Following his electoral defeat in 1874, Gladstone resigned the Liberal leadership and, in his sixties, hoped to spend the rest of his life in retirement. The Balkan Massacres of 1876 drew him back to politics in protest at what he saw as Disraeli’s (Lord Beaconsfield’s) cynical reaction and his own party’s supine response.
Following his electoral defeat in 1874, Gladstone resigned the Liberal leadership and, in his sixties, hoped to spend the rest of his life in retirement. The Balkan Massacres of 1876 drew him back to politics in protest at what he saw as Disraeli’s (Lord Beaconsfield’s) cynical reaction and his own party’s supine response.
First speech on the Unauthorised Programme by Joseph Chamberlain – Warrington, September 8 1885.
Lloyd George's 1909 People's Budget was devised to bring about social reform and featured increases in income tax and excise duties, new taxes on cars, petrol and land, and a new supertax for those with incomes above £5,000.
'We ought not to deny to them, what we are conceding to everybody else' – House of Commons, 20 May 1867
Speeches delivered by H. H. Asquith and Viscount Grey of Fallodon at the Reform Club, London on Friday 8 December 1916, following Asquith’s resignation as Prime Minister.
Simon Hughes in the debate on the Alliance defence commission report; Liberal Assembly, Eastbourne, 23 September 1986.
Paddy Ashdown on realignment; the Guildhall, Chard, Somerset, 9 May 1992.
Extract from Areopagitca; a parliamentary speech by John Milton for the liberty of unlicensed printing (1644)
Extract from Fox's amendments to the address on the King's speech at the opening of the session (1792).