Change and continuity in Politics (1885-1906) Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is the period 1886-1906 known as?
- Conservative ascendancy
What were the reasons for the conservative ascendancy?
-Conservatives were strong:
1)Salisbury’s shrewd leadership to use the Boer war to help his campaign in the Khaki election, alliance with the liberal unionists over Ireland, removed Randolph Churchill and his ideas of “Tory democracy”
2) Always had Lords support- key in them blocking the 3rd reform act until redistribution of seats which created class-based constituencies and thus villa toryism
Liberals were weak:
1) Divided over Ireland- Chamberlain’s liberal unionists
2)Gladstone retired in 1894- vacuum of power in the Liberal party
3) Liberals were divided over the war- some liberal imperialists but many Liberals were anti-war
4) liberalism was changing- new Liberalism emerging
a)What was the nickname for Salisbury and b) what does this potentially show about his push for reforms?
a) Prime minister of Despair
b)Shows that he did not really push for reforms and instead did very little : illustrates how conservatives were not strong (liberals were weak)
What reforms were passed by Salisbury?
-Education Act 1891: abolished school fees and created Local education authorities who raised rates for schools (angered Non-conformists)
-Permissive housing acts: Working Class Dwellings Act 1885
-Labourers Dwelling Act 1891: small allotments for urban people
What did the phrase “feet of clay” suggest about the Conservative ascendancy?
-That whilst the conservatives stood on “feet of clay” and appeared to look strong, they would easily be overthrown by the Liberals and fall down
What did the 1892 election suggest about the Conservative ascendency?
-Liberals won with IPP support but they had a higher percentage of the vote which shows how Conservatives were not that strong and Liberals weakness after Gladstone retired and the continued failure of IHR
a)Who was Gladstone replaced and b) consequence of this
a) Lord Roseberry
b) very conservative and not popular so Liberals lost support
What was the result in the 1896 and 1900 elections?
-Conservatives had double the seats of the Liberals
What was the result in the 1906 election?
-Liberals = 400
-conservatives = 157
-Complete landslide and swapping of positions
a)Who eventually became the leader of the liberal party and b) why him?
a) Henry Campbell-Bannerman
b) was a stop-gap for the Liberals as everyone knew he would die soon so was voted in until they could find a better leader
Who did the Liberal party rely on for votes in the 1890s?
-Celtic Fringe in scotland and Wales
Which two “hobs” were influential in the creation of New Liberalism?
-Hobson and Hobhouse
Which couple were Fabians?
-Sidney and Beatrice Webb
What did New Liberals and Fabians have in common?
-Ideas over collectivism being necessary - this started to influence liberals after 1906 which is clear in NI and benefits
What new party had also emerged?
LRC- won 30 seats in 1906 election led by Keir Hardie
What was the Lib-Lab pact?
-secret electoral pact between Liberals and Labour to stop splitting anti-tory vote and meant in certain constituencies Liberals did not put up a candidate in return for Labour’s support
What was the Rainbow circle?
-Involved New liberals and Fabians and socialists debating politics and society
What did New Liberalism inspire?
-Inspired Rowntree’s research that 30% of York pop lived in poverty
How did the Liberals reunite for the 1906 election?
-Liberal party was united over free trade which the conservatives threatened as Balfour allowed Chamberlain to promote his ideas of imperial preference and tariff reform so that it was associated with conservatives
-Also conservative image was damaged by the lack of humanitarianism in the Boer war - concentration camps used and 20,000 women and children died
-Also work in the South African mines was to be done by cheap chinese Labour rather than English workers which made them feel betrayed- also angered non-conformists who thought the chinese men in dormitories would promote homosexuality
