The emergence of the liberal party and the declining power of the monarchy Flashcards
Give some of the evidence that suggested that the power of the monarchy had weakened by this point
Q Vic had to accept that Disraeli had to leave in 1868 even though he was a PM she admired, and be replaced with Gladstone, a man she despised, because this is what the electorate had voted for
GRA strengthened representative democracy and so limited the political power of the monarch
More men met the property qualification for the franchise due to growing wealth due to industrialisation
Questions over whether the monarchy would survive
When she came to the throne, the monarchy was unpopular and members of the royal family were criticised for vulgarity, low morals, extravagence and stupidity
The royal prerogative was carried out by ministers
It had become convention that the monarch would not interfere in elections, limiting their influence in the commons
McCord and Purdue say that the constitution hadn’t changed, but the context in which it worked has
Royal authority was in decline
Q Vic was humoured by ministers but in reality did not get her way
Contemporary political philosopher Walter Bagehot defined the monarchs rights as ‘the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn’. Stating the appropriate boundaries which she could act in
George III was incapacitated for the last 9 years of his reign, allowing politicians to take control. George III was mad, and George IV was hated, making the monarchy seem unnecessary
Swapped roles? PM used to advice monarch, now monarch advices PM
Give some arguements that suggest that the monarchy was still influential
The monarchy survived and flourished under her, her personal integrity restored some of its dignity and popular appeal
Q Vic was not politically neutral and refused to view her role as merely titular. She took great interest in government and influenced the appointment of bishops and high ranking army officers
Figurehead of a growing empire
Describe the origins of the liberal party
Formed through combining several political groups in parliament – Whigs, Liberals, Radicals and Peelites. Although personal differences and political backgrounds divided them, by 1859 they pursued similar aims, the most pressing of which was to remove Lord Derby’s minority conservative administration
It made sense to merge into one party to create a stronger challenge against the conservatives
Little remained of the old system of political patronage at this time and so in the absence of any central system of party organisation, there was little control over the various groups. This allowed MPs to act independently of any party constraints and contributed to regular government defeats and political instability. This incentivised the different groups coming together under the banner of the liberal party to create a strong and stable political unit. This was especially the case given that by the 1860s, party organisation was becoming essential due to the increasing amounts of legislation that had to be passed
The role of MP was becoming more professional with parliament meeting more often and MPs taking more interest in constituency concerns
The 2nd GRA transformed party politics even further
The disparate character of the Liberal Party stems from the 1832 GRA. It brought changes to the composition of the two main political parties. A number of middle class businessmen with liberal/radical views were elected to parliament to represent the new enfranchised industrial boroughs. Most of them voted with the Whigs, allowing them to form majority governments for the next three decades
Occupations of the 456 Liberal MPs between 1859-74 for English constituencies…
Aristocrats – 198
Gentlemen of leisure – 49
Lawyers – 84
Radicals – 20
Big businessmen – 74
Local businessmen – 43
Radical businessmen –34
The Whigs belonged to the powerful aristocratic families and had been instrumental in passing the 1832 GRA. They were in support of extending the franchise as long as it was controlled. Generally supported of Nonconformists and Catholics. The leading Whigs sat in the lords while the junior branches of their families sat in the commons. Some junior Whigs began to dissociate themselves from their more aristocratic and politically cautious kinsmen and call themselves liberals
Most liberals were from middle class business and commercial backgrounds or were lawyers and professional men who had come into parliament after 1832. They believed in individual liberty, free trade, the freedom of the press and religious freedom. Many were dissenters or Nonconformists, who believed that church should be separate and free from state patronage and control
The Peelites had followed Peel in his repeal of the Corn Laws, which split the conservatives into the protectionists and the Peelite free traders, ensuring that the conservatives did not have have a majority for the next 30 years. The Peelites at first held the balance of power in parliament but they increasingly came to vote with the Whigs. The Peelites came from wealthy industrial and commercial backgrounds
The radicals were middle-class free-thinking individuals, most of whom adopted Benthamite Utilitarianism. Generally speaking, they wanted change in the social order. They opposed the political and economic dominance of the aristocracy and the privileged position of the CoE as the established church. They wanted an extension of the franchise, an end to government restrictions and free trade
Half of the parliamentary liberal party drew their wealth from land ownership
Historian John Vincent says that half of the party was aristocratic, while the other half had no landed or aristocratic connections, and had recently gained their wealth through industry and commerce and attempted to associated themselves through the aristocracy through public school education and social habits. Vincent characterises the middle class liberal MPs as ‘middle class intruders who blended into the aristocractic landscape’. He says it was this group of radicals who consistently supported change and reform and who acted ‘spasmodically (suddenly for short periods of time), in conjunction with the people, public opinion and the front bench to achieve progress
Richard Aldous says that, even though they were a small group, the radicals provided much of the flavour and individuality behind the liberal message
List some of the key dates and events in the creation of the party
Formed in 1859
A meeting was held by key members of the four groups in Willis’s Rooms near St James’s Palace in London and a motion was passed to come together under the banner of the Liberal Party to achieve their aim of challenging the conservatives
A few days later in June 1859, after a vote of no confidence in the conservatives in the commons, a liberal government was formed, with Palmerston as PM and Gladstone as chancellor
It was not until the death of Palmerston in office in 1865 that Liberalism became firmly established as a political creed and people began to talk about a Liberal Party. The Liberal Party dominated the political scene for the next 20 years under to forceful and inspiring leadership of William Gladstone
The term ‘Liberal Party’ was first used during the 1830s and by the late 1840s some ‘Whigs’ referred to themselves as ‘Liberals’, although there appeared to be little party loyalty as we know it today
Gradually the number of Peelites fell away until they were willing to join with the liberals in 1859
The development of Britain into an urban noncomformist and perhaps more secular society was reflected politically in the growth of the Liberal Party
List some of the key principles and ideology of the party
The Liberal Party support the principle of laissez faire and the doctrine of self-help
They believed in the liberty and freedom of the individual and religious toleration
They supported free trade as they saw it as a means of bringing about prosperity for all
They upheld the principle of parliamentary government, within a limited democracy
They accepted that an overhaul of the parliamentary system was necessary to reflect the changes in the distribution and wealth of the population that had occurred due to industrialisation
Richard Aldous says that most of the leading figures, such as Cobden and Bright, were rich businessmen who wanted to politically modernise Britain in line with its economic and trading base. He says they masked this capitalist purpose behind the idea of promoting the interests of ‘the people’ against ‘privilege’. He says their politics came down to redefining the place of industrialists within society
List some of the key figures in the party
Gladstone was regarded as the leading Peelite
The most influential radical of the liberal party was John Bright
Liberals were influenced by the great political philosophers of the day, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Walter Bagehot
Richard Aldous says that most of the leading figures, such as Cobden and Bright, were rich businessmen who wanted to politically modernise Britain in line with its economic and trading base. They masked this interest by talking about favouring the people over privilege
List some of main weaknesses of the party
Historian John Vincent says that Gladstone’s liberal party was widely tied to the church and the land, which were the informal basis of the aristocratic constitution that was under attack from the radicals. It is therefore not surprising that debate and discontent dogged the liberal party at this time
Asa Briggs says that the liberals were unlucky that the conservative party did not break up, as it looked very much like it might do at this time
