Challenges To The Liberal Gov Flashcards
Why did Irish Question come back on table
Liberals lost overall parliamentary majority. Needed Irish MPs to support their budget in 1909.
When was Third Home Rule Bill
1912
What was in third home rule bill
Would introduce two assemblies in the Irish Parliament including Senate. Ireland would have 42 MPs at Westminster instead of over 100. Safe majority for bill in commons.
What were the internal issues
It split the liberals again between unionists and home rulers
Why was Third Home Rule bill not implemented
WW1
What had happened in Ireland by 1914
Situation had become very violent , in brink of civil war
Who was arming
Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
35,000 rifles
5 millions rounds of ammunition
What did people in ulster sign and how many signed it
Solemn League and Covenant. Signed by half a million ulstermen.
What did solemn league and covenant say
Use all means necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a home rule parliament in Ireland
How many attempts at home rule in how many years
Three home rule bills in around 50 years. Shows volatility of the subject
What did Asquith do well with Ireland
- His policies arguably kept things from escalating
- Pushed through home rule bill
- Held series of conferences to negotiate with both camps
- It was agreed that counties with the most Protestants would be left out of home rule
What did Asquith do badly with Ireland
- Historian Koss argued ‘wait and see policy’ caused the tense situation worse
- Asquith failed to stop gun running
- He failed to recognise Ulster as separate case, leading to solemn league and covenant
- Buckingham palace conference achieved nothing
What did Simon Lemieux say about Ireland
Conservatives works have fared no better and would have caused an equally inflammatory situation
What happened to trade unions in later stages of 19th century
Grew rapidly, due to a mix of economic change, spread of socialism, failure of new model unions and government legislation.
How much did trade unions membership grow
2,210,00 to 4,145,000 in 1914. Strength in number caused real threat
How many working days lost in 1912 to strike action
41 million
How many working days lost between 1909 - 1914
Approx 80 million
What were strikes starting to become
More violent
How many died at South Wales miners strikes
3
How many died at disputes in Liverpool
3
What did government appear over handling of trade unions
Seemed illiberal over fatalities
What did the times describe the National miners strikes of 1912 as
‘Greatest national catastrophe since the Spanish Armada’
What did violence and growing membership lead to a fear of
Syndicalism and the idea of general strike which could bring down the government
What successful policies did government pass to deal with TUs
1911 national insurance
Introduction of a minimum wage
They did not resolve the issue however
Why did Liberals make situation with TUs worse
Slow to reverse Osborne judgement which banned unions from funding Labour Party
What did Donald Reid claim
‘The government had pushed an unemployment policy but had not attempted to follow an overall a labour policy’.
Evaluation about TUs
Liberals dealt with it poorly, had they done better job it would have likely not posed threat. TU were not threat, liberals made them into one
What did Lloyd George use to offset potential strikes in Britain’s docks
Threat of Germany
Why was the situation with TUs better in 1914
Working days lost went from 41 Million in 1912 to 9.9 million in 1914.
Why was situation not so good with trade unions
Membership was still increasing. 3.4 million in 1912, 4.2 million in 1914
What did Asquith say about women’s suffrage
They are for the most hopelessly ignorant of politics, credulous to the last degree, and flickering and fusts of sentiment like a candle in the wind
What happened in 1913 at Epsom derby
Emily Davidson ran in front of kings horse
What other violent methods did suffragettes use
Arson attacks on post boxes
Attacks on politicians house such as Lloyd George
Who founded suffragettes
Emmeline Pankhurst in 1903. Set up WSPU
What were Liberals accused of with Suffragettes
Treated them brutally and illiberally
What was ‘cat and mouse act’
Where prisoners could be released who were weak from hunger strike only for them to be put back in prison when they were healthy
What ruined reputation of government with suffragettes
They force fed prisoners on hunger strike with a tube
Why were suffragettes unpopular
Their violent methods
What happened to Pankhursts
They were so reviled they moved to Paris before that start of the war
What was wrong with suffragettes violent methods
It raised questions over what might happen once women gained the vote
What happened to Labour MP George Lansbury
He lost his seat as MP for Brow and Brimley to a unionist anti-suffrage supporter as he was pro-suffragettes
What group campaigned against women’s suffrage
Anti-suffrage league
How many members of anti-suffrage league
10,000 members in 235 branches
What newspaper supported the anti-suffrage league
The times
Which was the only party to support women’s suffrage movement
labour
