Britain and the Welfare State in the 21st Century: a more or less “irresponsible society”?

In November 1959, Richard Titmuss, Head of the then Department of Social Science and Administration (now Social Policy) at LSE, gave a lecture on ‘The Irresponsible Society’.  In it he pointed to the features of Britain in the late 1950s that added up to irresponsibility: the power of unaccountable financial interests; the way ‘welfare for the better-off’ undermined social security; the view of education simply as economic investment; irresponsible newspapers; and the tolerance of inequality. Sixty years on from the lecture John Hills, Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy at LSE will discuss how we might judge today’s society by similar – and new – criteria.

John Hills is Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy, LSE.

Sonia Exley is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Policy, LSE.

Howard Glennerster is Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, LSE.

Anne West is Professor of Education Policy in the Department of Social Policy, LSE.