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

Journal of Liberal History

On This Day

08 September 1885

Joseph Chamberlain speaks at Warrington on the ‘radical programme’

Joseph Chamberlain delivers his first speech on the ‘radical programme’, at Warrington. The radical programme was developed from a series of articles commissioned for the Fortnightly Review from July 1883. In the speech Chamberlain laid out some of the key elements of the programme which included giving local authorities powers to purchase land to build houses and create allotments and smallholdings, provision of free education, graduated taxation and land taxes. The programme was a remarkable achievement but caused consternation amongst many of the Whig leaders and it was one of these, George Goschen who, in attempting to distance Chamberlain’s stance from official party policy, dubbed it the ‘unauthorised programme’.