAR 362
THE FIRST LABOUR GOVERNMENT 367
Chapter Ten: Passfield Corner 1924-1929
'THE HOME OF THE AGED WEBBS' 382
'AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY WITH THE LOVE AFFAIRS LEFT OUT' 385
COAL AND THE GENERAL STRIKE: 1924-1926 388
'THE OLD WEBBS CHUCKLING OVER THEIR CHICKENS': POLITICS 1926 - 1929 391
'WHO IS COMING FORWARD AMONG THE YOUNG MEN?' THE NEXT GENERATION 393
LIFE AT PASSFIELD CORNER 396
'THE BEVERIDGE-MAIR DICTATORSHIP': LSE 1924-1929 409
Chapter Eleven: The second Labour Government: 1929-1931
EAST AFRICA 412
PALESTINE 431
THE ECONOMY, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THE FALL OF THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT 447
Notes to Part Three 473
PART FOUR: A NEW CIVILIZATION? 1931 - 1947
Chapter Twelve: Soviet Communism
'WITHOUT DOUBT, WE ARE ON THE SIDE OF RUSSIA' 488
'A NEW KIND OF ROYALTY' 496
THE WEBBS AND LABOUR AFTER MACDONALD 504
LABOUR'S INTERNATIONAL POLICY 1931-1937 510
'A REAL GOOD SORT': BEVERIDGE LEAVES LSE 516
Chapter Thirteen The last years 1937-1947
AGEING 521
'ONE MAN DISGUISED AS A COMMITTEE': BEVERIDGE AFTER 1937 524
THE WEBBS AND THE SHAWS 531
IVAN AND AGNIYA MAISKY 534
APPEASEMENT AND THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT 1937-1939 536
PHONEY WAR 1939-1940 548
BEATRICE AND SIDNEY, 1941-1947 557
Notes to Part Four 570
ANNEXES
Annexe One: Acknowledgements and Thanks 578
Annexe Two: Biographical Index 581
Annexe Three: Bibliography 633
Annexe Four: The Potter Sisters 644
Annexe Five: Abbreviations and acronyms 645
INDEX
