Constitutional Crisis 1909-1911

Question 0

What political party dominated the House of Lords?

Answer 0

Conservative.

Question 1

How is membership to the House of Lords different to the House of Commons?

Answer 1

It is hereditary whilst the Commons are elected.

Question 2

What Liberal legislation did the Conservative members of the Lords turn down in 1893?

Answer 2

Home Rule for Ireland.

Question 3

What Liberal legislations did the Conservative Lords turn down 1906-1908?

Answer 3

1906: Education Bill.
1908: Scottish Land Bill, Abolition of Plural Voting Bill & Licensing Bill.

Question 4

Why was the People’s Budget needed in 1909?

Answer 4

Needed £15 million to provide for social services & construction of naval warships.

Question 5

What did the People’s Budget propose?

Answer 5

Increased income tax: 1s to 1s2d for incomes over £3,000/year
Super tax: incomes over £5,000/year
New land taxes
Indirect taxes on luxury goods: motor cars, petrol, beer & tobacco

Question 6

What were the new land taxes?

Answer 6

1. 20% Tax on ‘increased increment of land value’ (increase in value of land due to greater demand not improvements).
2. Duty of 1/2d on value of undeveloped land & minerals.

Question 7

Why did Lloyd George want the People’s Budget to pass?

Answer 7

Show working classes they didn’t need labour to make these cuts.
Punish/provoke Conservatives for their opposition.

Question 8

Why were the Conservatives worried about the People’s Budget?

Answer 8

‘Targeted the rich’, land taxes wouldn’t raise much money but seen as very controversial.
Worried about redistributive taxation & progressive taxation.

Question 9

How did the Lords react to the People’s Budget?

Answer 9

Vetoed it, November 1909. Unprecedented as Lords didn’t interfere with ‘money bills’.
Left Liberals with no legal ability to collect tax so had to call general election.

Question 10

When was the general election called after the Lords cancelled the People’s Budget?

Answer 10

January 1910.

Question 11

What was the general election of January 1910 fought on?

Answer 11

Whether Britain should be governed by a majority of elected MPs in the Commons or hereditary peers in the Lords.

Question 12

How else did the Conservatives suggest money could be raised other than the People’s Budget?

Answer 12

Tariffs on foreign imports.

Question 13

What was the result of the January 1910 election?

Answer 13

Liberals won narrowly:
Liberals, 275 seats.
Conservatives, 273 seats.
Irish Nationalists, 82 seats.
Labour, 40 seats.

Question 14

How did Liberals Maintain a majority after the January 1910 election?

Answer 14

By relying on Irish Nationalist support.

Question 15

On what condition did the Irish Nationalists give their support after the January 1910 election?

Answer 15

They wanted an attack on the powers of the Lords so they could achieve Home Rule for Ireland.

Question 16

When was the Parliament Bill introduced?

Answer 16

1910.

Question 17

What did the 1910 Parliament Bill propose?

Answer 17

1. Lords have no power to veto money bills, certified by speaker of the Commons.
2. Lords have no power to veto other legislation but could delay for 2 years. Known as ‘suspensory veto’.
3. Max period between general elections reduces to 5 years from 7.

Question 18

Why wouldn’t the 1910 Parliament Bill pass?

Answer 18

The Lords would veto it.

Question 19

What was Asquith’s solution to the Lords vetoing the 1910 Parliament Bill?

Answer 19

Asking King Edward VII to promise to create enough Liberal peers to outvote the Conservatives in the Lords.

Question 20

What stopped the creation of peers by King Edward VII?

Answer 20

He died and King George V tried to get Liberals & Conservatives to agree a solution.

Question 21

When were the discussions between the Liberals & Conservatives over the 1910 Parliament Bill held?

Answer 21

Between June & November 1910.

Question 22

What was the result of the discussions between the Liberals & Conservatives over the 1910 Parliament Bill?

Answer 22

Conservatives offered to reform composition of Lords.

Liberals determined to reduce Lords’ constitutional powers.

Question 23

On what issue did the discussions between the Liberals & Conservatives over the 1910 Parliament Bill break down?

Answer 23

Conservatives wanted Lords to be able to veto change in constitution. Liberals disagreed.

Question 24

On what condition would King George V create new Liberal Peers?

Answer 24

If the Liberals won a general election fought on the Parliament Bill.

Question 25

When was the second general election held?

Answer 25

December 1910.

Question 26

What was the result of the December 1910 general election?

Answer 26

Liberals and Conservatives drew with 272 seats each.
Labour won 42 seats.
Irish Nationalists won 84 seats.

Question 27

Why did the Liberals remain in government after the December 1910 election?

Answer 27

They had support of Labour and the Irish Nationalists.

Question 28

When was the Parliament Bill passed in the commons?

Answer 28

May 1911.

Question 29

When was the Parliament Bill passed by the Lords?

Answer 29

August 1911.

Question 30

What were the three groups of conservatives voting on the Parliament Bill in 1911?

Answer 30

‘The rats’ felt they should cooperate.
‘The hedgers’ were undecided.
‘The ditchers’ or ‘diehards’ determined to oppose the Bill.

Question 31

What was the result of the vote for the Parliament Bill in 1911?

Answer 31

131 for and 114 against.

Question 32

Why did some conservatives vote for the Parliament Bill in 1911?

Answer 32

To avoid the Lords being full of Liberal peers.