Title: Great Depression in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia
Headings: Great Depression in the United Kingdom
Great Depression in the United Kingdom
Contents
Background
Gold standard
Economic crisis and the Labour minority government
National Government
Emergency measures
During the recession
The South and the Midlands
In the North and industrial heartlands
Welfare state during the 1930s
Slow recovery
Rearmament and recovery
Consequences of the Great Depression
Historic evaluation
See also
References
Notes
Further reading
Primary sources
External links

Content: During this time there were little to no unemployment benefits, so this mass unemployment led to many of Britain’s population becoming impoverished. Government revenues contracted as national income fell, while the cost of assisting the jobless rose. The industrial areas were hardest hit, along with the coal mining districts. London and the south-east of England were hurt less. In 1933, 30% of Glaswegians were unemployed due to the severe decline in heavy industry. Under pressure from its Liberal allies as well as the Conservative opposition, the Labour government appointed a committee to review the state of public finances. The May Report of July 1931 urged public sector wage cuts and large cuts in public spending (notably in benefit payments ("dole") to the unemployed) to avoid incurring a budget deficit. The sense was that the deficit was dangerous and had to be reduced; the proposal was to meet £24 million by increased taxes on the rich, and £96 million by economies, of which £64 million would come from unemployment relief. This proposal proved deeply unpopular within the Labour Party and among its main supporters, the trade unions, which along with several government ministers refused to support any such measures.