Social policy in Modern Britain is a series of books focusing on essential topics in social policy. Each book contains a detailed assessment of a chosen topic and is backed up with the inclusion of seminal documents on that subject.

Too often the history of social policy has been discussed in isolation, as something separate from economic and political history. In this survey and analysis of British social policy between 1870 and 1945, Pat Thane argues that changes in social policy cannot be understood in isolation from changes in economic conditions and the structure of political power. The main areas of social policy - social security, health, unemployment, housing and education, are discussed in relation to broader economic and political policy. The British experience is not seen as unique and there is a comparison with the social policies of other countries. The text is backed up with a wealth of relevant documentary material and a select bibliography. The book will be valued by students of history and social policy for its detailed argument and as a source of information, and will also provide useful background material for students of social work and administration and others working in these fields.