| Rethinking Poverty

About Beatrice

Who was Beatrice Webb?

Beatrice Potter Webb, a self-taught economist, thought-leader and reformer, was one of the co-founders of the London School of Economics and Political Science, a key member of the Fabian Society and founder of the New Statesman. 

Writer Michael Ward provides a biography of Beatrice –  her life, work and legacy.

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The Minority Report

The publication of Beatrice Webb’s Minority Report on the Poor Law of 1909 was a clarion call not just for the abolition of the workhouse but for the idea of universal public services which reflect our common citizenship. Beatrice Webb argued that poverty was not a result of moral failure but of structural causes that had solutions.

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Webbs on the Web

Webbs on the Web, funded by the Webb Memorial Trust, aims to provide online access to the works of Beatrice and Sidney Webb, promoting and encouraging their use beyond the Library’s walls by providing a single access point via the LSE Digital Library.

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Fabian Society Blog: The Happy Fabian

22 Jan 2018

On the 134th anniversary of the Fabian Society, Deborah Stoate writes about the intriguing hinterland of Fabian founder Beatrice Webb  “How full and brimming over with happiness human life... Read More

Five things you may not know about Beatrice Webb…

21 Sep 2017

Remarkably few people have heard of Beatrice Webb and her husband Sidney.  When we ask the question. it is usually just a handful of academics or politicians who know... Read More

What would Beatrice Webb say now?

08 Mar 2017

Georgia Smith, Communications Officer at Webb Memorial Trust, highlights the accomplishments of sociologist and social reformer Beatrice Webb and her influence on a forthcoming book, Rethinking Poverty International Women’s... Read More

Podcast: Beveridge, the Webbs and the coming of the Welfare State

27 Oct 2015

Listen to the 2015 University of Oxford William of Durham Lecture in which Webb Memorial Trust grantee, Michael Ward, discusses Beveridge, the Webbs and the coming of the Welfare... Read More

Beatrice Webb – A Fitting Legacy

27 Mar 2014

This paper examines the goals of the trust, reviews recent work to meet the goals, and sets out the nature of the legacy to be left behind when the... Read More

Podcast: Beatrice Webb – her quest for a fairer society

26 Mar 2014

Tackling poverty and inequality is at the heart of progressive politics. But what can history tell us about the struggle for a fairer society, and where does the work... Read More

Labour Women: Beatrice Webb

23 Jan 2012

Beatrice Webb – first among equals It’s a tough gig to summarise the contribution of Beatrice Webb (1858-1943) to the Labour movement in a few words. A list of... Read More