Policy and Ideology

reviews salutary to note that three Labour polls twice in a short space of time. governments have effectively been A second election in 1910 failed to destroyed by slavishly follow- improve the Asquith government’s ing American priorities: those of position. In 1951 Attlee risked his Attlee, Blair and Wilson. The latter small 1950 majority at a second bought American backing for the election and lost it. After the first currency after 1964 with a view election of 1974 Wilson’s minority to avoiding devaluation, thereby government successfully managed upsetting his entire economic to lead the country out of the chaos strategy; Wilson antagonised his of the miners’ strike, the three-day domestic support by backing the week and raging inflation, though war in Vietnam but irritated the it suffered fifty-nine parliamentary Americans by resisting pressure to defeats in 1974–76. Encouraged by send troops to fight there. Morgan the pollsters, Wilson opted for the shows that even in the 1960s Ameri- expected autumn election – and can politicians had little genuine failed to win the expected working regard for Britain despite extrava- majority. Would a minority Tory gant public displays of mutual government, handicapped by eco- admiration. nomic austerity and internal divi- Finally, Morgan offers a per- sions in 2010–11, really have been suasive revisionist view of the in a position to risk a second elec- Wilson-Callaghan governments tion? On the contrary, the ensuing of 1974–79 which, indirectly, post-election interval would have gives food for thought for Liberal allowed Lib Dems to maintain their Democrats. Although the party distinctiveness and leave the Con- learnt some lessons from the abor- servatives to shoulder the blame tive pact between David Steel and for economic failure while giving Jim Callaghan, its present leaders Labour the opportunity to select have hopelessly misjudged the a new leader, distance itself from wider implications of minority Blairism and cooperate with the Lib government. In May 2010 both the Dems to oust the government. Lib Dem negotiators and the MPs generally seem to have assumed Martin Pugh was Professor of Modern ideas and debate. I recall, for that they could not risk leaving the British History at Newcastle University instance, at my first Liberal Assem- Conservatives to form a minority until 1999 and is now a freelance his- bly in 1961, Jo attended a meeting at government because that would torian. His most recent book is Speak Edinburgh University. He sat on a lead to a second general election and for Britain! A New History of the table surrounded by a large attend- an inevitable government victory. Labour Party (2010) and he is currently ance of maybe two hundred Young However, there is scant histori- writing a book on the crisis of British Liberals happily participating in a cal support for this view. Voters national identity, which will be pub- lively debate on current issues, with- tend to resent being forced to the lished in 2012. out any sense of condescension or hierarchy on his part. Grimond directly and indirectly sparked a whole raft of policy publications. By 1960 there was the beginnings of a formidable research Policy and ideology department at headquarters headed Tudor Jones, The Revival of British Liberalism – From Grimond by Harry Cowie, a very able but somewhat acerbic Scot in whom to Clegg (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) Grimond placed considerable trust. Reviewed by Michael Meadowcroft By the time of my arrival at headquarters in January 1962, there were also three research assistants, John ny Liberal wanting a single Liberal writing over fifty-five years, Blake, Michael O’Hara and Ann reference volume on the by interviewing a wide range of Rodden, and between them they Adevelopment of party policy contributors to the policy debate – produced a high-quality monthly from 1956 to the present, and its including, I need to declare, myself political bulletin Current Topics relevance to the political history of – and by utilising his particular and staffed a series ofNew Direc- the Liberal and Liberal Democrat speciality of political thought, he tions policy booklets, plus a set of parties, will find this an admirable has brought a remarkable sense of reports on key subjects by commit- and reliable guide. Tudor Jones has order to what would otherwise be tees which included experts from applied his experience and academic regarded as an inchoate jumble. beyond the party’s formal member- skills to produce a companion vol- Jones uses the advent of Jo Gri- ship, drawn in by Grimond’s char- ume to recent political histories mond to the Liberal leadership as the ismatic leadership. of Liberalism. By spending four starting point of his study not least Grimond tells in his memoirs of years reading the whole oeuvre of because Jo enjoyed and welcomed arriving in the Commons in 1950 Journal of Liberal History 73 Winter 2011–12 47 48 Journal of Liberal History 73 Winter 2011–12 reviews and being thrust immediately into The book own judgements. It rightly makes reference, rightly regarding them as the uncongenial role of Chief Whip those of us who have had a long the definitive expression of the par- and of the disparate free spirits that sets Liberal involvement and, often, inside ty’s political stance at that moment made up his small team. I suspect experience, take on board evidence in time. He ties in with this that one underlying reason for his philosophy that impinges on our prejudices! approach the semi-official books promotion of party policy initia- His methodology enables him, for that have accompanied the mani- tives was to find a unifying corpus firmly into instance, to place the community festo at every election since 1945, of policy to shift the political focus politics strategy within a broader and he traces the freer expression away from parliament in which the party’s framework of party activity and of policy that is possible between Liberal representation was capri- political it enables him to coin the choice elections. The book is an excellent cious and largely dependent on phrase ‘Denting the Mould’ for a compendium of Liberal publishing local personalities and historical history and later period. This method brings over half a century. party arrangements. into focus the existence over the Given his thorough coverage of As Jones points out, Grimond as such it is long term of a much more consist- the Ashdown years and the subse- had already been part of the group ent broad body of policy than the quent twists and turns, Jones can be that produced the book The Unser- a valuable short-term battles would have forgiven the long gestation period vile State, edited by George Watson indicated at the time, provoked as for his book. It ends tantalisingly in 1957, the publication of which led addition to they often were by internal strife – with the election of Nick Clegg as to a series of pamphlets on separate such as the problems that brought leader and as a consequence it lacks topics, and had himself published the litera- into being the Liberal Commission a review of the past four crucial his first book in 1959 in time for of 1969, chaired by Donald Wade, years of a leader who speaks always that year’s general election. Other ture. I hope, which produced the excellent of Liberals and Liberalism and groups in the party sought to take report Facing the Future. whose book The Liberal Moment part in the flurry of ideas. The probably in This approach is valuable, both (Demos, 2009) is as good a short Young Liberals and the Union of to historians and to those activists statement of social liberalism as Liberal Students joined together in vain, that who understand the key importance has appeared in recent years. One 1959 for what they originally called of rooting current thinking and looks forward to a second, updated, ‘Operation Manifesto’ until the it will be strategy in the experience of the paperback edition taking us up to party bosses convinced them that past and of linking consistency with the coalition, which might also be this would be confused with the widely read innovation. Jones is exceptionally more within the affordable range of party’s official election manifesto. by the cur- surefooted and brings a scrupulous such books. Between 1960 and 1968 it produced honesty to his assessment of party The book sets Liberal philoso- nineteen pamphlets. Finally the rent Focus- writings. Speaking for myself, I phy firmly into the party’s political monthly publication New Outlook would have welcomed a critic of this history and as such it is a valuable was launched at the 1961 party obsessed calibre. All too often efforts at expo- addition to the literature. I hope, assembly as a semi-official publica- sition of Liberalism and at critiques probably in vain, that it will be tion in effect to fill the long gap generation of other political philosophies have widely read by the current Focus- caused by the demise of the Liberal seemed to attract only approbation obsessed generation of Liberal Magazine in 1950. of Liberal from colleagues and otherwise to Democrat activists. Jones points out: ‘These varied float into the ether untested. All of Liberal publications underlined Democrat us benefit from debate and discus- Michael Meadowcroft was a Leeds City the importance which Grimond sion and there is far too little of it Councillor, 1968–1983, and Liberal MP attached to the formulation and activists. today. And one does not have to for Leeds West, 1983–87. He has held communication of policy and ideas agree with all Jones’ conclusions to numerous local and national offices in the as an essential part of his attempt to welcome his work.

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