For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 68 / Autumn 2010 / £6.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y Elections 1910 and 2010 Ian Packer The 1910 general elections Turning points in British politics? John Curtice The 2010 election Has the mould of British politics finally cracked? Mark Pack The 1910 and 2010 elections Continuity and change in election campaigning Steve Belzak Swinging in the ’60s to the Liberals Mary Murphy and Pontypridd UDC Jonathan Calder Searching for Paddy Logan Discovering Harborough’s Liberal history Liberal Democrat History Group Liberal Leaders of the Nineteenth Century The latest publication from the Liberal Democrat History Group is Liberal Leaders: Leaders of the Liberal Party 1828– 1899. The forty-page booklet contains concise biographies of every Liberal leader from the Great Reform Act to the end of the nineteeth century – the heyday of the Liberal Party. The total of eleven biographies stretches from Lord Grey to Sir William Harcourt, including such towering figures as Viscout Melbourne, Lord John Russell, Lord Palmerston and William Ewart Gladstone. Liberal Leaders of the Nineteenth Century is available to Journal of Liberal History subscribers for the special price of £3.50 (normal price £4) with free p&p. To order, please send a cheque for £3.50 (made out to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) to LDHG, 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ. Liberal Leaders of the Twentieth Century The companion volume from the Liberal Democrat History Group is Liberal Leaders: Leaders of the Liberal Party, SDP and Liberal Democrats since 1900. The sixty-page booklet contains concise biographies of every Liberal, Social Democrat and Liberal Democrat leader since 1900. The total of sixteen biographies stretches from Henry Campbell-Bannerman to Nick Clegg, including such figures as H. H. Asquith, David Lloyd George, Jo Grimond, David Steel, David Owen and Paddy Ashdown. Liberal Leaders is available to Journal of Liberal History subscribers for the special price of £5 (normal price £6) with free p&p. To order, please send a cheque for £5.00 (made out to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) to LDHG, 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ. 2 Journal of Liberal History 68 Autumn 2010 Journal of Liberal History Issue 68: Autumn 2010 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 Liberal history news 4 Editor: Duncan Brack Lloyd George book launch; Song from Francis Hirst; George Newnes: Liberal Deputy Editor: Tom Kiehl press baron Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini The 1910 general elections 6 Contributing Editors: Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, Turning points in British politics? by Ian Packer York Membery Letters to the Editor 13 Patrons Pennine Liberal representation (Michael Steed); Campbell-Bannerman Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; (Michael Meadowcroft); George Garro-Jones (Sandy S. Waugh); Radical Professor John Vincent Reform Group (William Wallace); Liberator (Mark Smulian) Editorial Board The 2010 election 14 Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr Barry Doyle; Dr David Dutton; Professor David Gowland; Dr Richard Has the mould of British politics finally cracked? byJohn Curtice Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Ian Hunter; Dr J. Graham Jones; Tony Little; Professor Ian Machin; Dr The 1910 and 2010 elections 20 Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Ed Randall; Jaime Reynolds; Dr Andrew Russell; Iain Sharpe Continuity and change in election campaigning; by Mark Pack Editorial/Correspondence Swinging in the ’60s to the Liberals 26 Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and Mary Murphy and Pontypridd Urban District Council; by Steve Belzak book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Searching for Paddy Logan 35 Contributions should be sent to: Jonathan Calder discovers Harborough’s Liberal history Duncan Brack (Editor) 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ email: [email protected] Report: Red Guard versus Old Guard? The 37 All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. influence of the Young Liberal movement on the Liberal Party in the 1960s and 1970s Advertisements with Matt Cole, Michael Steed, William Wallace, George Kiloh and Bernard Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Greaves; report by Graham Lippiatt Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please contact the Editor. Report: Thomas Paine and the radical liberal 40 tradition Subscriptions/Membership with Edward Royle and Edward Vallance; report by Emily Robinson An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal History costs £20.00 (£12.50 unwaged rate). This includes Reviews 43 membership of the History Group unless you inform us otherwise. Non-UK subscribers should add £5.00. Bayliss, Scarborough’s MPs 1832 to 1906; Scarborough’s Mayors 1836 to 1906, reviewed by Robert Ingham; Williams, Climbing the Bookshelves, reviewed by The institutional rate is £50.00, which includes online Tom McNally; Oaten, Screwing Up, reviewed by Tom Kiehl; Vaughan, Samuel access. As well as printed copies, online subscribers are able to access online copies of current and all past Morton Peto: A Victorian Entrepreneur, reviewed by Robert Ingham Journals. Online subscriptions are also available to individuals at £40.00. Cheques (payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) should be sent to: Patrick Mitchell 6 Palfrey Place, London SW8 1PA; email: [email protected] Payment is also possible via our website, Liberal Democrat History Group www.liberalhistory.org.uk. The Liberal Democrat History Group promotes the discussion and research of topics relating to the histories of the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Party, and SDP, and of Liberalism. The Cover design concept: Lynne Featherstone Group organises discussion meetings and produces the Journal of Liberal History and other Published by the Liberal Democrat History Group, c/o occasional publications. 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ For more information, including historical commentaries, details of publications, back issues Printed by Kall-Kwik, of the Journal, and archive and other research sources, see our website at: 18 Colville Road, London W3 8BL www.liberalhistory.org.uk. September 2010 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 68 Autumn 2010 3 LIbEral hisTory news AuTumN 2010 Liberal History News is a new regular feature in the Westminster and a National National Library in Aberystwyth. Journal (except in special themed Assembly governing on Welsh It was preceded by a lecture by Dr issues), reporting news of meet- soil, there is so much of David Jones on the marriage of Lloyd ings, conferences, commemora- Lloyd George’s legacy which has George and Frances Stevenson. tions, dinners or any other events, prevailed or is reflected in Welsh Graham Jones is a fine speaker together with anything else of and British politics today. Dr J and at times the lecture seemed contemporary interest to our Graham Jones, Head of the Welsh to be more of a dramatic presen- readers. Contributions are very Political Archive at the National tation, with Dr Jones acting the welcome; please keep them rea- Library of Wales and one of the voices of the key characters when sonably concise, and accompany most prolific contributors to the quoting from diaries or letters. them, if possible, with photos. Journal of Liberal History, has now The book was then launched Email to the Editor on journal@ produced a new book, published in the company of Ffion Hague, liberalhistory.org.uk by the National Library, Lloyd the author of The Pain and Privi- George and Welsh Liberalism, to lege (HarperPress, 2008), which illuminate some of the more itself threw new light on Lloyd Lloyd George book launch at overlooked aspects of LG’s life. George’s private affairs. Mrs the National Library of Wales Graham Lippiatt was present at Hague said she had vowed to put ith the Liberal- J Graham Jones, the launch. away all her Liberal jokes now Conservative coali- Ffion Hague and The book was launched on that the coalition was in office. Wtion government in Dafydd Wigley Saturday 26 June 2010 at the Also present was the former 4 Journal of Liberal History 68 Autumn 2010 libEral hisTory news leader of Plaid Cymru and MP in the story of British popular for Lloyd George’s old seat of journalism. What’s more, he was Caernarfon Boroughs from 1974 that rare beast – a Liberal-sup- to 2001, Dafydd Wigley, who porting press baron. praised LG’s radical and Welsh Sensing a niche for a publica- nationalist heritage. tion that would appeal to the Dr Jones’ book will be newly-literate lower-middle reviewed in a future edition of classes, the minister’s son in 1881 the Journal of Liberal History by launched the weekly magazine Professor K. O. Morgan. Tit-Bits – ‘a compendium of entertaining and amusing stories and tit-bits from all the most Song for Francis Hirst interesting books, periodicals iberal Democrat History and newspapers in the world’, in Group executive member its own words. Unable to raise LGeofffrey Selldiscovered the capital conventionally, the the following extract from the Derbyshire-born Newnes, who autograph book of his grand- worked in the City after leaving mother, Eveline Dora Noble school, funded his new magazine (1889–1971), relating to the candi- by opening a vegetarian restau- dacy of Francis Hirst for the Sud- rant in Manchester. bury Division in the January 1910 His weekly proved an instant general election. hit, and thanks in part to his flair for publicity and quirky Vote for Hirst prize-reader competitions – one involved the chance to win a The Liberals are packing seven-bedroom house, provided no energy lacking the winner agreed to call the all bent on attacking house ‘Tit-Bits Villa’ – it would the opposite party go on to reach a circulation high of 700,000 by the end of the 19th Heads up they are pushing century, making it one of the Sir George newspapers favourable to the Lib- and shoving and crashing biggest-selling publications in the Newnes, c 1905 eral cause.