Budget Protest League Budget Protest League The Budget Protest League was a British pressure group formed in June 1909 and led by Walter Long to oppose David Lloyd George's "People's Budget" outside of Parliament. The League attacked the Budget's Finance (1909-10) Act 1910 as Socialist because of its income tax rises, increased death duties, and a land value tax in order to redistribute this to old age pensions. It was not linked to tariff reform. It produced posters outlining its opposition to Lloyd George and the Budget. In a letter to "The Times" announcing the formation of the Budget Protest League, Long said:
David Lloyd George House of Commons (20 December) Lloyd George also argued that the collapse of Russia and defeat of Italy required further "combing-out" of men from industry, in breach of pledges given to the trade unions in 1916. Auckland Geddes was given increased powers to direct labour – a new bill became law, despite the opposition of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, in February 1918. The unions were placated with the Caxton Hall conference (5 January 1918), at which Lloyd George outlined Allied war aims. He called for Germany to be stripped of her conquests (including her colonies, and Alsace-Lorraine, annexed in