Free Essay

Explain Why the Liberal Party Won a Landslide Victory in the 1906 General Election

In: Historical Events

Submitted By CGregory09
Words 748
Pages 3
Explain why the Liberal Party won a landslide victory in the 1906 general election

There were many factors that enabled the victory of the Liberal Party in the 1906 election, most importantly, due to the neglect of social reforms when the Conservatives were in power between 1885 and 1906. Also, the Liberals used the disregard from the Conservatives for the tariff reform campaign in 1903 to encourage many citizens to vote Liberal, this links to the fact the Liberals mostly gained a lot of support by portraying the conservatives to be untrustworthy and only having concern to the aristocrats, rather than discussing new reforms to help citizens, of which, mostly were in poverty. This is supported by the fact the Liberals had 244 more seats than the Conservative Party commencing the election in 1906.
The most significant reason for the Conservatives defeat in 1906, was due to their neglect of social reform, and with 35% of people in London in poverty and 10% of people below the poverty line, discovered by Charles Booth and Rowntree’s, through their research, social reform was needed, but was ignored by the conservatives, encouraging those of lower class to vote against the Conservatives as they would not be affected positively by them being in power once again. This is further emphasised during the Boer War between 1899 and 1902 where it was found two thirds of soldiers were unfit to fight, causing outrage in Britain as there were no social reforms raised to help this. However, the Liberal Party were discussing the need of social reform due to the findings of Booth and Rowntree, which ensured the minimum standard of living for those who were vulnerable, thus encouraging people to vote for the Liberal party, as they sought a better standard of living and wanted a party who cared more about their lower class citizens.
In addition, the Tariff reform campaign, launched by Joseph Chamberlain, from 1903 feared a large proportion of citizens, as they believed living standards would decrease. The conservatives thought this complain would protect the British jobs and its position in the world but this was one of their biggest misjudgments, as it could also mean dearer food, thus decreasing living standards as poorer people would have insufficient funds to buy food. Therefore, this showed the Conservative party to be unconcerned to the working class. This campaign caused such fury among citizens that it had divided the conservative government and encouraged Winston Churchill to vote liberal. Due to this campaign it had encouraged many initial conservative supporters to vote liberal. Also, as Winston Churchill was an influential figure during 1906 it was possible he influenced others to vote liberal too, therefore, contributing to the landslide victory for the Liberal Party in the election.
Furthermore, the 1902 Education Act, campaigned by David Lloyd George had angered non- conformists, encouraging them to revert to the Liberal Party. This act meant local taxes raised would be sent on religious schools, which was why non-conformists were enraged by this. Similarly to this, the licensing Act of 1904 infuriated non-conformists as it went against their views by compensating brewers and publicans for the cancellation of their licences. This encouraged many non-conformists to again revert to the Liberal Party and because they were strong in areas such as Wales it helped divert the vote in marginal constituencies, therefore, contributing to the Liberals landslide victory.
Moreover, the Taff Vale case had helped significantly to the Liberal Party in gaining support as it depicted the conservatives to be untrustworthy. The Conservative Party failed to be involved in the trade unions in 1901 with a dispute between the Taff Vale Railway Company and its workers which meant people could strike but their union had to compensate their losses discouraging strikes and therefore, not allowing citizens to demand changing, showing that the Conservatives were unconcerned for the working class people. Therefore, people who were of working class voted against conservatives, securing the victory for the Liberals.
Overall, I think that the landslide victory for the Liberal Party was due to their negative campaign against the Conservative Party, attacking their previous reforms. In my opinion, I think it can be argued that their victory wasn’t a landslide and although they gained 244 more seats than the Conservatives they only gain 5% more votes than the party, this was partly due to the fact that the Liberal Party were not making new reforms but manipulating the Conservatives mistakes.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Universal Adult Suffrage

...The campaign for suffrage - a historical background Today, all British citizens over the age of eighteen share a fundamental human right: the right to vote and to have a voice in the democratic process. But this right is only the result of a hard fought battle. The suffrage campaigners of the nineteenth and early twentieth century struggled against opposition from both parliament and the general public to eventually gain the vote for the entire British population in 1928. ------------------------------------------------- Who took part in the campaign? The first women's suffrage bill came before parliament in 1870. Soon after its defeat, in 1897, various local and national suffrage organisations came together under the banner of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) specifically to campaign for the vote for women on the same terms 'it is or may be granted to men'. The NUWSS was constitutional in its approach, preferring to lobby parliament with petitions and hold public meetings. In contrast, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), formed in 1903, took a more militant view. Almost immediately, it characterised its campaign with violent and disruptive actions and events. Together, these two organisations dominated the campaign for women's suffrage and were run by key figures such as the Pankhurstsand Millicent Fawcett. However, there were other organisations prominent in the campaign, including the Women's Freedom League (WFL). These groups were often...

Words: 16345 - Pages: 66

Premium Essay

California an Interpretive History - Rawls, James

...CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA An Interpretive History TENTH EDITION James J. Rawls Instructor of History Diablo Valley College Walton Bean Late Professor of History University of California, Berkeley TM TM CALIFORNIA: AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORY, TENTH EDITION Published by McGraw-Hill, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Previous editions © 2008, 2003, and 1998. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1234567890 QFR/QFR 10987654321 ISBN: 978-0-07-340696-1 MHID: 0-07-340696-1 Vice President & Editor-in-Chief: Michael Ryan Vice President EDP/Central Publishing Services: Kimberly Meriwether David Publisher: Christopher Freitag Sponsoring Editor: Matthew Busbridge Executive Marketing Manager: Pamela S. Cooper Editorial Coordinator: Nikki Weissman Project Manager: Erin Melloy Design Coordinator: Margarite Reynolds Cover Designer: Carole Lawson Cover Image: Albert Bierstadt, American (born...

Words: 248535 - Pages: 995

Free Essay

Living History

...prayers, support and love blessed my heart and sustained me in the years of living history. AUTHOR’S NOTE In 1959, I wrote my autobiography for an assignment in sixth grade. In twenty-nine pages, most half-filled with earnest scrawl, I described my parents, brothers, pets, house, hobbies, school, sports and plans for the future. Forty-two years later, I began writing another memoir, this one about the eight years I spent in the White House living history with Bill Clinton. I quickly realized that I couldn’t explain my life as First Lady without going back to the beginning―how I became the woman I was that first day I walked into the White House on January 20, 1993, to take on a new role and experiences that would test and transform me in unexpected ways. By the time I crossed the threshold of the White House, I had been shaped by my family upbringing, education, religious faith and all that I had learned before―as the daughter of a staunch conservative father and a more liberal mother, a student activist, an advocate for children, a lawyer, Bill’s wife and Chelsea’s mom. For each chapter, there were more ideas I wanted to discuss than space allowed; more people to include than could be named; more places visited than could be described. If I mentioned everybody who has impressed, inspired, taught, influenced and helped me along the way, this book would be several volumes long. Although I’ve had to be selec- tive, I hope that I’ve conveyed the push and pull of events and relationships...

Words: 217937 - Pages: 872

Premium Essay

Resource

...YE AR S CE L EB RA TIN G6 HISTORY HISTORY A World Transformed II: World in Flux E D I TOR PW AA -TA ST IC Y EA R S! RESOURCE Tania Asnes A L PACA-IN-CHIEF 2 0 1 2 Daniel Berdichevsky the World Scholar’s Cup® ® HISTORY | 1 History Resource 2012: A World in Flux Table of Contents Preface: A Swiftly Texting Planet ................................................................. 2 I. The Determinators....................................................................................... 4 Toward a model for technological change............................................. 5 I’m on Team IDUAR ................................................................................ 6 Disruptive technologies..............................................................................8 Classic Technologies ...................................................................................9 The time of wheels ..................................................................................9 How the stirrup stirred things up ......................................................10 Print all about it: the printing press ................................................... 11 II. Transformations in Everyday Life .......................................................... 13 Turning on the lights ................................................................................. 13 Picking up the telephone .......................................

Words: 22263 - Pages: 90

Premium Essay

Manajemen

...Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices Preface 1 2 3 Part I 4 5 6 7 Part II 8 9 10 11 Part III 12 Introduction: Management and Managers Defined Management as a Social Function and Liberal Art The Dimensions of Management Management’s New Realities Knowledge Is All New Demographics The Future of the Corporation and the Way Ahead Management’s New Paradigm Business Performance The Theory of the Business The Purpose and Objectives of a Business Making the Future Today Strategic Planning: The Entrepreneurial Skill Performance in Service Institutions Managing Service Institutions in the Society of Organizations vii xxiii 1 18 26 35 37 45 51 65 83 85 97 113 122 129 131 iv Contents 13 14 15 16 Part IV 17 18 19 Part V 20 21 What Successful and Performing Nonprofits Are Teaching Business The Accountable School Rethinking “Reinventing Government” Entrepreneurship in the Public-Service Institution Productive Work and Achieving Worker Making Work Productive and the Worker Achieving Managing the Work and Worker in Manual Work Managing the Work and Worker in Knowledge Work Social Impacts and Social Responsibilities Social Impacts and Social Responsibilities The New Pluralism: How to Balance the Special Purpose of the Institution with the Common Good The Manager’s Work and Jobs Why Managers? Design and Content of Managerial Jobs Developing Management and Managers Management by Objectives and Self-Control From Middle Management to Information-Based Organizations The Spirit...

Words: 243737 - Pages: 975

Premium Essay

Reading a Novel in 1950-2000

...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...

Words: 123617 - Pages: 495

Free Essay

Kiki

...we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9 / 1 1 . For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. A BLACK SWAN Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate oppor­ tunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the "impossible." For years, Taleb has studied how we fool our­ selves into thinking we know more than we actually do. We restrict our thinking to the irrelevant and inconsequential, while large events continue to surprise us and shape our world. Now, in this reve­ latory book, Taleb explains everything we know about what we don't know. He offers surprisingly simple tricks for dealing with black swans and ben­ efiting from them. Elegant, startling, and universal in its applica­ tions, The Black Swan will change the way you look at the world. Taleb is a vastly entertaining writer, with wit, irreverence, and unusual stories...

Words: 158140 - Pages: 633

Premium Essay

Jared Diamond Collapse

...COLLAPSE HOW S O C I E T I E S CHOOSE TO FAIL OR S U C C E E D JARED DIAMOND VIK ING VIKING Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), Cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England First published in 2005 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 13579 10 8642 Copyright © Jared Diamond, 2005 All rights reserved Maps by Jeffrey L. Ward LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Diamond, Jared M. Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed/Jared Diamond. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-670-03337-5 1. Social history—Case studies. 2. Social change—Case studies. 3. Environmental policy— Case studies. I. Title. HN13. D5 2005 304.2'8—dc22...

Words: 235965 - Pages: 944

Free Essay

500 Extraordinary Islands

...500 extraordinary islands G R E E N L A N D Beaufort Sea Baffin Bay vi Da i tra sS t a nm De it Stra rk Hudson Bay Gulf of Alaska Vancouver Portland C A N A D A Calgary Winnipeg Newfoundland Quebec Minneapolis UNITED STATES San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Phoenix Dallas Ottawa Montreal ChicagoDetroitToronto Boston New York OF AMERICA Philadelphia Washington DC St. Louis Atlanta New Orleans Houston Monterrey NORTH AT L A N T I C OCEAN MEXICO Guadalajara Mexico City Gulf of Mexico Miami Havana CUBA GUATEMALA HONDURAS b e a n Sea EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA Managua BAHAMAS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JAMAICA San Juan HAITI BELIZE C a r PUERTO RICO ib TRINIDAD & Caracas N TOBAGO A COSTA RICA IA M PANAMA VENEZUELA UYANRINA H GU C U G Medellín A PAC I F I C OCEAN Galapagos Islands COLOMBIA ECUADOR Bogotá Cali S FR EN Belém Recife Lima BR A Z I L PERU La Paz Brasélia Salvador Belo Horizonte Rio de Janeiro ~ Sao Paulo BOLIVIA PARAGUAY CHILE Cordoba Santiago Pôrto Alegre URUGUAY Montevideo Buenos Aires ARGENTINA FALKLAND/MALVINAS ISLANDS South Georgia extraordinary islands 1st Edition 500 By Julie Duchaine, Holly Hughes, Alexis Lipsitz Flippin, and Sylvie Murphy Contents Chapter 1 Beachcomber Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Aquatic Playgrounds 2 Island Hopping the Turks & Caicos: Barefoot Luxury 12 Life’s a Beach 14 Unvarnished & Unspoiled 21 Sailing...

Words: 249855 - Pages: 1000