For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 65 / Winter 2009–10 / £6.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y Foundation of the Liberal Party Dr Angus Hawkins Celebrating 1859 Party, Patriotism and Liberal Values Dr David Dutton A Liberal Without a Home The Later Career of Leslie Hore-Belisha Graham Lippiatt Using Wikipedia Learning about Liberal History Report Fighting Labour The Struggle for Radical Supermacy in Scotland, 1885–1929 Report A Delicate Balance Holding the Balance of Power Liberal Democrat History Group 2 Journal of Liberal History 65 Winter 2009–10 Journal of Liberal History Issue 65: Winter 2009–10 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 Liberal History News 4 Editor: Duncan Brack John Bright statue, Birmingham; Mill seminar; Pickering Liberal Club centenary; Deputy Editor: Tom Kiehl Baron de Forest dinner, Southport; Palmerston archives; Gladstone lecture. Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini Letters to the Editor 6 Contributing Editors: Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, Liberals in Schism (Peter Hatton and Paul Hunt); Campbell-Bannerman (Graham York Membery Lippiatt); The Mills and their world (Sandy Waugh); Richard Holme (Trevor Jones). Patrons Celebrating 1859: Party, Patriotism and Liberal 8 Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; Professor John Vincent Values Dr Angus Hawkins examines the background to the famous meeting in Willis’s Editorial Board Rooms which marks the foundation of the Liberal Party. Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr Barry Doyle; Dr David Dutton; Professor David Gowland; Dr Richard Using Wikipedia to Learn about Liberal History 17 Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Dr Alison Getting the best out of Wikipedia; by Graham Lippiatt. Holmes; Ian Hunter; Dr J. Graham Jones; Tony Little; Professor Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Ed Randall; Jaime Reynolds; Dr Andrew Archives 20 Russell; Iain Sharpe The papers of Herbert Samuel at the Parliamentary Archives. Editorial/Correspondence Liberal History Quiz 2009 21 Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and The questions … book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Contributions should be sent to: A Liberal without a Home: the Later Career of 22 Duncan Brack (Editor) Leslie Hore-Belisha 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ Dr David Dutton analyses the political career of the Liberal National war email: [email protected] minister sacked by Chamberlain. All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. Report: Fighting Labour 32 Advertisements The struggle for radical supremacy in Scotland 1885–1929; with Richard Finlay, Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Catriona Macdonald and Jim Wallace. Report by Robert Brown. Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please contact the Editor. Report: A Delicate Balance 39 Holding the balance of power; with Martin Pugh, Tom McNally and David Laws. Subscriptions/Membership Report by Mark Pack. An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal History costs £20.00 (£12.50 unwaged rate). This includes Liberal History Quiz 2009 41 membership of the History Group unless you inform … and the answers us otherwise. Non-UK subscribers should add £5.00. The institutional rate is £50.00, which includes online Reviews 42 access. As well as printed copies, online subscribers are able to access online copies of current and all past Readman, Patriotism, National Identity and the Politics of Land, 1880–1914, Journals. Online subscriptions are also available to reviewed by Iain Sharpe; Trentmann, Free Trade Nation: Commerce, individuals at £40.00. Consumption and Civil Society in Modern Britain, reviewed by Tony Little; Emy, Cheques (payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Liberals, Radical and Social Politics, 1892–1914, reviewed by Ian Packer; Overy, Group’) should be sent to: The Morbid Age: Britain Between the Wars, reviewed by J. Graham Jones. 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, 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. January 2010 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 65 Winter 2009–10 3 LIberaL HIstory NeWs winter 2009–10 Liberal History News is a new regular feature in the Journal, reporting news of meet- ings, conferences, commemora- tions, dinners or any other event, together with anything else of contemporary interest to our readers. Contributions are very welcome; please keep them rea- sonably concise, and accompany them, if possible, with photos. Email to the Editor on journal@ liberalhistory.org.uk. John Bright remembered in Birmingham n 23 October 2009, a statue to John Bright MP Owas unveiled inside Bir- Unveiling of working men at a time when Martin Mullaney, Birmingham’s mingham Museum and Art Gal- Bright’s statue; only a limited number of men Liberal Democrat Cabinet mem- lery. The statue, an exact replica from left: Cllr (and no women) had the vote; ber for Culture, at the statue of which stands in the Westmin- Martin Mullaney, Bright wanted all men to have the unveiling. Bright was admired ster Parliament, was first unveiled Stephanie vote because only in this way did by President Abraham Lincoln, in Birmingham in 1888 but it was Hightower, Cllr he feel that government would who described him as ‘the friend taken down about forty years ago Ernie Hendricks be responsive to the needs and of our country, and of freedom for cleaning and never put back. wishes of the people. The result everywhere’. Bright was highly Birmingham Liberal Democrat was the Reform Act of 1867, influential in preventing Britain councillor Ernie Hendricks found passed by Disraeli’s government, from supporting the Confederacy out about the statue and worked which gave the vote to skilled in the American Civil War, even with Museum and Art Gallery working men in the towns. though Britain had strong com- staff to ensure its restoration ready Bright was MP for Durham mercial interests in breaking the for the 200th anniversary of the and Manchester before becom- Northern blockade of the South birth of John Bright in 2011. It has ing Liberal MP for Birmingham to obtain cotton supplies. been replaced in its original posi- from 1858 until his death in 1889. Bright’s letters to US Senator tion at the top of the Museum’s He fell out with Manchester fol- Charles Sumner were regularly main stairs. lowing his attacks on Britain’s read to Lincoln throughout John Bright was a Quaker, a involvement in the Crimean War. the war, and through this cor- great Victorian moralist and ora- He was briefly a minister under respondence Bright has been tor. He is best remembered for his Gladstone, the first ever Quaker identified as a key influence on part in the campaign against the to sit in the Cabinet, but he did Lincoln’s decision to free the Corn Laws, leading up to their not believe in Irish Home Rule slaves. When Lincoln was assas- repeal in 1846. The Corn Laws and like that other great Birming- sinated, a newspaper article about artificially inflated the price of ham Liberal, Joseph Chamber- the presidency written by Bright bread, which the poor could ill lain, he fought Gladstone in 1886 was found on his body. One of afford, and repeal immediately as a Liberal Unionist. the two paintings in Lincoln’s improved the standard of living It was Bright’s connections study was a portrait of Bright. for ordinary people. with the United States which Today, just inside the main Bright also campaigned were to feature most heavily entrance of the White House is to extend the vote to skilled in the speech delivered by Cllr a bust of John Bright, which was 4 Journal of Liberal History 65 Winter 2009–10 liberaL history NeWs found by Jackie Kennedy in the One hundred years of 1960s in the basement and put Pickering Liberal Club back on display. n August 1909, crowds gath- Given this background, it was ered to celebrate the opening therefore only appropriate that Iof the Liberal Club in Pick- Stephanie Hightower, the presi- ering in the Thirsk & Malton dent of USA Track and Field, the constituency in North Yorkshire. national governing body for ath- In the absence of a Liberal MP letics in America, helped unveil for Pickering itself, the Club was Bright’s statue in Birmingham. opened by John Edward Ellis, The US team for the 2012 Olym- the MP for the Nottinghamshire pics has announced it will train in constituency of Rushcliffe. Ellis Birmingham ahead of the Games had Yorkshire connections: he and Ms Hightower said she was had served his apprenticeship at pleased to be associated with a firm of Leeds engineers, his Bright’s connections to America. wife came from Scarborough and was a member of the Yorkshire Quaker Rowntree dynasty, and John Stuart Mill conference, Ellis also owned a country estate November 2009 at Wrea Head, Scalby.1 s advertised in the last Over the following hundred issue of the Journal, on 14 years, Pickering Liberal Club ANovember 2009, the Lib- managed to withstand the politi- eral Democrat History Group, the cal and economic forces which London School of Economics and saw the Liberal Party decline and the British Liberal Political Stud- hundreds of Liberal Clubs all over ies Group co-hosted a one-day the country go out of business.