Liberalism and the Progressive Alliance in the Constituencies, 1900–1914: Three Case Studies

Abstract

The reasons for the decline of the Liberal party in Britain, and its replacement by the Labour party as the representative of the left, continue to be the subject of debate among historians of twentieth-century British politics. An important point at issue has been whether or not the Liberal decline had irreversibly set in prior to World War I; or if the war itself with the strains it placed on liberal ideology and the relationship among the party's most prominent leaders, and with the stimulus it provided for a more militant working class, was the catalyst for decline. There can be no question that the Liberal party was critically dependent upon the support of working-class voters for its viability as an alternative party of government.1 Thus, a major issue of contention among historians of Liberal politics has been the party's success or failure before August 1914 in retaining the allegiance of this crucial electoral base.

Competition, contest, and cooperation: The analytic framework of the issue market

“…Both parties considered the conservatives as the main rival and aimed to avoid a candidature in the same constituency in order to get votes of both the liberal and the labour party supporters. However, this collaboration on the national level was not implemented on the local level due to ideological differences (Bernstein, 1983). Thus, this cooperation neither dampens the rivalry between both nor leads to an erosion of competition.…”

Decline and Revival: Liberal Party and Liberalism

“…As for the party influence at the local level, it appeared that the New Liberals did not manage to penetrate the New Liberal ideology into constituencies beyond the major cities, suggesting that they had not developed a strong mass base at the local level. George Bernstein refutes Clarke's view of a Liberal revival in 1906-1914 by arguing that New Liberalism had very limited influence outside of Manchester and London [24]. Conversely, by virtue of the organic development of local or regional politics, the Labour Party gradually established strong connection with the trade unions, especially in Crewe, Keighley and Holmfirth, which gradually changed the political mood of the electorate.…”

Modernity or Morality? George White, Liberalism and the Nonconformist Conscience in Edwardian England

“…The foremost advocate of progressivism in Norwich, 48 White was happy to accommodate and encourage the development of Labour in the political and industrial process, even to the point of acknowledging its organizational independence. Though he initially favoured increased labour representation in parliament from within the Liberal party, 49 by early 1903 he had shifted his position to accommodate the idea of a separate organization, working in alliance with the Liberals.…”