reports to do with the rural and histori- coming to dominate. The that the British Liberal Demo- cal origins of many of the liberal United Kingdom has not been crats are now the largest liberal sister parties and its comparative immune from this process, even party in Europe. Where we lose under-representation in urban, without the help of a PR sys- out is because, under a first- metropolitan areas. This means tem for Westminster elections. past-the-post electoral system also that metropolitan issues are Our own party was formed as for the national Parliament, we not sufficiently well addressed a result of the split of the SDP have not been able to participate by the party at European level, from Labour in 1981. Also, as in government. This contrasts although its positions on asy- William Wallace pointed out, with the position of some liberal lum, immigration and gay rights the economic liberals who were parties in other EU countries, are strong ones overall. highly significant in the Liberal which are much smaller in The top three issues in the Party of the 1940s and early terms of their national vote or ELDR manifesto for the June 1950s decided to leave the party seats in their national assembly Euro elections were the econ- and were instead the inspira- but who are able to form coali- omy, the environment and civil tion for people like Margaret tions, get into government and liberties. This chimes precisely Thatcher and Sir Keith Joseph, sometimes even provide the with British Liberal priorities. making the Conservative Party prime ministership. The point we have reached, of the 1980s an overtly eco- therefore, after nearly forty nomic liberal entity. Graham Lippiatt is the Secretary years of close cooperation with As a postscript to the discus- of the Liberal Democrat History the various sister parties across sion, it is worth remembering Group. Europe, is one where British Liberals feel comfortable and positive – and, while ELDR/ ALDE is a broader church than the British party, we can look forward to the future with con- fidence that liberal values as we understand them and policies deriving from those values will continue to prevail. Letters In the question and answer session following the speeches, How long was Lloyd George two salient points were quickly The top an MP? raised. The first was that when The Liberal Democrat His- that he never attended the Lords these questions were first three issues tory group’s autumn 2008 quiz doesn’t affect this. He was cer- becoming important in the late in the ELDR (reprinted in Journal 61, Winter tainly not an MP at the time of 1970s–early 1980s, the risk for 2008-09) contained a ques- his death. British Liberals was that we manifesto tion asking how many years Kenneth O. Morgan would be swamped by the much and days David Lloyd George larger groups of the French for the June had served as MP for Caernar- Lloyd George was surely an centrists under Valery Gis- von Boroughs. Consideration MP from when his result was card D’Estaing and, to a lesser Euro elec- of the answer threw up some declared on 11 April 1890 until degree, the German FDP. That tions were uncertainties: should the start his peerage was announced on problem has been remedied date be counted as the date of 1 January 1945. I have always by the growth in representa- the economy, his election, or the date of the considered I became Leader tion that the Liberal Democrats count and announcement (the of Richmond-upon-Thames have achieved in European the environ- next day), or the day on which council at 10.24 pm on Thurs- elections under proportional he took his seat? Should the end day 10 November 1983. This representation and by the ment and date have been the day on which was the time showing on my decline in French liberal num- civil liberties. his peerage was announced, or watch in the victory photo bers – indeed, a decline mir- the day on which he died (he when the second by-election rored across much of southern This chimes was too ill ever to take his Lords win was declared that evening. Europe. The other point was seat)? Two correspondents have However, the name of Lloyd that in all countries there has precisely taken up the issue: George’s constituency in 1890 been considerable political flux, was not Caernarvon Boroughs. with parties undergoing great with Brit- Lloyd George took his seat on It was Carnarvon Boroughs, or changes internally, sometimes ish Liberal 17 April 1890 and ceased being strictly the Carnarvon District splitting and re-forming, or one with the conferment of his of Boroughs. The firstTimes with one faction or philosophy priorities. title on 1 January 1945. The fact Guide to the House of Commons to

Journal of Liberal History 63 Summer 2009 39 letters use Caernarvon Boroughs in a pre-troubles Northern bill’s opponents succeeded Morley does not com- was the 1935 edition, prob- Ireland. She introduced a in having it talked out. Thus ment editorially on many of ably a late change as it still Human Rights Bill on four a letter from King Edward these references, but occa- follows Cardiff. Perhaps occasions and campaigned to his son, the future King sionally he allows his scepti- there was a Statutory Instru- on a wide range of issues George V, on 12 March, cism to appear, particularly ment changing the con- from electoral reform to the stating: ‘Thank heaven these in relation to the scientific stituency name, if someone abolition of capital punish- dreadful women have not discoveries of the century: wants to solve this puzzle ment. In 1965 she even had yet been enfranchised. It definitively. In 1983 the con- the rare distinction of being would have been more dig- Mr Gladstone watched stituency spelling changed an unopposed Liberal MP! nified if the PM had not spo- these things vaguely and to Caernarfon. Berkley Farr ken on the Bill - or backed it with misgiving: instinct In 1890 the Carnarvon up’. A letter to CB followed must have told him that District of Boroughs com- Editor’s note: we will be carry- on 29 March when the King the advance of natural prised Carnarvon, Bangor, ing a full biography of Sheelagh wrote: ‘The conduct of these explanation … would Conway, Criccieth, Nevin Murnaghan in a future issue of so-called “suffragettes” has be in some degree at the and Pwllheli; and from 1918 the Journal. been so outrageous and done expense of the supernatu- to 1950 only Carnarvon, that cause such harm (for ral. But from any full or Bangor, Conway and Pwll- which I have no sympathy) serious examination of heli. As well as Caernar- that I cannot understand the details of the scientific fon we now have Conwy, CB and women’s suffrage why the Prime Minister movement he stood aside, Nefyn, and for some Welsh I must challenge Richard could speak in their favour’. safe and steadfast within speakers Cricieth. Name Reeves’ statement ( Journal Dr Alexander (Sandy) S. the citadel of Tradition. changes are a minefield for of Liberal History 62, Spring Waugh the unwary, and even for 2009) that Sir Henry Camp- Of course Gladstone read the expert. FWS Craig has bell-Bannerman (CB) was voluminously on theological Caernarvon Boroughs in ‘far from progressive on the Morley and Gladstone and even scientific subjects, British Parliamentary Election issue’ of women’s suffrage. I was surprised to see that but his interest often lay in Results 1885–1918. In 1870 – within two years Michael Ledger-Lomas, in the secondary detail. For David Williams of his election as an MP in reviewing Richard Shan- Morley and many of his gen- 1868 – CB voted for Jacob non’s Gladstone: God and eration the realisation that Bright’s unsuccessful bill Politics ( Journal 61, Winter the universe was both vaster Sheelagh Murnaghan for women’s suffrage (Jacob 2008–09), perpetuated the and immeasurably older I was somewhat surprised to Bright, a younger brother of claim that John Morley than previously believed see no mention of Sheelagh John Bright, was then one ‘turned a positivist’s blind imposed a radical re-exam- Murnaghan in the ‘Liberal- of Manchester’s three MPs). eye’ to his subject’s religious ination of the view that the ism and Women’ issue of Nor did CB modify his views. In the introductory divine creator retained a the Journal (issue 62, Spring consistent acceptance of the chapter to the great biog- direct personal interest in 2009). The article on Lib- principle of women’s enfran- raphy, Morley suggested the human species inhabit- eral women MPs notes that chisement after he became that the ‘detailed history of ing this small planet. Glad- between 1951 and 1986 there Prime Minister. Mr Gladstone as theologian stone, on the other hand, were none at all. On 19 May 1906 he and churchman will not retained the life-long con- Sheelagh Murnaghan received a deputation of be found in these pages’; viction that God supported was the only Liberal MP to some three hundred suffra- but there are nevertheless and directed his daily activi- be elected to the Northern gettes who were told that, innumerable references, ties. Morley did not seek to Ireland Parliament. At a although he thought that the throughout the book, to the challenge this comforting time before the Orpington activities of the more mili- key role of religion in Glad- view, because the purpose by-election when there tant agitators were counter- stone’s career. Major epi- of the biography was to were only six Liberal MPs at productive, in his opinion sodes such as the campaign establish a myth rather than Westminster, she won a by- ‘they had made out before against papal infallibility to undermine it. More fun- election in 1961 to represent the country a conclusive and are covered in full, but damentally, throughout his Queen’s University. She had irrefutable case’ and ‘should equally illuminating are the career Morley was fascinated already made her name as go on pestering’. Then when many religious quotations by more dominant person- the only practising woman a Women’s Enfranchisement from Gladstone’s diaries and alities who lacked his own barrister in Northern Ire- Bill was presented in the letters. On 6 April 1880, self-doubt. In some ways land and as an international Commons on 8 March 1907, for instance, an overnight he envied Gladstone the hockey player. Between CB said that he would vote journey after the general religious certainties that no 1961 and the abolition of for it as ‘the exclusion of election provided ‘time longer seemed acceptably her university constituency women from the franchise is to ruminate on the great plausible to his biographer. in 1969 she was a sole voice neither expedient, justifiable hand of God, so evidently Patrick Jackson for many changes needed or politically right’, but the displayed’.

40 Journal of Liberal History 63 Summer 2009