reviews

Victorian and Edwardian politics Democrat councillor in Watford. His Tordoff. Indeed the book covers enriched. In their introduction, the University of London PhD thesis was a panoply of people and places. I editors refer to Charles Dickens’ entitled ‘Herbert Gladstone and Liberal only spotted one error and that was portrayal of a parliamentary by- Party revival, 1899–1905’. Hugh-Jones’s reference to the Hud- election in The Pickwick Papers at the dersfield and Bolton pacts (before fictional town of ‘Eatanswill’, and 1 Chris Cook and John Ramsden, By- Hugh’s time – 1950 to 1959) being conclude with the comment ‘A visit elections in British politics (Macmillan, with Labour rather than with the to Eatanswill always repays’. On 1973). Tories as was the case. the evidence of this volume that is 2 Ian Packer, ‘Contested Ground: Following the 1979 election, the very true. Trends in British By-elections, 1911– next party issue was the arrival of 1914’, Contemporary British History, the SDP and ultimately the seats Iain Sharpe is an administrator at the 25(1), 2011, pp. 157–73. negotiations (splitting the seats University of London and a Liberal between the Liberal Party and the SDP for the 1983 election). This was a tortuous and time-consum- ing business, and the book offers a blow-by-blow account of those Servant of the party often unhappy events. Hugh-Jones served through that 1983 election, Sir Hugh Jones, Campaigning Face to Face (Book Guild Ltd, where he had to use to the full his 2007) diplomatic as well as his political skills. He formally retired in Octo- Reviewed by David Shutt ber 1983, but stayed with the cause as a volunteer and one of the party’s his is a splendid book, a building elsewhere in Europe. He treasurers (no doubt because his reminder for many of us was forever troubled by the lack of own experience as Secretary Gen- Tnot just of the Hugh Jones resources available to the party in eral had acquainted him with the era in which he served as Secre- the run up to the expected election difficulties of working with a lack tary General of the Liberal Party in October 1978 and the eventual of resources) until the autumn after but of those final years of the party, election of May 1979. the 1987 election. Hugh was often including the time of the Alliance For me the most interesting referred to in an endearing way and ultimate merger with the SDP. part of the book was Hugh-Jones’s us ‘Uncle Hugh Jones’ and unlike An earlier volume (Diplomacy to assessment of the difficulties he many who both preceded and fol- Politics: By Way of the Jungle, Mem- had with dealing with the Joseph lowed him, when he left as the head oir Club, 2002) deals with his time Rowntree Social Service Trust of our professional service it was of in the Diplomatic Service; this Limited (now the Joseph Rown- his own volition. book starts with his time from 1973 tree Reform Trust Ltd) as the Lib- to 1977 as director of the English eral Party’s major donor. Hugh Speaking Union in England and was frustrated that all his deal- Wales. He had his struggles deal- ings had to be via the leader, who ing with so many volunteers, but I had a direct line to Pratap Chitnis, am sure that put him in good stead the trust’s chief executive. Hugh for dealing with the perhaps rather was told not to approach the trust different volunteers he found in the direct. During all this time, I was Liberal Party! on the other side of the fence as Hugh-Jones had been born into a JRSST director. Hugh-Jones’s Liberalism, ‘nourished by Lloyd problem was that, apart from George and the News Chronicle’. He two Rowntree family members, had had an opportunity to take on those of us who had recently been the Head of LPO role ten years ear- recruited to serve as directors were lier, but it was in March 1977 (as a 53 mainly Liberal Party members and year old) that he took up the post. candidates who had our own ideas Rather sensibly he spent several as to the useful ways money could months prior to his commencement be spent. We had two MPs on the going round the country getting to board, Jo Grimond and Richard know the party. He started whilst Wainwright, as well as Pratap, ‘Thorpe Affair’ matters were still who had himself had Hugh-Jones’s troubling us, but in the early days job eleven years earlier than him. of ’s leadership. He was Hugh-Jones may well have felt straight in to the party side of cop- he had little influence, we in turn ing with the Lib–Lab pact. The often felt we were offered what speed with which that pact was seemed to be a Chitnis–Steel deal. settled reminds me of the speed Reading the book reawakened with which arrangements were memories – especially of the huge made in our coalition agreement contribution made by people like in 2010, so unlike the coalition Joyce Rose, Gruff Evans and Geoff

Journal of Liberal History 86 Spring 2015 47 A Liberal Democrat History Group fringe meeting ELECTION 2015 IN HISTORICAL PERSpECTIVE Join us for the Liberal Democrat History Group’s regular post-election analysis of the general election campaign, the vote and its aftermath, and the implications for the Liberal Democrats. Further details and speakers to be announced; keep an eye on our website and sign up for our email list (see page 46).

Speakers to include Phil Cowley (Professor of Parliamentary Government, University of Nottingham and co-author of The British General Election of 2010).

6.30pm, Monday 13 July Lady Violet Room, , 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1

The party story is what will The main conclusion for Turnout may have been higher Compared with his previous interest most of us but the book me is that he served the Liberal and political party membership volume in this series – Part 1: goes on to record Hugh-Jones’s Party well. considerably higher in the post- Southampton 1958–1965 – Part 2 is speaking tours in the USA, his war boom years, but the reality fairly short; but the brief main assistance to the National Lib- David Shutt Lord Shutt of Greet- of politics back then was a long text is supplemented by plenty eral Club and his retirement land) has been Director and Chair- way away from making it a of appendices which contain the time in the Wiltshire village of man of the Joseph Rowntree Reform period we should simply praise sorts of details that entertain, Avebury where all his life skills Trust. He was Deputy Chief Whip by comparison with today. such as reproductions of press were needed. in the House of Lords 2010–12. Despite the far greater num- stories and leaflets (including ber of members available to one with a story disassociating deliver leaflets or knock on the local Liberals from recent doors, outside of election time activities by the Young Liber- this was often all but unknown, als!). This sort of recording and The Liberals in Hampshire: Martin even in target wards and mar- preservation of the tenor of local ginal seats. It is hard to see why politics is invaluable because it Kyrle’s reminiscences an age when political parties is also the sort of material that were larger yet much of the most often slips between the Martin Kyrle, The Liberals in Hampshire – a Part(l)y time did nothing to communi- cracks of history, beyond the History Part 2: Eastleigh 1965–72: out in the suburbs cate with the public should be reach of future historians. something stirred! (Sarsen Press, 2013) eulogised by comparison with Though very much a his- smaller parties, making more tory, the main lessons – such Reviewed by Mark Pack use of non-members and in as targeted activity and build- touch far more often. As Kyrle ing up your organisation – are he second in Martin has now seen the party success- writes in this volume: ones which are still very much Kyrle’s planned tril- fully transfer the seat to three applicable to twenty-first-cen- Togy on the history of different MPs in a row and The custom at the time [the tury campaigners armed with the Liberals and then Liberal run the local council for many late 1960s] was to fight an computers and smartphones, Democrats in Hampshire, The decades. election campaign over a making this not only an enjoy- Liberals in Hampshire – a Part(l)y Such coalface histories of period of about three weeks, able history but also a handy History Part 2: Eastleigh 1965–72: local politics in that era are all attend the count, pay the reminder of the core tenets of out in the suburbs something stirred!, too rare. But those that do exist election expenses within the effective political campaigning. concentrates, as the title implies, – such as the one written about time limit required by law on elections in Eastleigh Bor- that other area of extended and then spend the rest of Dr Mark Pack worked at Liberal ough itself. It was here that, Liberal and Liberal Demo- the year raising the money Democrat HQ from 2000 to 2009, after many attempts, his wife crat electoral success, A Flag- to pay for it and start put- and prior to that was frequently a became the first Liberal coun- ship Borough: 25 Years of a Liberal ting some money by for volunteer member of the parliamen- cillor to be elected to that coun- Democrat Sutton Council – share the next election. There tary by-election team. He is co- cil, setting the ball rolling for a a common warning about eulo- was no concept of ‘political author of 101 Ways To Win An pattern of electoral success that gising politics as it used to be. campaigning’. Election.