For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 76 / Autumn 2012 / £6.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y Staying the course? Tim Bale The black widow effect Why Britain’s coalition might have an unhappy ending David Dutton Re-establishing the faith Liberalism in Dumfriesshire, 1931–63 Andrew Whitehead God gave the land to the people The Liberal land song Chris Cooper ‘The best for England’? Liberals, coalitions and the right to dissent David Cloke Ownership for all The Liberal Party, co-ownership and industrial relations Liberal Democrat History Group ‘This new volume, taking a long view from the later seventeenth century to the Cameron-Clegg coalition of today, is a collective enterprise by many hands … This is an excellent book.’ Kenneth O. Morgan, Cercles ‘I had not expected to enjoy this book as much as I did, or to learn as much from it.’ William Wallace, Lib Dem Voice ‘The editors and their fourteen authors deserve congratulation for producing a readable one-volume history of Liberal politics in Britain that is both erudite but perfectly accessible to any reader interested in the subject.’ Mark Smulian, Liberator Written by academics and experts, drawing on the most recent scholarly research, Peace, Reform and Liberation is the most comprehensive and most up-to-date guide to the story of those who called themselves Liberals, what inspired them and what they achieved over the last 300 years and more. An essential source for anyone interested in the contribution of Liberals and Liberalism to British politics. Available at a special discounted rate for Journal of Liberal History subscribers: £24 instead of the normal £30. To order, please send a cheque (made out to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) for the cover price plus postage and packing at the rate of £4 for one copy; £7 for two copies; £9 for three copies; and add £1 for each further copy. Orders should be sent to: LDHG, 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN. 2 Journal of Liberal History 76 Autumn 2012 Journal of Liberal History Issue 76: Autumn 2012 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 Liberal history news 4 Editor: Duncan Brack Neville Masterman; new online resources at the Bodleian Library Deputy Editor: Tom Kiehl Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Letters to the Editor 5 Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini Island residents (Mike Falchikov); Campbell-Bannerman (Sandy Waugh) Contributing Editors: Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, York Membery The black widow effect 6 Patrons Why Britain’s Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition might have an unhappy ending; by Tim Bale Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; Professor John Vincent Re-establishing the faith 16 Editorial Board David Dutton examines the revival of Liberalism in Dumfriesshire, 1931–63 Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Ian Cawood; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr David Dutton; Prof. David Gowland; Prof. Richard God gave the land to the people 26 Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Dr Alison Andrew Whitehead traces the origins of the Liberal Land Song Holmes; Dr J. Graham Jones; Dr Tudor Jones; Tony Little; Prof. Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Jaime Reynolds; Dr Andrew Russell; ‘The best for England’? 34 Dr Iain Sharpe Liberals, coalitions and the right to dissent: the ‘agreement to differ’ revisited; by Chris Cooper Editorial/Correspondence Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and Report 44 book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Ownership for all: the Liberal Party, co-ownership and industrial relations, Contributions should be sent to: with Tudor Jones and Andrew Gamble; report by David Cloke Duncan Brack (Editor) 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN Reviews 48 email: [email protected] Quinault, Swift and Clayton Windscheffel (eds.), William Gladstone: New Studies All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. All and Perspectives; reviewed by Tony Little; Cash, John Bright: Statesman, Orator, rights reserved. Agitator, reviewed by Anthony Howe; Mumford, Drawn at the Hustings: General elections 1722–1935 in caricature and cartoon, reviewed by Roy Douglas Advertisements Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please contact the Editor. Subscriptions/Membership An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal History costs £20.00 (£12.50 unwaged rate). This includes membership of the History Group unless you inform us otherwise. Non-UK subscribers should add £10.00. Institutional rate £50.00, including online access. As well as printed copies, online subscribers can access online copies of current and past Journals. Online subscriptions are 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] Liberal Democrat History Group Payment is also possible via our website, 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, occasional publications. c/o 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN 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 2012 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 76 Autumn 2012 3 LIBERal HisTORY NEWS AUTUMN 2012 Neville Masterman (1912–) New online resources at the On 28 November 2012, a link will that ‘when Lloyd George returned Bodleian Library be reaffirmed with a brilliant archi- to the party, ideas returned to One of the current catalogu- tect of Edwardian Liberalism at its the party’. After some years of ing project at Oxford’s Bodleian glorious high noon. On that day, declining health and morale, he Library is the papers of Roy (later Neville Masterman, former Sen- died prematurely in 1927. He Baron) Jenkins (1920–2003). The ior Lecturer in History at Swansea had married another remarkable papers reflect Jenkins’ professional University, celebrates his hun- highly gifted Liberal, Lucy Lyt- career as a politician, author, and dredth birthday. telton, much admired by Lloyd Chancellor of the University of He is the son of Charles Freder- George, who wrote a fascinating Oxford. The papers will be acces- ick Gurney Masterman (1874–1927), life of her husband, and died in sible when the cataloguing is com- one of the most powerful intel- 1977 at the age of 93. plete, at: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ lectuals of the New Liberalism of Neville was born during the bodley/library/special/projects/ social reform after the turn of the industrial troubles of the autumn roy-jenkins century. A disciple of F.D. Maurice, of 1912. A distinguished scholar Available online now, how- after a double first at Cambridge himself, he kept up the family’s ever, are the proceedings of two he wrote several influential works, intellectual concern with Chris- seminars focusing on the Jenkins of which the most notable was The tian Socialism and the post- papers. On 6 February 2012, John Condition of England (1909). In effect Gladstonian Liberal Party. Some Campbell spoke about his research a Christian Socialist analysis of years spent in Hungary (where C. F. G. for his forthcoming biography of British society, it depicted the stark he learnt the language) gave him Masterman Jenkins. Campbell’s talk, and the gulf between the ostentatious ‘con- an additional interest in cul- (1873–1927) documents he chose to illustrate querors’ in suburban villadom and tural nationalism. These interests the social destitution of ‘the pris- were reflected in two fascinating oners’ in city slums. As late as 1920 books, a volume on the pioneer he wrote two eloquent works, The welfare reformer and Christian New Liberalism and How England is Socialist, John Malcolm Ludlow, Governed. The Builder of Christian Socialism But Masterman was also an (1963) and The Forerunner (1972), important political practitioner as a study of the ideas and career of well as an author. He worked very Tom Ellis, the Welsh nationalist- closely with Lloyd George on the Liberal who became Liberal chief land clauses of the Finance Bill and whip under Rosebery in 1894. He was a key figure in devising the has also written more widely on National Insurance Act of 1911. the New Liberals, notably J.A. He became Financial Secretary to Hobson. the Treasury in 1912 and was given Neville has flourished in Cabinet office in early 1914. How- Swansea over many decades, and ever, bad luck struck him; he lost remains full of life and inexhaust- his seat at Ipswich at the subsequent ible intellectual curiosity. I learnt by-election and resigned from the a great deal from him myself Cabinet in February 1915. There- when sharing an office with him after he and Lloyd George drifted in Swansea. His academic work, apart. supplementing his father’s dis- He worked on British propa- tinguished career as government ganda during the war, stood as an minister, Liberal politician and anti-Lloyd George Liberal in 1918, political philosopher, is enduring and was briefly Liberal member for testimony to the creative achieve- Manchester (Rusholme) in 1923– ment of a fine Liberal dynasty. 24. He became, however, again His century will be greeted with a close policy associate of Lloyd acclaim and affection by Liberals George at the Summer Schools of and socialists everywhere.