Context of Lord Liverpool's administration Flashcards
What was Lord Liverpool’s name?
Robert Jenkinson
Which three great offices of state had Lord Liverpool held before becoming PM?
Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Secretary for War and the Colonies
What did Lord Liverpool think of Pitt?
He admired Pitt and his balanced system of government
What was Lord Liverpool like during his premiership?
He was often regarded as mediocre, but exercise firm control over major decisions. He was patient, pragmatic and fair-minded
When did Lord Liverpool resign?
In 1827, as a result of a stroke
Where was Lord Liverpool educated?
Oxford
What party did Lord Liverpool belong to?
The conservatives
When did Lord Liverpool inherit his father’s title?
He became the second Earl of Liverpool in 1808
When was Lord Liverpool PM?
He served continuously from 1812-27
What was the consequence of Liverpool sitting in the Lords?
He could not take part in debates in the House of Commons
What three problem defined Spencer Perceval’s premiership?
- Economic turmoil
- Luddite agitation
- The continuing threat from Napoleon
Describe Spencer Perceval’s assassination
He was shot in the House of Commons by John Bellingham, a bankrupt who blamed the government for his troubles
What was the reaction to Perceval’s assassination?
- In Nottingham, crowds paraded around the town with ‘drums beating and flags wavig in triumph’
- In Stoke, people heard the news from a man waving his hat round his head and shouting with frantic joy ‘Hurrah, Perceval is shot’
- Cries of ‘God bless him’ rang out as Bellingham was executed
What did Lord Liverpool have to deal with for the first 10 years of his term?
- The end of the Napoleonic wars and the subsequent economic problems
- The impact of the Industrial Revolution was causing unrest and protests, some of which turned to violence; suggesting a revolution could be at hand
What did Liverpool believe to be his most important duty as PM?
After witnessing the French revolution first hand, he believed his most important task was to prevent similar events from unfolding in Britain
How did Liverpool’s government prevent any kind of revolution in Britain?
His government took a strong line, repressing protets rather than introducing reforms that addresses the complaints of protestors
How does Asa Briggs describe Lord Liverpool?
‘In the grasp of principles, mastery of detail, discernment of means and judgement of individuals, he was almost faultness
How does E.J Evans describe Lord Liverpool?
He claims he was no innovator and was not capable of much original thought, but his administrative talents and ability to others contributed to stability
Why was Liverpool in such an inadequate position to effectively govern?
- The administrative machine was rudimentary
- The Home and Foreign Secretaries still had to do much of the routine work that would later be delegated to officials
- The role of government was still limited, with chief responsiblities, even for government matters, lying with the local magistrates
What did Liverpool and Addington think about government intervention?
The more they intervened, or sought to intervene, in quuestions of trade, commerce or manufacture, the less likely it would do so in a manner that brought benefit to the people
How did Lord Liverpool go about managinng his government?
He gave the cabinet a considerable amount of authority and gave his colleagues a judicious degree of freedom, but he nevertheless determined the overall thrust of government policy
Describe Liverpool socially
As a young man he had been diffident and shy, but eventually developed a quiet confidence and unfussy dependability. He valued the views and opinions of others, but did not shrink from hard decisions
What did Liverpool recognise about his fellow politicians?
They were reacting to circumstances they did not control, and dealing with situations they had neither desired or created
