The Liberal Landslide 1906

Liberals won a landslide in the HoC and a huge majority of 400 against the Conservatives 157
1. Most Conservative cabinet lost their seats including Balfour
  1. The Liberals hadnt been in government for 20 years except briefly in 1892-5
    1. Pre 1906 CONSERVATIVES always had the majority, whilst Liberals were losing votes
2. It lead to the emergence of LABOUR
Factors weakening the Conservatives B4 1906
1. The Boer War
  1. 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.
  2. Encouraged Jo Chamberlain to push his campaign for tariff reforms, dividing the Libs
2. 1902 Education Act
  1. Led many Conservatives to revert to the Lib Party
  2. Education to b funded by Local rates (local taxes)
    1. Nonconformists OUTRAGED that their taxes may b spent o school to which they strongly objected
  3. Gr8 campaign launched agaist the act and DLG led it on the grounds that it was making the poor poorer.
3. 1904 Licencing Act
  1. annoyd nonconformists. Act aimed at reducing no of Public Houses = nonconformists vote Lib
4. Chinese Labour issue 1902-1904 = MORAL OUTCRY.
5. TAFF VALE CASE
  1. 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.
6. NEGLECT OF SOCIAL REFORM
  1. 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
7. The Tariff reform campaign
  1. 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.
    1. 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
8. The Conservative leadership
  1. 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.
    1. A.J. Balfour
      1. NEPHEW of Lord Salisbury. Successor to his uncle as PM in 1902
Attractions of the Liberal Party
1. They were a united party by 1905
  1. Free trade lead to the BREAD AND BUTTER issue of great concern to voters in all classes
2. Promised welsh Disestablisment
3. Exploited the failures of the Conservative party and won nonconformist support by exploiting the Conservative misjudgements over education and licencing
4. Lib-Lab Pact
  1. Leader of LRD Ramsay Macdonald agreement with Liberals that they will not go against each other in 30 constituencies
  2. Lowered Libs election costs
  3. Lib-Lab joint campaigns against Taff Vale and Chinese slavery
LAST TIME THE LIBERALS WERE TO WIN AN ELECTION OUTRIGHT

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The Liberal Landslide 1906

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