St. Stephen's Club, 1870–2012
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the two parties. Despite Churchill’s 1 The most detailed existing account organised in pursuing the new Lodger rom the start, the St. Stephen’s of Churchill’s time as MP for Dundee Franchise, with a series of circulars, landslide 1922 defeat, Dundee was is Tony Paterson, Churchill: A Seat and the deployment of the Dundee and Club was closely associated actually highly marginal in the 1923 and For Life (Dundee: David Winter, District Women’s Liberal Association. F with the machinery of the 1924 general elections, with the Liberal 1980), which has long been prized Dundee Liberal Association papers, Conservative Party organisation. It candidate just 314 votes from victory in by Churchillians for its wealth of Dundee City Archive, GD/DLA/4/6. was founded in 1870 – the same year 1923 and the Conservative candidate unique sources. However, its eccentric 10 Minutes of the Dundee Unionist as Conservative Central Office, and 1,075 votes short in 1924. An analysis writing style, in which primary sources Association, ff. 117–8, 11 August 1913, shortly after the establishment of the are extensively quoted without any University of Dundee Archives. of split voting in Dundee throughout National Union of Conservative and attribution, speechmarks or citations, 11 For a detailed analysis of the national the six elections of 1923–45 finds that can make it hard to follow. The context of this Act in its various stages, Constitutional Associations. All three the Liberal vote overwhelmingly split in relevant chapters of Martin Gilbert’s see Pugh, Electoral Reform in War and were products of the second Reform the Conservatives’ favour. (In 1924, for extensive Churchill opus are the most Peace, pp. 103–84. Act, which became law in 1867 and instance, 23,941 of the 25,556 votes cast reliable, and my 2009 M.Phil. thesis 12 Minutes of the Dundee Unionist brought about permanent changes in for the Liberal candidate were split with on the reasons for Churchill’s landslide Association, ff. 156–7, 27 February 1918, election management. Although it had the Conservatives.)21 This culminated in electoral defeat at Dundee in 1922 is University of Dundee Archives. See also been championed by Disraeli, the first being revised for publication. George Brown, Representation of the Dundee finally electing its first and only election under the Act – held in 1868 2 For the significance of Churchill’s anti- People Act: Memorandum by Central Conservative MP, Florence Horsbrugh, Bolshevik views during this period, see Council (Edinburgh: Scottish Unionist and involving nearly three times as in the general elections of 1931 and Kenneth O. Morgan, ‘Lloyd George’s Association, 1918), 4 pp. many voters including, for the first time, 1935, in conjunction with Dundee’s last Stage Army: the Coalition Liberals 13 The most detailed study of the politics of working men in urban seats – saw the Liberal MP, Dingle Foot (brother of 1918–22’ in A.J.P. Taylor (ed.), Lloyd this period remains Kenneth O. Morgan, Conservatives ejected from office. The Michael Foot). Both Foot and Horsbrugh George: Twelve Essays (London: Consensus and Disunity: The Lloyd Tories faced a stark challenge: were defeated in 1945, and their tenure Hamish Hamilton, 1969) pp. 231–3, and George Government, 1918–1922 Martin Gilbert, Winston S. Churchill, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979). at Dundee can be seen as the fulfilment Volume IV, 1917–1922: World in 14 Inbal Rose, Conservatism and Foreign To convert the recently of Churchill’s own design for winning the Torment (London: Heinemann, 1975) Policy during the Lloyd George enfranchised voters required constituency after the First World War. pp. 320–430. Chief among the many Coalition, 1918–1922 (London: Frank more systematic organisation, Churchill was undoubtedly motivated Churchill biographers to stress the Cass, 1999) pp. 204–20. For more on and without many such by major national and international influence of Churchill’s friendship with long-standing Conservative mistrust of conversions, the Conservative factors in his attitude towards coalition, F.E. Smith was unsurprisingly Smith’s Churchill’s influence over Irish policy, Party could not return to office.1 own son, the Earl of Birkenhead, see David Dutton, ‘His Majesty’s Loyal The original St. Stephen’s clubhouse stands in the shadow of Parliament and in his rapprochement with the Churchill, 1874–1922 (London: Harrap, Opposition’: The Unionist Party in (The Graphic, 21 February 1874) Conservatives. However, the experience 1989) pp. 491–503. Opposition, 1905–1915 (Liverpool Hitherto, organisational work had of representing Dundee, with its unusual 3 For more on Churchill’s affinity for University Press, 1992) especially taken place at that ‘first great Party political environment, has long been coalitions, see G.R. Searle, Country pp. 229–31. bastion’, the Carlton Club – which neglected as a factor in convincing Before Party: Coalitions and the Idea 15 Thomson is now best remembered had itself been established in the wake Churchill that Liberal-Conservative of ‘National Government’ in Modern as founder of the Beano and Dandy, of the first Reform Act in 1832.2 But coalition could work. Throughout the Britain, 1885–1987 (London: Longman, but his Dundee-based publishing clubs like the Carlton – and its Liberal 1995), especially pp. 120–47. empire included several major Scottish 1920s, he developed the theme of halting St. Stephen’s Club, counterparts, Brooks’s and the Reform 4 See Minutes of the Dundee Unionist newspapers. the rise of socialism through Liberal- Association, passim, University of 16 For the view that Thomson engineered – were highly exclusive, and not (in Conservative co-operation, and it was Dundee Archives. Churchill’s defeat, see Gilbert, Winston their minds) suitable for members of the on these grounds that Churchill joined 5 For Churchill’s ‘life seat’ remark, see S. Churchill, Volume IV, p. 885, which 1870–2012 newly-enlarged electorate. A ‘new era’ Baldwin’s government in 1924 and re- Churchill to Lady Randolph Churchill, is based on Churchill’s own strong belief therefore opened in 1868 and, as well joined the Conservatives the following c. 29 April 1908, Randolph S. Churchill that he was being hounded by Thomson. as the development of Party apparatus, year. For all the bitterness of the pre-war (ed.), Winston S. Churchill: Volume II Most subsequent accounts repeat this ‘a rush of new building’ saw a new wave Companion, Part 2, 1907–1911 (London: interpretation. contests against the Dundee Unionists, Heinemann, 1969) p. 789. This is often 17 See, for instance, pro-Churchill stories The news that the St. Stephen’s Club is closing of political clubs catering for ordinary the constituency provided Churchill misquoted as ‘a seat for life’. like the two-column article on ‘MR. its doors in December signals the end of an business men or party workers from the with a rare example of relatively 6 Dundee Liberal Association papers, CHURCHILL AS AN ANTI-WASTER provinces who came up to London on smooth co-operation between Liberals Dundee City Archive, GD/DLA/4/6. – Claims Large Part In Cutting institution closely bound to the Conservative Party political business.3 and Conservatives during the Lloyd 7 As a two-member constituency, the Expenditure’ Dundee Advertiser, 1 for more than 140 years. Stephen Parkinson In 1870, a new principal agent George coalition, strengthening his pro- electorate was approximately twice the November 1922, and articles attacking for the Party was appointed – John size of most contemporary Scottish Churchill’s Communist and Labour coalition sentiments. surveys its history. Gorst, a 35-year-old barrister who had boroughs. opponents, like ‘MR. GALLACHER ON MR. 4 8 The corresponding vote shares were MOREL – Led by Churchill into a trap’, recently lost his seat in Parliament. 18.6 per cent for Baxter and 30.2 per Dundee Courier, 9 November 1922. The headquarters he established at 53 cent for Churchill, although these 18 People’s Journal, 14 December 1918. Parliament Street became the first home ■ Seth Alexander Thévoz teaches percentages are not directly comparable 19 Dundee Advertiser, 14 November of Conservative Central Office. Gorst history at the University of Warwick, to the 1908 by-election, as that was 1922 – a quarter-page, front-page was a devoted follower of Disraeli and, and holds degrees from the Universities fought over a single vacancy, while the advertisement on the eve of poll. like his leader, ‘a fervent adherent of general elections were two-member 20 ibid. of Cambridge and London. He is in the policy of building the future of the elections. 21 F.W.S. Craig, British Parliamentary the final stages of completing a Ph.D. 9 Minutes of the Dundee Unionist Election Results, 1918–1949 Tory party on the loyalty of the working with the History of Parliament Trust Association, ff. 117–18, 11 August (Chichester: Parliamentary Research masses’.5 He set about strengthening and on the political impact of London clubs, 1913, University of Dundee Archives. Services, 1969 [rev. 3rd ed. 1983]), co-ordinating the Conservative Party 1832–68. The Dundee Liberals were extremely pp. 715–6. organisation – registering voters, finding 10 Conservative History Journal Vol. II, Issue 1 Autumn 2012 Conservative History Journal Vol. II, Issue 1 Autumn 2012 11 St. Stephen’s Club, 1870 – 2012 candidates, forming new associations Just before eight o’clock the down from Magdalen College, Wilde the wealthier clubs.21 It regularly hosted briefings a day – ‘and the ultimate flattery around the country, publishing Gentlemen of England trooped stayed at the club while ‘looking for senior Party figures: Lord Salisbury was to be welcomed by Chamberlain into pamphlets, answering correspondence, off to the Club. They were not lodgings and making literary friends’.17 spoke to 240 members on the last night the small group of blue-chip journalists and supporting the Party’s likely to be wanted for the Further down the literary scale, the of the 1885 general election campaign, who were acknowledged as enthusiastic representatives in Parliament.