Journal of Liberal History

England Objects to the Treaty of Versailles, June 1, 1919

Journal of Liberal History

For the discussion and research of Liberal, Liberal Democrat and SDP history

Events

  • The strange birth of Liberal England

    One hundred and fifty years ago, on the 6 June 1859, at Willis Rooms in St James, Westminster, Radical, Peelite and Whig Members of Parliament met to formalise their Parliamentary coalition to oust the Conservative government and finally brought about the formation of the Liberal Party. To commemorate the compact made at Willis Rooms in…

  • Liberal Democrats in Europe, 21 years of success or failure?

    The Liberal Party and the SDP were the most pro-European of the British political parties. So how has their successor party fared in European politics since merger in 1988? How has the party adapted to the wide range of liberal thought represented by our sister parties in ALDE and ELDR? Speakers: Graham Watson MEP (Leader…

  • Rufus Isaacs

    The Marquess of Reading and David Howarth (Lib Dem MP for Cambridge) will talk on Rufus Isaacs, successively Liberal MP for Reading, 1904-13, Lord Chief Justice, Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary in the 1931 National government. 12.45 for 1.00pm start. £15 for 2 course meal with coffee and mints.

  • Liberalism and British national identity

    When people are asked what makes up Britishness, they often give the notions of ‘fair play’ ‘tolerance’ or ‘personal liberty’ as part of the answer. Liberals regard these concepts as elemental to liberal philosophy but just how far has liberalism informed the construction of British national identity in the last 100 years and how liberal…

  • Survival in the Balance: The Liberal Party after 1945

    Dr Stevenson examined the history of the Liberal Party after 1945, and its attempt to carve out an identity for itself in a hostile political world. He explored the historical dimension of the continuous tension within the Party between those members who saw its policies as essentially centrist, and those who fought for them be…

  • Liberals and Labour – Natural Allies?

    The possibility of cooperation between Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party had been much talked about. The twentieth century had in fact seen several examples of such cooperation – including the electoral pact of 1906, the Labour-supported Liberal minority government of 1910-14, the Liberal-supported Labour minority governments of 1924 and 1929-31, and of course the…

  • Witness Seminar: The Origins of Community Politics

    Gordon Lishman discussed the background to the Eastbourne resolution of 1970, which first committed the Liberal Party to community politics. Topics covered included the electoral and campaigning context of the time, the development of the ideology of community politics and the tactics required to persuade the Assembly to vote for it.

  • Why didn’t the Liberal Party Die? The first Liberal revival, 1959-66

    After almost thirty years of continuous decline, the leadership of Jo Grimond, and byelection and local election victories, seemed to herald a new era for the Liberal Party. Why did it all go wrong? William Wallace (Lord Wallace of Saltaire), Lords spokesman on defence and reader in international relations at the LSE, examined the record.

  • The Legacy of Gladstone

    In the centenary year of Gladstone’s death, this meeting looked at three crucial aspects of the life of the most famous Liberal Prime Minister. Conrad Russell, historian and Liberal Democrat front bencher in the Lords, looked at what the Liberal Democrats could learn from Gladstone. John Maloney, lecturer in economics at Exeter University, will look…

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