Constitutional Crisis (1909-1911) Flashcards
Describe the constitutional convention governing the Lords and the budget?
-500yrs: no budget touched by the lords
What was the purpose of the DLG budget and what did it want to pay for?
-£16m social reforms
-defence/Dreadnoughts
Identify the response of the Lords and the Unionists to the Budget of 1909 and Identify two reasons for it
-Vetoed by Lords
-no mandate for such “socialism” and was a government based of 1906 Free trade debate
Identify a) indirect taxes on w/c, b) income tax changes and 3) taxes on land in the budget?
-Alcohol and Tobacco
-Rates up and Supertax
-Land tax and death duties
Identify 2 speeches made by DLG in 1909 and explain why they were considered controversial at the time?
-Limehouse and Newcastle speeches
-Controversial: allegedly stoked flames of class war
Identify 3 reasons why the Lords’ veto had important constitutional implications?
-No taxation without rep: unelected chamber was preventing elected chamber from establishing budget
-paralysed Gov
-Undermined king’s power to appoint Gov
Identify two arguments why the Unionists believed the Lords acted correctly?
-no mandate
-Lords = Independent guardian of national interests
What were the consequences of the constitutional crisis for Anglo-irish relations and when were they first apparent?
-IHR (lords blocked Gladstone’s last attempt at IHR in 1893)
-Albert Hall speech by Asquith in December 1909
Summarise the results of the general election 1910 and identify how the strength of the Liberal government changed?
-Lost 100+ seats
-Reliant on IPP and Labour to form government with 124 majority
Explain how the general election of Jan 1910 connected the budget with the trade policy of GB?
-Fought mostly over issues of free trade and tariff refrom e.g. Budget League/Budget protest league
What did the Lords do with the budget in response to the Jan 1910 election result?
-Passed budget in April 1910
a)What could the Liberal government ask the King to do if the Lords vetoed a Bill to reform them,b) why was it considered controversial and C)why would the unionsist fear it?
a)Appoint Liberal Lords
b) King’s neutrality was threatened
c) HoL would have a Liberal majority and a permanent Liberal majority for the future
Identify two provisions of the Parliament Bill 1911 that reformed the Lords?
-Lords could not touch Money Bills
-Only delay legislation for a max. of 2 years
What was the response to the Parliament Bill by the Lords and how did the government respond?
-Vetoed it
-Lib government responded by asking for Liberal Lords from the King and called an election (if they won new Lords)
Did the election results of December 1910 differ substantially from that of January and what was the majority in the Lords that eventually passed the Parliament Act 1911?
-No, 2 MP difference from January
-17 slim majority in Lords due to “last Ditcher’s” resistance
