Liberals won a landslide in the HoC and a huge
majority of 400 against the Conservatives 157
Most Conservative cabinet
lost their seats including
Balfour
The Liberals hadnt been in
government for 20 years
except briefly in 1892-5
Pre 1906 CONSERVATIVES always had the majority, whilst
Liberals were losing votes
It lead to
the
emergence
of LABOUR
Factors weakening
the Conservatives
B4 1906
The Boer War
Short term: support for
the Conservatives partly
due to Patriotism and
how the war split the
Libs. LONG term: lead to
the DEFEAT of the
Conservatives.
Encouraged Jo Chamberlain to push
his campaign for tariff reforms,
dividing the Libs
1902 Education Act
Led many Conservatives to revert to the Lib Party
Education to b funded by Local rates (local taxes)
Nonconformists OUTRAGED
that their taxes may b spent o
school to which they strongly
objected
Gr8
campaign
launched
agaist the act
and DLG led
it on the
grounds that
it was
making the
poor poorer.
1904 Licencing Act
annoyd nonconformists.
Act aimed at reducing no
of Public Houses =
nonconformists vote Lib
Chinese Labour issue
1902-1904 = MORAL OUTCRY.
TAFF VALE CASE
Conservatives lost support when they
failed to take the part of the trade unions.
1901 dispute in Wales between when the
TaffV Rail Company and the Rail workers'
TU. TU HORRIFIED when they were taken
to court by the company for loss of profits
during the strike.
NEGLECT OF SOCIAL REFORM
Growing awareness of the extent of poverty in Britain in
the early 1900s. Boer war contributed to this. LRC
Campaigning for sweeping reforms which Conservatives
produces nothing other than Balfours 1902 Education Act
The Tariff reform campaign
probs conservatIves biggest
POLICY MISJUDGEMENT.
LAUNCHED by Jo C. He wanted
to reintroduce tariffs, with a
lower level tariff for gds coming
from non-empire countries. THIS
IS IMPERIAL PROTECTIONISM.
It damaged the voters, some conservatives voted with
the Liberals against it in 1904 e.g. Churchill and the
issue helped to reunite and strengthen the Lib party bc
belief in FREE TRADE was something all Lips supported
The Conservative leadership
Death of Lord Salisbury = Balfour who
lacked political skill. He was indecisive on
tariffs and miscaluated the reaction of the
working classes on key issues . Failed to
forsee anger of Chinese slavery affair and
TaffVale. Allowed Chamberlain to make
tariff reform a key Unionist policy from
1903 onwards and his unusal decision for
his govt to step down in Dec 1905.
A.J. Balfour
NEPHEW of Lord
Salisbury. Successor to
his uncle as PM in 1902
Attractions of the Liberal Party
They were a united party by 1905
Free trade lead to
the BREAD AND
BUTTER issue of
great concern to
voters in all classes
Promised welsh Disestablisment
Exploited the failures
of the Conservative
party and won
nonconformist support
by exploiting the
Conservative
misjudgements over
education and licencing
Lib-Lab Pact
Leader of LRD Ramsay
Macdonald agreement
with Liberals that they
will not go against each
other in 30 constituencies
Lowered Libs
election costs
Lib-Lab joint
campaigns
against Taff Vale
and Chinese
slavery
LAST TIME THE LIBERALS
WERE TO WIN AN ELECTION
OUTRIGHT