Constitutional Crisis

Question 1

How did the Lords behave towards the legislation of HCB’s government?

Answer 1

Since unionists dominated the HOL, they were able to amend the licensing and education bills
This was an issue because HOL Amended to such an extent that the government had to abandon the bills

Question 2

How did the Lords affect the aims of Asquith’s budget?

Answer 2

Lords challenged the principle of no taxation without representation
By denying the govt the right to raise finance they were claiming the power to make or unmake an elected government

Question 3

Did the political and economic conditions of the time suggest future electoral success or not for the Liberals by 1908?

Answer 3

Economic depression began in 1902, started to be felt in 1908
Real wages declined by 10%
Govt appeared to be heading for an electoral defeat

Question 4

Was DLG’s budget exclusively about social reform?

Answer 4

No it wasn’t
At the same time, britain was involved in an arms race with germany
It was happening over a new and expensive form of naval battleship (dreadnought)
Navy and the right-wing press were campaigning for 8 new dreadnoughts
Liberals accepted the need for 4 new ones

Question 5

What was the amount needed to be raised by the budget?

Answer 5

DLG had to deal with a deficit of £16m (£1bn + today) in government revenues.

Question 6

Using examples, illustrate direct and indirect taxation of the rich and workers in DLG’s budget?

Answer 6

> indirect taxes on motor cars/petrol and beer/tobacco (worth £3.5m)
increase in income tax from 1s to 1s and 2d in the pound on incomes over £3000
new super tax on incomes over £5000 affecting only 12,000 ppl
increased death duties on estates worht £5000 or above
new land taxes 20 taxation on any unearned increase in land value

Question 7

Who and what bore the burden of taxation in DLG’s budget?

Answer 7

Unionist claimed that the taxation was
- progressive (richer you are the more tax you pay)
- redistributive (taxing the richer to pay for reforms benefiting the poorer)

• But working class also bore the burden due to indirect taxes

Question 8

Where did DLG make his famous speeches in 1909 and why were considered
controversial?

Answer 8

Limehouse and Newcastle
Controversial because the speeches were seen as corrosive socialism

Question 9

Name the pressure groups campaigning over the budget.

Answer 9

FOR= Budget League
AGAINST= Budget Protest League

Question 10

When did the Lords veto the
budget?

Answer 10

30 November 1909

Question 11

Why did the Lords’ veto have important constitutional implications?

Answer 11

• By denying the govt the right to raise finance they were claiming the power to make or unmake an elected government
• By suggesting they could force an election, they were undermining the monarch’s power to do so
• HOL were hereditary, unelected and accountable to no one

Question 12

What were the Unionist justifications for the Lords’ veto?

Answer 12

argued that the govt lacked a mandate for the budget

Question 13

What were the consequences for Ireland of the constitutional crisis and when?

Answer 13

10 December, in order to strengthen Irish support, Asquith publicly committed a newly elected Liberal govt to introduce Irish Home rule

Question 14

Summarise briefly the results & consequences of the January 1910 election.

Answer 14

Libs majority was 275 unionist was 273
Libs majority did decrease but union did not win so libs could from their second govt
Had support of labour and inp (124 maj)

Question 15

What was the ultimate and drastic solution to the Lords veto and why was it not used?

Answer 15

• creating 100s of new liberal peers in the lords
• Asquith had not pushed King Edward VII hard for Liberal peers (Edward was reluctant to do so) before the January general election

Question 16

Identify two attempts to resolve the constitutional crisis between January & November 1910

Answer 16

• DLG enterd talks with the unionsts to resolve the problems
• Did this by offering a commission on tariffs and foreign comp
• Govt also drafted the parliament bill which rpososed to remove the veto
• Replacing it with the power of delay over legislation for two years
• HOL Would have no right to amend or delay a money bill (a budget)

Question 17

To what extent did the election result of December 1910 differ from the one in January
1910?

Answer 17

• Results in december were nearly identical to the one in jan
• Libs formed their third gov with maj of 126

Question 18

What was the majority in the Lords that passed the Parliament Act 1911 & explain how the Act changed the powers of the Lords?

Answer 18

bill was passed by the Lords by a slim majority of 17
HOL could now only delay legislation for two years