ABSTRACT

With these words, British Prime Minister Tony Blair began his 1999 Beveridge Lecture at University College, Oxford. He went on to argue why the British welfare state was in need of reform and to describe the main features of his 'modem vision for welfare' . His emphasis on the popularity of the welfare state was significant because it drew attention to the role and interaction between public opinion and political legitimacy - two factors crucial to the legitimacy of welfare policy.