Robertson as Chief of the Gen- eral Staff, he had to tolerate Sir REVIEWS Douglas Haig as Commander- in-Chief of the in France until the end of the war, A Leader without a party in spite of having severe doubts about Haig’s strategic judgment. John Grigg: Lloyd George: War Leader (Allen Lane, Lloyd George had much less freedom of action than Churchill The Penguin Press, 2002) managed to achieve during his Reviewed by Ian Hunter premiership. He was the Liberal leader of a government domi- nated by the Tory party and was he first three volumes of discussed with barely disguised dependent on them for his polit- John Grigg’s outstanding contempt for Lloyd George’s ical survival. He became a leader Tbiography were published self-centeredness. without a party and this was at between 1973 and 1985. Sev- Grigg can hardly write a dull the heart of his downfall in 1922. enteen years later the volume paragraph. This book dazzles with It was not a mistake that Church- covering Lloyd George’s first deep insight and understanding. ill would make in 1940 when, on two years as premier has been Indeed it is almost two books the resignation of Chamberlain, published. It is the most impres- in one – providing both a com- he was offered and accepted the sive of the set. Sadly, Grigg did prehensive summary of the key leadership of the Tory party. not live to finish the book, which events and personalities during Irrespective of the political is completed by an epilogue the period from 1916–18 as well weakness of his position Lloyd from Margaret Macmillan, Lloyd as a sophisticated and controver- George achieved an immense George’s great-granddaughter. sial comparison of the war prem- amount by force of personal- Interestingly there are reports ierships of Churchill and Lloyd ity. He restructured the support that Grigg has left sufficient George. One of Grigg’s main apparatus around the cabinet notes and partial drafts for a contentions is that the situation with the creation of an informal skilled and sympathetic writer to that Lloyd George faced in 1916 10 Downing Street secretariat complete, at least to some extent, was even more desperate and crit- separate from the official civil the planned fifth volume on the ical than that faced by Churchill service machine. He appointed post-war premiership and the in 1940. One does not necessar- highly experienced men from final twenty-three years of Lloyd ily have to agree with Grigg to George’s life. enjoy the challenge and freshness Overall, Grigg’s biography of his argument. Throughout has done much to restore some the book Grigg sets out to judge balance to the portrait of Lloyd Lloyd George’s record in the First George and to offset the criti- World War against the now bet- cism that writers biased towards ter-remembered achievement the Tories and Asquith have of Churchill in the Second. The dispensed over previous decades. comparison does not find Lloyd Grigg provides a convincing and George wanting. generally sympathetic picture of One of the most attractive Lloyd George. The vast intellec- aspects of the book is that Grigg tual colour and political talents consistently maintains a sense of the man are apparent but there of balance. In the chapter that is no attempt to ignore the less covers Arthur Henderson and attractive egotism, selfishness, Neville Chamberlain (both indi- sexual philandering and occa- viduals who fell foul of Lloyd sional lack of principle that were George, and left his government) also part of one known as ‘the the writing is a master class in goat’ by his enemies, particu- presenting both sides of the case larly Baldwin. Grigg pulls few without falling foul of accusa- punches when analysing Lloyd tions of sitting on the fence. George’s relationship with his Grigg is also excellent in his secretary, mistress and eventual treatment of the difficult rela- second wife, Frances Stephenson. tionship that Lloyd George had In particular, the little-reported with the military establishment. fact that he had entered into a Although he managed to remove joint suicide pact with her is the ineffective and inflexible

Journal of Liberal History 40 Autumn 2003 33 REVIEWS outside politics as directors of office at the Ministry of Muni- early as 1954’ in Liberal fortunes. manpower, shipping, food dis- tions in spite of Tory front- and The revival was more than that. tribution, agriculture and other back-bench opposition. By the local elections of May areas of the war effort. This was Grigg’s final volume provides 1956, many more Liberal can- almost unheard of at the time a fresh store of ammunition for didates were standing and the but usually proved to be highly anyone energised to argue that party’s vote was moving sharply successful. The personal relation- Lloyd George was one of the upwards. In the four by-elec- ship that Lloyd George forged twentieth century’s most remark- tions during the twelve months with leading Conservatives such able British prime ministers, before Grimond became leader as Bonar Law and Lord Derby along with , in November 1956, Liberal partly compensated for his politi- H. H. Asquith and, possibly, candidates took nearly a quarter cal weaknesses. It enabled him Margaret Thatcher. All were of the vote and even in the no- to dismiss Sir John Jellicoe from exceptional in that they had the hoper of West Walthamstow they the Admiralty on Christmas Eve capacity to make things happen took 14.7%. What legacy did he 1917 and to force the adoption that would not have happened leave that was so different? In the of the convoy system on the otherwise. Grigg’s work provides nine by-elections in the year fol- Navy – a key factor in the defeat the case material for the advocate lowing his resignation in January of the growing German subma- who would argue that Lloyd 1967, the Liberal vote averaged rine menace, which threatened George was the greatest prime just 13.6%. to starve Britain into submission. minister of his century. His impact on Liberal par- His hold on the Tory high com- liamentary success was just as mand psyche also helped him to Ian Hunter is completing a part-time limited. In 1955 there were restore Churchill from his Dar- doctorate on the Liberal Party and six Liberal MPs, three of them danelles-induced banishment to the Churchill Coalition. dependent on local Conservative support, and an average general election vote of 15%. In 1970, the election following his depar- What difference did he make? ture, again just six Liberal MPs Many of were elected (three with tiny majorities, all fewer than 700) Michael McManus: Jo Grimond: Towards the Sound of those who and the average vote was 13.5%. Gunfire (Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd., 2001) Obviously this reflected rose in both the increasing number of Reviewed by Michael Steed candidates in weaker areas and the Lib- three years of Jeremy Thorpe’s leadership. Yet it is difficult to his is an overdue and com- ideas. Generally, too, they have eral Party conclude that Jo’s leadership prehensive biography, but echoed McManus’s view that itself produced an electoral one that I found rather the Liberal Party which Jo took in the T revival or left the party stronger oddly focused. I had enjoyed over was a party nearly defunct, decades in popular support. The inter- reading the book, been impressed desperately close to annihilation esting pattern of the 1950s, by the research behind it, irri- in the House of Commons, and following 1960s, and 1970s is that there tated by the easily avoidable one which he duly rescued from were three distinct revivals, one errors (as was David Steel in his oblivion. A similar consensus Grimond’s starting under Clement Davies laudatory review Grimond: The about Jo Grimond was evident (continuing under early Gri- Great Gadfly),1 but had wondered at the Liberal Democrat History leader- mond), one under Jo Grimond, why it failed to tackle some Group meeting in Brighton in ship, and and one under Jeremy Thorpe. obvious historical questions, all September 2002.2 But as each revival ebbed it left before I was asked to review it But let us apply the sharp who did so the party a little stronger than for this Journal. So I read several edge of Grimond’s own before. Leadership seems almost other reviews before composing renowned iconoclasm to the much to irrelevant. this one. significance of Grimond’s career. And if the party was certainly Generally Michael McManus Do the facts and figures sup- improve its stronger organisationally when Jo is seen to have served a use- port the view that Grimond fortunes, Grimond left than when he took ful purpose. Reviewers of my averted what Steel called the over, this could only be indirectly generation have welcomed ‘near complete extinction’ of were his due to his leadership. The great the much-needed, thorough the Liberal Party? They cer- gadfly was not an organisation account of Jo Grimond’s life, and tainly do not. McManus himself bequest man. The improvement in party have remembered how inspired acknowledges – but only briefly organisation in fact owed most they were by him – recalling a towards the end of the book to British to a man who could have so radical iconoclast and a man of (p. 375) – a ‘modest recovery as politics.

34 Journal of Liberal History 40 Autumn 2003