09 May 1918

The Maurice Debate takes place in the House of Commons

A senior army officer, Major-General Sir Frederick Maurice, had alleged that the War Cabinet had deliberately held soldiers back from the Western Front and had lied to parliament about it. Asquith took up the allegations and attacked the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. While Asquith’s attack was ineffective, Lloyd George vigorously defended his position, treating the debate like a vote of confidence. He won over the House with a powerful, if misleading speech, refuting Maurice’s allegations. The debate did not cause the infamous, profound split in the Liberal Party but it did make it more visible and harder to heal with many of those who supported Lloyd George gaining the crucial government ‘Coupon’ at the 1918 general election.