Representation of the People Act, 1918
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Representation of the People Act 1918
The 20th century also saw the introduction of universal suffrage
in Britain. Previously, only men had been entitled to vote
in parliamentary elections. The Representation of the People
Act 1918 was the first, though limited, legislative step towards
giving women the vote. Yet the vote was only one of many changes
that women had to fight for, along with opportunities for
employment and education, the reform of marriage and divorce
laws, and the provision of pensions for widows.
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The Beveridge Report, 1942
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Beveridge Report
At the beginning of the 20th century the state began to take
responsibility for providing welfare measures ranging from
free school meals for children to pensions and health and
unemployment insurance. A precedent was thus established for
state intervention, which increased as the power of central
government grew. This culminated after 1945 in the creation
of the 'welfare state' - based on the Beveridge Report (1942)
- whereby the government took on the task of looking after
its citizens 'from the cradle to the grave'.
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The National Archives > ExhibitionsCitizenship
