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British History - Political > Change and continuity in politics 1886-1906 > Flashcards

Change and continuity in politics 1886-1906 Flashcards

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1
Q

What years saw the Conservative Ascendancy in Britain?

A

1886 to 1906

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2
Q

What was the main factor damaging Liberal electoral prospects during the Conservative Ascendancy?

A

Gladstone’s obsession with Irish Home Rule (IHR)

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3
Q

Why did IHR damage Liberal prospects in England?

A

It was unpopular and seen as a threat to the Union and a reward for Fenianism

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4
Q

What was the Conservative position on IHR?

A

They opposed it and branded themselves as Unionists

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5
Q

What name did the Conservatives adopt in opposition to IHR?

A

Unionists (used until 1918)

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6
Q

Who was the Conservative leader who exploited the IHR issue effectively?

A

Lord Salisbury

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7
Q

Which party did Lord Salisbury ally with to strengthen Conservative dominance?

A

The Liberal Unionists

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8
Q

How did Salisbury handle Chamberlain’s radicalism?

A

He limited its influence

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9
Q

How did Salisbury deal with Randolph Churchill’s ideas of ‘Tory Democracy’?

A

He engineered their elimination

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10
Q

What kind of social reform did the Conservatives pursue under Salisbury?

A

Limited and modest reforms aligned with middle-class retrenchment

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11
Q

What helped create safe Conservative seats during this period?

A

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

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12
Q

What is ‘Villa Toryism’?

A

Concentrated middle-class Conservative support in suburban areas

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13
Q

Why couldn’t the Liberals win over working-class constituencies?

A

Internal divisions, apathy, and the appeal of jingoism to workers

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14
Q

What event helped Conservatives in the 1900 election?

A

The patriotic reaction to the Boer War (Khaki election)

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15
Q

Why did the 1886, 1895, and 1900 elections favor Conservatives?

A

Because of Liberal weaknesses, patriotism, and effective Conservative alliances

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16
Q

What were the three main problems for the Liberal Party in this period?

A
  1. Gladstone’s narrow focus on IHR 2. Poor leadership after Gladstone 3. Ideological transformation toward New Liberalism
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17
Q

Who succeeded Gladstone as Liberal leader?

A

Lord Rosebery

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18
Q

What were Rosebery’s weaknesses as Liberal leader?

A

Aristocratic, based in the Lords, opposed to radicalism, later drifted right

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19
Q

Who replaced Rosebery and temporarily united the Liberals?

A

Campbell-Bannerman

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20
Q

Why was Campbell-Bannerman chosen as leader?

A

He was a stop-gap until younger leaders like Asquith and DLG could take over

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21
Q

What was the Newcastle Programme of 1891?

A

A Liberal platform promising modest reforms and including IHR

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22
Q

How did Gladstone feel about the Newcastle Programme?

A

He disliked it and only accepted it because it included IHR

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23
Q

What Liberal policy shocked Gladstone?

A

The introduction of death duties by his Chancellor

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24
Q

What were the key ideas of New Liberalism?

A

True liberty requires state intervention, taxation, and tackling poverty

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25
Who were the key thinkers behind New Liberalism?
Hobson, Hobhouse, and Green
26
What was Hobson’s argument about inequality?
It caused under-consumption, damaging the economy
27
What was the criticism of Edwardian capitalism?
It was unproductive; elites lived off rent and investment without contributing
28
What studies shocked Liberals into social awareness?
Booth’s and Rowntree’s investigations into poverty
29
What did Rowntree find in York?
30% lived in poverty due to wages, sickness, unemployment, and age
30
What belief did Rowntree and Booth disprove?
That poverty was due to moral failure
31
What military finding supported calls for reform?
2/3 of working-class army volunteers were rejected on health grounds
32
What was ‘national efficiency’?
The belief that social reform was needed for Britain to remain competitive and functional
33
Which foreign model influenced DLG and others?
German national insurance system
34
Why did Liberals fear growing socialism?
They feared losing working-class support if liberalism didn’t evolve
35
What successes did New Unionism achieve in the 1880s?
Dockers, match girls, and gas workers won rights like shorter hours and collective bargaining
36
What tactics did employers use in the 1890s to fight unions?
Lockouts and blacklegs supplied by the National Free Labour Association
37
How did New Unions respond to backlash in the 1890s?
They avoided strikes to preserve their position
38
How were unions exposed to socialism?
Through leaders like Ben Tillett (SDF) and Mary Besant (Fabian)
39
Did most unions support socialism in this period?
No, most TUC leaders supported the Liberals
40
Which powerful union still backed the Liberals?
The Miners’ Federation
41
What was Keir Hardie’s political goal?
To create a party of the working class independent from the Liberals
42
What organisation did Hardie’s ILP help to create?
The Labour Representation Committee (LRC)
43
What were the two major problems facing the early socialist movement?
1. Division within socialism (Fabians, SDF, ILP) 2. Union reluctance to break with Liberals
44
What was the Fabian view on politics?
They believed socialism would arrive gradually and were sceptical of workers' political readiness
45
Why was the SDF problematic?
It was divided, wanted radical socialism, and had a divisive leader (Hyndman)
46
How successful was the LRC in the 1900 election?
It won only two seats
47
What legal case triggered union support for an independent Labour Party?
Taff Vale case (1901)
48
What was the Taff Vale decision?
It made unions liable for damages from strikes, threatening their survival
49
What was the consequence of Taff Vale for the LRC?
Unions affiliated rapidly, boosting LRC’s political power
50
What agreement helped Labour in the 1906 election?
A secret electoral pact with the Liberals to avoid vote-splitting
51
How many seats did the LRC win in 1906?
29 seats; plus one Lib-Lab MP joined to make 30
52
When was the Labour Party officially formed?
1906
53
What was the weakness of the early Labour Party?
It lacked a clear socialist identity and was dependent on the Liberals
54
What reforms did Labour help achieve between 1906–1914?
Trade Disputes Act (reversed Taff Vale), Trade Union Act (reversed Osborne judgement), paid MPs
55
Why was Labour frustrated after 1910?
The Liberal government ignored them due to other priorities and crises
56
Who were the main New Liberal politicians?
David Lloyd George (DLG) and Churchill
57
Why did DLG support social reform?
He feared that without reform, workers would turn to socialism
58
What did Chamberlain propose as a Unionist social policy?
Contributory pensions and tariff-financed reform
59
What was Chamberlain’s economic argument for tariffs?
They would protect jobs and raise wages by reducing foreign competition
60
How did Balfour contribute to Conservative defeat in 1906?
He antagonised Nonconformists and ignored trade union concerns
61
What did Conservatives do in South Africa that angered voters?
Used indentured Chinese labour instead of British workers
62
Why did Chamberlain resign from government before 1906?
To campaign independently for imperial preference and tariff reform
63
What was Balfour’s tariff policy?
Retaliatory tariffs—still seen as raising food prices
64
What were the main issues in the 1906 election?
- Free trade vs. tariff reform - education - pub licensing - Chinese labour - trade union rights
65
Why did Balfour resign before the 1906 election?
He hoped Liberal divisions would reappear
66
How did the Liberals present themselves in 1906?
As united under Campbell-Bannerman and committed to free trade
67
What was the electoral result for the Conservatives in 1906?
Their worst defeat since 1832
68
How many seats did the Liberals win in 1906?
Over 400 seats with a majority of 200+

British History - Political (18 decks)

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