Unceasing War on Poverty

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.