Reasons behind the Decline of the Liberal Party - Coursework Example

Reasons behind the Decline of the Liberal Party and Reasons behind the Decline of the Liberal Party The Liberal Party was founded on 6th June 1859 and was one of the leading political parties in United Kingdom in a spell along the 19th century and early 20th century (Chris, 2002). The party experienced varied influence over time. By the end of 19th century, it had reigned in four governments stewarded by the likes of William Gladstone and George Lloyd (Chris, 2002). In that spell it was also characterized with heavy defeats in a number of general elections (Chris, 2002). The rise of other parties like the Labour Party signalled a shift in interest from the citizens and popularity of the Liberal Party was never the same again. Our area of concern is the factors that have attributed to the decline of the Liberal party over time. The decline of the liberal party could not be foreseen especially after the 1906 when they experienced the greatest electoral victory ever (Chris, 2002). They were in the reign and made decisions that mattered back then, and the masses had trust in them. The decisions made back then were sensitive and would have many implications on the party. They involved war decisions, labour policies decisions and implementation of laws that would govern the entire Britain. They represented the best interests of the working class in Britain but not until the rise of the Independent Labour Party (ILP). The independent Labour Party was a source of the political voice of the working class and would air their grievances better without sweeping some matters under the carpet. This lured many to have trust in ILP. The involvement of Independent Labour Party in general elections would dent the influence of Liberal Party and popularity among the workers. ILP involvement in 1895 general elections had no such big impacts but had a laid a platform for their involvement in major politics (Chris, 2002). The votes amassed were not significantly many, but that was not the case in the elections held in 1900, 1906 and 1910 (Chris, 2002). The number of elected members of parliament under ILP grew with time from 2 in 1900 to 40 in 1910 (History Learning, 2014). They would amass 62,698 votes in 1900, but the tally bettered by eight fold in 1910 when they amassed 506,675 votes (Chris, 2002). This was a clear indication that they were gaining reliable influence on the people and had a chance to surpass the Liberal Party. The Liberal party was gradually losing popularity with the working class and losing touch with their interests. The growing number of Labour MPs in Parliament attributed to rising in popularity as their policies would be made public from a government platform. They would effect changes in the government with their growing numbers earning trust and credibility from the masses. The growth of the Labour Party was gaining case with increased support by the conservatives. They extended allegiance to the Labour Party as it had much to offer to the working class more than the Liberty Party seemed to offer. Though not in power, the Labour Party believed they could offer as much the liberals did and facilitate the establishment of policies that would improve the working conditions for the working class. The liberals were still in power right until the beginning of World War I. Their government would oversee welfare reforms that would benefit the subjects of the State with other parties watching from the side-lines. They would run the government, and more significant figures came into the picture. In the period between 1908 and 1916, H.H. Asquith served as a prime minister (Chris, 2002). David Lloyd George took over from Asquith till 1922 as a prime minister (Chris, 2002). The political advancement of the Labor Party was somehow affected by the Great War. Nonetheless, their performance in Coupon Election in 1918 was a so significant to their rise as they garnered 2,245,777 votes and had 57 Members of Parliament elected (Chris, 2002). There was solid support from the conservatives at the expense of the Liberal Party (History Learning, 2014). The Labour Party gained massive support and substituted the Liberal Party as the main contender of the Tories. The party was the authorized opposition. This was the beginning of the collapse of the Liberal Party (Chris, 2002). The growth of the Labour Party had overwhelmed them and had somehow pushed them at the periphery of British politics. This was a new chapter for the Labour Party, and they would influence decisions on behalf of the people regarding State’s welfare. This illuminates one major reason behind the decline of the Liberal rule; increased growth in support of the Labour Party along the line of history. The working class had faith in them and trusted them with their welfares. The Liberal Party was no longer in coalition with the Conservative Party from 1922 (Cowling, 2005). This was the last time the Liberty party was in power (Cowling, 2005, p. 106). They would only feature as junior coalition partner. Growth of the Labour Party saw them lose popularity, and the Liberal Party would only be lucky to scoop six seats in Parliament in 1950s. Another element that led to the decline of the Liberal Party is the fact that this party itself was a split force, an issue attributed to the World War 1. The decisions made about the war were pretty sensitive, and members of the party offered different opinions. Liberal Associations in United Kingdom felt the need for government to pass a resolution neutrality towards the war while the then Foreign Secretary Lord Grey insisted that the war with Germany was a must happen. German committed so many atrocities in Belgium, and the British people seconded the declaration of war by the Liberal’s government. The split that rose from that decision would only prove irreparable. Their history described them as an anti-war party as there was also a split regarding the Boar war. With such varied stands, they had to lead the whole country in the biggest war ever. It was evident that such delicate moments were characterized by leaders who did not agree on what was best for United Kingdom altogether. The people would lose faith in the party and would seek alternatives in other parties like the Labour Party who would stand in the gap and address the welfare of the entire country. The liberal government was a victim of several scandals. Asquith’s administration could not handle the “shell scandal’’ and sought an alliance with the conservative members. This shed some light on the inability of the Liberal government to address the needs of the citizens when they were needed most. They were in charge of the government affairs yet signalled that they were not in the capacity to offer solutions to everyday problems. They lost trust from the people and created a need for these people to seek alternative reliable parties. The liberal government was characterized with events of failures that tainted its image. The Dardanelles movement failed, and many argued that the government was responsible for the failure (History Learning, 2014). This was a clear indication that their governance was questionable and in fact vulnerable to criticism. The rest of the parties would take advantage of such situations and popularize their policies. The key sectors of the government were not effective especially at a time people were seeking economic advancement. The acquiescence of the First Sea Lord did not help the situation (History Learning, 2014). Many felt that he had been frustrated working with the government. His timing couldn’t have been worse for a government that was already losing popularity. They couldn’t keep the most important areas on check and with regional conflicts that wouldn’t ogre well with the expectations of the people. They were losing touch with their responsibilities to the advantage of rival parties that offered better policies for the people. Tough decisions were to be made, and the Liberal party was cornered. Another feature that attributed to the ineffectiveness of the Liberal Party was the Somme offensive. This was a campaign that was established to end the war. Of course funded by the government, Somme is remembered for the number of casualties that resulted from the war on both sides. The expensive campaign was a total failure and the liberals were blamed for this. Their techniques were not working when they were needed most. People were at war and in the verge of death and the government couldn’t offer a solution. With the Conservative and Labour Party watching from the sidelines, they would talk people into their ideas and policies and point out the weaknesses of the reigning government, an element that even the blind would see. Far worse, ineffectiveness of Somme led to further split between the key leaders in the Liberal Party. Somme’s failure led to a call for conscription, and there were differing opinions from Lloyd George and Asquith regarding the issue of married men and conscription. George felt that it was important to include married men in the conscription. He had earned himself a highly regarded status in the country and Asquith had to agree with him when he threatened to resign. The tug of war between George and Asquith would continue when George formed the “War council” which he would head. Asquith would take charge of domestic affairs a call that didn’t impress him, so he declined. The party faced a higher hurdle as George Lloyd resigned along with Bonar Law. The party lost shape further when Asquith decided to resign hoping that the coalition party would recall him as he was confident he had a remarkable influence on the party and the coalition. The king preferred George Lloyd over him. George is believed to have inclined on principles that were not part of the spirit and visions of the Liberal Party. He was determined to engage in wars an element that many liberals would argue. With key figures like Asquith out of the party, there were no reliable characters to uphold the values of the party. In fact, George Lloyd drew inspiration from the conservatives who readily incorporated in his cabinet. Their policies were different and worked with principles that suited them. They were so influential that George abandoned the policies of the party and adopted theirs. This put the future of the party at stake as there was a massive repudiation by the key ideological liberals who felt the party did not commit itself to safeguarding their visions, values, policies and principles. With vibrant and versatile parties like the Labour Party, such stakeholders had places to go empowering the opposition that was determined to destroy the liberal party. With divided opinions, the party would be easy to beat in major elections as the people would continuously lose trust in them. The people opt for stable parties. Withdrawal of coalition partners was another hurdle to the party. Some members of the Conservative Party were not comfortable with decisions executed by George Lloyd and his conduct as well. One cited area is the Chanak Crisis over Turkey that drew a lot of disagreements in 1922 (Chris, 2002). The moment was destabilizing, and George again was under scrutiny. He was accused of a corrupt sale of honours without having to mention many other grievances. He was one of the last liberal figures standing, and there was much at stake. His resignation thereafter spelled a starred future for the party especially at a time when elections were nearing. His conservative friends had quit the coalition, and the Labour Party was aiming to destroy his party. The election was stiff enough for the liberals as they lost as Conservatives came back to power. Bonar Law assumed office and was later followed by Stanley Baldwin, a conservative (Birch, 2013). Liberal’s performance was poor and in fact it wasn’t even the official opposition party. The Labour Party assumed that position as it became more popular all throughout the country. Some of the liberals moved to the Labour Party while others joined the conservatives. The Liberal Party became less popular for a long time up to 1981 (Chris, 2002). The SDP-Liberal alliance helped the party garner a quarter of the overall votes in 1983 elections, and 23 of the 650 seats contested. The party was formally dissolved in 1988 following the merger that resulted to Liberal Democrats (Chris, 2002). The rise of the Labour Party, the splits within the Liberal Party and unhealthy coalitions can be cited as the key structural explanations behind the decline of the Liberal Party. Their role in politics is well stuck in history and the shape of politics in Britain today is totally dependent on the decisions that were once made by the liberals. References Birch, A. H., 2013. British System of Government. 10 ed. London: Routledge. Chris, C., 2002. A short history of the Liberal party 1900-2001. 6th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Cowling, M., 2005. The Impact of Labour 1920-1924: The Beginning of Modern British Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. History Learning, 2014. Decline of the Liberal Party 1900 to 1918. [Online] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/decline_liberal_party.htm [Accessed 21 December 2014]. Read More