Decline of the Liberal Party

Question 1

what was the Dangerfield theory - who was published by and what was the book called?

Answer 1

the terms of the current debate over the decline of the liberal party and was set by George Dangerfield’s book ‘the stranger death of liberal england’ published in 1935

Question 2

what did Dangerfield argue about the political crisis

Answer 2

that it developed in 1910-1914 which was so severe that they L party never recovered

Question 3

what were the Liberals Crisis 4 main events according to Dangerfield

Answer 3

1= the struggle over the house of lords following the rejection of the peoples budget 
2= growth of Syndicalism and industrial strife in the period 1910 - 1914
3= battle for and against home rule in Ireland after the passing of Parliament act 
4= militant suffrage movement

Question 4

what is Syndicalism

Answer 4

a movement for transferring the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution to workers’ unions

Question 5

when did the crisis begin for the Libs

Answer 5

1910 - ‘ 1910 that fires long smouldering in the English spirt suddenly flared up’

Question 6

what happened to the Libs during WW1

Answer 6

the split - Asquith and DlG

Question 7

who was in power during WW1

Answer 7

coalition Gov

Question 8

what has the liberal decline after the WW1 been contrasted with

Answer 8

the rise of labour

Question 9

arguments against the Dangerfield Thesis

Answer 9

1= he underestimated the impact of New liberalism 
2= Dangerfield missed the target
3= underestimated the Gov's achievements - constitutional crisis could have strengthened Libs
4= underestimated problems faced by other parties - such as conservatives going though a crisis to 
5= got the date wrong 
6= failed to take into account socioeconomic factors - progress of Tu no of unions affiliated to labour 
7= underestimated the impact of post war developments

Question 10

how had dangerfield underestimated the impact of New liberalism

Answer 10

according to Clarke, Byrne and Fisher the adoption of the new Liberal ideas especially in the period after Asquiths became PM endured that libs was transformed into a social democratic party - i.e. so large section of w.c remained loyal to libs - example of this is Dlg in 1912 revive of the land campaign

Question 11

how did Dangerfield miss the target

Answer 11

he claimed that opposition attacks in the period 1910-14 was liberalism - critics = Edelman, Searle they say the opposition attacked Gov not the lib

Question 12

what were the six impacts of the post war development that Dangerfield underestimated

Answer 12

1= lib party remained split 
2= evidence of greater class consciousness 
3= new voting system 
4= lab improved
5= lib party local organisations began to crumble 
6= after war libs refused to cooperate with lib in elections