reviews

Morley and the Liberal Party nearly 600 pages and some 1,500 footnotes; Jackson draws upon Patrick Jackson, Morley of Blackburn (Fairleigh Dickinson Morley’s private papers, corre- University Press, 2012) spondence, and diaries, many of which have only recently become Reviewed by Dr Luke Blaxill available at the Bodleian Library. The book’s other major claim to originality is the detailed consid- ohn Morley (1838–1923) was Morley became Secretary of State eration it gives to three aspects of an important if occasionally for India and played a central role Morley’s life which are dealt with Joverlooked figure in late-Vic- alongside viceroy Lord Minto in unsatisfactorily in other accounts torian Liberal politics. He was a establishing a fledgling democratic – namely his literary career, his genuine intellectual who achieved government. In his final years in involvement with the Irish home high repute in both the literary frontbench politics, before resign- rule campaign, and his close rela- and political spheres without quite ing over the declaration of war tionship with Gladstone. attaining the first rank in either. with Germany in 1914, Morley There is much to commend in Morley was editor of the influen- expressed concern over some of the Morley of Blackburn. Its treatment tial progressive journal, The Fort- socialistic aspects of the emerging of Morley and Irish home rule (to nightly Review for fifteen years, New Liberalism, especially Lloyd which three chapters and over 100 between 1867 and 1882, as well as George’s People’s Budget, and was pages are devoted) is thorough and The Pall Mall Gazette in the early critical of the early Labour Party. authoritative, as is its analysis of 1880s. He was also a prolific writer Philosophically, Morley remained the impact of the writing of the of articles and books, of which the to the end very much a mid-Victo- Life of Gladstone on Morley him- best remembered is undoubtedly rian radical inspired by the legacy self, and on Liberal politics more his epic biography of his political of Cobden, Mill, and Bright, and generally when it was published in mentor, friend, and hero, William was never quite at ease with the 1903. It also deserves credit for its Ewart Gladstone. Despite his repu- statist direction that progressive close attention to Morley’s relation- tation as an intellectual (especially politics was increasingly taking. ship with his Newcastle constitu- as a Millite classical liberal and Morley’s private life was a troubled ency between 1883 and 1895, and anti-imperialist, with controver- one. Fragile physical and mental his role in electoral politics at the sial agnostic and even anti-religious health, a challenging marriage, and grassroots and nationally. This is views), Morley was also a strong prolonged quarrels with family unusual in biographies of British party man. He used his positions in members and political peers (espe- statesmen, which routinely neglect the literary world to help advance cially Chamberlain and Harcourt) or even entirely ignore elections the interests of the Liberal Party, certainly did his career no favours. especially its radical wing where his Overall, it might be said that sympathies firmly lay. Morley was not a man of new Much of Morley’s parliamen- ideas, but excelled in adapting and tary career, which began when he expressing those of others. He was was returned for Newcastle in 1883 a politician of the moment who was (at the comparatively mature age a central engine in progressive poli- of forty-five), coincided with that tics of his era, achieving fame and unhappy two-decade period in Lib- high repute as a statesman, writer, eral Party history between the great platform orator, and parliamen- home rule split of 1886 and the par- tary debater. But somehow his life ty’s re-ascent from 1906 under New and deeds did not linger in popu- Liberalism. The Liberals – shorn of lar memory. His books (with the Hartington, Goschen, Chamber- exception of his Life of Gladstone) lain, Forster, and others – were in were seldom read or reprinted after opposition for seventeen of these his death, and he inspired precious twenty years. From 1886, Morley few statues, busts, and paintings. was one of the few heavyweight In Morley of Blackburn, Patrick Jack- Liberals on a sparsely populated son has continued his commend- deck and, like his contemporary able mission of breathing new life Harcourt, devoted his best years into under-studied and passed-over to dogged opposition. He was Victorian statesmen like Morley. Gladstone’s first lieutenant in the This is book is the latest in his series doomed crusade to enact Irish home of biographies (the others being on rule, and was also notable for advo- Lord Hartington, W. E. Forster, cacy of temperance reform, and his and William and Lewis Harcourt). strong attack on what he saw as the Morley of Blackburn is the first pig-headed militaristic jingoism of biography of Morley for more Salisbury and Chamberlain, espe- than 40 years – the last being D. A. cially during the Boer War. Hamer’s Liberal Intellectual in Poli- Under Campbell-Banner- tics (Oxford, 1968). It is a dense and man’s government formed in 1905, thoroughly evidenced volume of

46 Journal of Liberal History 81 Winter 2013–14 reviews and electioneering in favour of a Overall, a clearly complex and fragile man available. However, it is a dense and narrow focus on high-level politi- very much take a back seat to a tra- occasionally over-focused study cal manoeuvre, doctrine, and the Morley of ditional examination of his public that will (especially at this price) relationships between elites at acts and political writings. be of most interest to professional Westminster (the so-called ‘high Blackburn is Partly because of this, many historians and postgraduate stu- political’ approach). will findMorley of Blackburn a heavy dents. Jackson certainly deserves Most substantially, Morley of an authori- read. It is largely a traditional work considerable credit for writing an Blackburn challenges Hamer’s rather of ‘high politics’. There is nothing ambitious and thorough book that critical interpretation, recasting tative and wrong with that in itself (indeed, has helped reclaim Morley’s repu- Morley as a more principled and less high political works are subjected tation. But a lighter touch and a self-interested figure. His legacy, mature work to much unfair criticism) but the broader focus would have helped Jackson argues, was as an influencer of scholar- book also relies on a strong pre- both contextualise and bring to life and moulder of Liberal opinion, existing knowledge of the era, this important but rather forgotten especially during the barren years ship, and doing relatively little to illuminate statesmen for a wider audience. of opposition, whose impact was and explain the issues and contro- greater than his seemingly meagre can reason- versies that Morley wrestled with, Luke Blaxill is Visiting Research Fellow record of public achievements seem or the wider political world that he in History at King’s College London. to suggest. Morley’s suspicion of ably claim to operated in. From late 2013, he will also be the Drap- government intervention to seek Overall, Morley of Blackburn is ers’ Company Junior Research Fellow in rapid fixes to social problems also be the most an authoritative and mature work History at Herford College, Oxford. He emerges more favourably today of scholarship, and can reasonably completed his doctorate, on the language than it did in works written in the complete claim to be the most complete and of British Electoral politics, 1880–1914, more statist and sociologically satisfactory biography currently at King’s College London in 2012. influenced 1960s. When Hamer and satisfac- was writing, it was easy to see Mor- ley as a classical throwback and an tory biogra- obstruction to the march of pro- gressivism. While Jackson doesn’t phy currently do enough to conclusively reclaim Don’t buy this book! Morley’s reputation, he has cer- available. tainly reopened the debate. Jesse Russell and Ronald Cohn, Wallace Lawler (Bookvika The book, however, is certainly Publishing, 2012) not without its shortcomings. The most major is that it contains lit- Reviewed by Graham Lippiatt tle that is especially new. The impact of Morley’s newly released o not buy this book. You online booksellers, or if you happen diaries and papers is a little disap- may think you are get- across one on a bookshelf. Clon- pointing. Given that the book (like Dting a proper biography ing like this is not illegal. Indeed, most biographies from this era) of Wallace Lawler, the Liberal MP Wikipedia cautions its contribu- is overwhelmingly evidenced by who won the Birmingham Lady- tors that their work can and will be politician’s private papers and cor- wood by-election in 1969. You are reproduced. Now, I have nothing respondence, the 120 footnotes that not. What you do get is the infor- against Wikipedia. I have contrib- Morley’s papers generate through- mation about Lawler which appears uted to it and I also wrote an arti- out is greatly outweighed by refer- on Wikipedia, the free online ency- cle for the Journal of Liberal History, ences to several other established clopaedia. This amounts to the published in issue 65, exploring the collections which have already been first six pages of this publication possibilities and limitations of using heavily mined by historians. The and there are a further two pages Wikipedia to find out about Liberal result is that, while an occasional about the Ladywood by-election history. My conclusion at that time, interesting insight and quotation itself. The rest of the book consists and I would not change it today, adds the odd jewel to the prose, the of other Wikipedia material about was to agree with those academics Morley that emerges is mostly a Birmingham, parliament, Lawler’s and teachers who advise that, while very familiar figure. Indeed, some predecessor and successor as Lady- Wikipedia cannot be accepted or recent biographies (such as Jenkins’ wood MP and finally, making up cited as an authoritative source, it work on Gladstone and Kuhn’s on most of the content, the Wikipedia remains a useful starting point from Disraeli) have explored the per- pages about the United Kingdom – which to gain contextual informa- sonality and character of the pub- all with pages and pages of printed tion about your subject matter and lic men who shaped the political notes and sources. To repeat, under can point the way to more reliable landscape of Britain and the empire no circumstances pay money for and fuller source material. in this definitive and fascinating this book. Everything it offers Of course, while there may age. Despite access to the private has been cloned from Wikipedia, be lots of good, factual informa- papers, and writing that they ‘tell which is of course free online. tion free on Wikipedia, its con- us a good deal about their subject’s To be fair, the book does adver- tent is distributed under open human weakness’ Jackson does tise itself as ‘high quality content licence and there is nothing to stop relatively little to bring the human by Wikipedia articles’ and this can anyone reusing or redistribut- side of Morley to life. The person- usually be seen on the image of the ing it at no charge. You can find ality, character, and emotions of front cover viewable on the sites of such ‘mirror sites’ on the internet

Journal of Liberal History 81 Winter 2013–14 47