02 March 1911

The Parliament Bill passes its second reading in the House of Commons

The debate was notable for Richard Haldane’s last major speech in the Commons and for Arthur Balfour, the Leader of the Opposition, making a scene and accusing ministers of having imposed their proposals on the country by fraud. Prime Minister H. H. Asquith replied that ‘the real motives of the Tories in talking up Second Chamber reform was to strengthen it against the representatives of the people…The opposition schemes would all perpetuate a Second Chamber in which one political party would be predominant.’ At the end of the debate the bill was duly passed by 368 votes to 243.