1830-1859
The Day Parliament Burned Down
In the early evening of 16 October 1834, a huge ball of fire exploded through the roof of the Houses of Parliament, creating a blaze so enormous that it could be seen by the King and Queen at Windsor, and from stagecoaches on top of the South Downs. In front of hundreds of thousands of…
Radical failure
Review of Miles Taylor, The Decline of British Radicalism 1847-1860 (Oxford University Press, 1995).
Gladstone as Chancellor
The Exchequer brought fame to Gladstone but in return Gladstone raised the office to the forefront of politics.
Report: The repeal of the Corn Laws
Report LDHG meeting of February 1996, with Professor John Vincent.
Richard Cobden and British Imperialism
Cobden’s critique of British imperialism.
Origins of the party
Review of John Vincent, The Formation of the British Liberal Party 1857-68 (Constable, 1966).
Promoting progress everywhere
Review of Jonathan Parry, The Politics of Patriotism: English Liberalism, National Identity and Europe 1830-1886 (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
Coalition before 1886
Whigs, Peelites and Liberals: an examination of coalitions before 1886.
Lord John Russell and the Irish Catholics
1829 – 1852: despite the Whig leader Lord John Russell’s efforts to work for justice to Ireland, his policies ended mainly in failure.