RECRUITMENT OF LIBERALS INTO THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, c. 1906-1935 BY NICHOLAS MARTIN COTT Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University 12 March 2015 Dedicated to Richard Martin Cott 12. 3. 1945 – 1. 2. 1989 Never forgotten The approval for the award of this doctoral degree was finally received on the anniversary of his seventieth birthday. i Abstract Consideration of recruitment of Liberal politicians into the Conservative party, in the first third of the twentieth century, is an important but under- explored aspect of the political realignment which saw the demise of the Liberal party and the rise of a new duopoly between the Conservative and Labour parties. A specific and detailed investigation of the phenomenon is necessary. This study provides an opportunity to appreciate the nature of how individual Liberal politicians reacted to changing political circumstances with the weakening of the Liberal party. It examines a range of relevant factors – both of a long-term and immediate nature – and undertakes comparative analysis of the careers of the relevant politicians, including not only prominent politicians but also less well-known ones to assist in ensuring that the topic avoids being merely a study of high politics. All findings point to a diverse range of issues which influenced political thinking about party allegiances, but broadly these relate to the growth of a shared political agenda, between Liberals and Conservatives. Some Liberals wanted positively to coalesce with Conservatives, forming relationships, both in Parliament and in the constituencies, which eventually brought them inside the Conservative party or close to it, whilst others, by contrast, almost fell into working with the Conservatives due to political pressures over time. All seemed to suffer some level of disaffection from the Liberal party, which was therefore a key ingredient in hastening their change of party. Nicholas Cott Newcastle upon Tyne, March 2015 ii Acknowledgements I would like to offer my thanks to all the staff in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University for all their help and assistance over the years. In particular I would like to thank my supervisors, Dr Martin Farr and Dr Joan Allen, who have guided me very thoroughly in the development of my thesis. Outside the University I would like to thank, in particular, Professor Martin Pugh, who guided me in the early stages of my project, and even made suggestions about the title. I am indebted to Mr Clive McKeag for giving me access to his father’s press cuttings and also the late John Grigg for a very memorable long discussion over lunch about his father, Edward. I would like to thank professional colleagues at the Open University for being sympathetic to my research, and allowing me flexibility. My students there have been a great motivation, showing an interest in my topic, and assisting me in my academic development. I would like to acknowledge the support of my family, particularly my mother, Rosemary Cott, and brother, Sebastian. I am dedicating my efforts to my late father, Richard Cott. Support of friends has always been good, so I would wish to thank, in particular, my good friends Joanna Kennedy (née Keating), Gareth Cooper and my Council colleagues in West Gosforth, Newcastle, Councillors Jackie Slesenger and Bill Shepherd. iii Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One: The Liberal Recruits 41 The Case Studies: Chapter Two: Winston Churchill 92 Chapter Three: Alfred Mond 124 Chapter Four: Edward Hilton Young 154 Chapter Five: Frederick Guest 176 Chapter Six: John Simon 195 Chapter Seven: Walter Runciman 224 Conclusion 255 Bibliography 268 Appendices 297 iv Introduction The recruitment of Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) into the Conservative party is an important element in the understanding of Liberal party disintegration and general political realignment in the first third of the twentieth century; however, it is one area of concern which has been under- explored. In certain regards, it is understandable why this should be so, since studies of societal change, the rise of mass democracy and the decline of the Liberal party – both as a party in Parliament and in the constituencies – might seem to have provided adequate coverage of all the major issues. However, lacking in these studies has been a sense of the strain Liberal politicians themselves placed on the Liberal party and the wider party system, both individually and collectively, through changes to their party associations. Changes in party from Liberal to other parties (both Labour and Conservative) were a major occurrence in the period, so the importance of Liberal recruits in the political changes cannot be under-estimated. At a microscopic level, one of the important aspects of examining the recruits is to be able to glean what affected them personally, with opportunities not only to examine the influence of, or reaction to, the major political issues of the day, but also to factor in more personal issues in how they furthered the prospects of Liberal decline and how unique personality characteristics impacted their decisions about party loyalties. This helps to appreciate the party system itself in a more personal way, with such unique factors being a corrective to any abstract view of the party system as simply representative of currents of opinion; indeed, it can be seen that politicians have very personal associations with party, not just those associated with particular political beliefs, but also loyalties to individuals or groups of people, or self-interest in seeking political office, as examples. The case of Liberal recruits to the Conservative party, in particular, presents an opportunity to consider unique aspects of the party system. In the early twentieth century, the system of political parties was fluid, with currents of opinion moving across and between all three; the lines between party were blurred, and it becomes difficult to appreciate changes of 1 political association fully in the context therefore of formal changes in political loyalties, making recruitment a fascinating topic for historical consideration. It is interesting, for example, to see that many Liberal recruits did not see attempts to build cross-party connections with Conservatives in the period before their recruitment as a discontinuity with their Liberal associations; indeed, many thought that these were perfectly consistent. Working with the Conservatives was often deemed to be patriotic and a necessary reaction to the development of mass democracy and the challenges posed electorally to the party system. This situation was not unique. Since the late Victorian era politicians had tried to adapt the existing parliamentary system to a new electorate brought into being by extended franchise arrangements, seeking to build consensus between political parties to appeal to the electorate and prevent the rise of extremes; a number of Liberal recruits can be seen as a new generation of politicians imbued with these Victorian perspectives, albeit set in an early twentieth century context. The neglect of Liberal recruitment is demonstrated in their only being a handful of studies available. The most detailed and compelling is Alun Wyburn-Powell’s recently published work.1 Wyburn-Powell’s investigations take a longer-range assessment – considering a century of developments (1910-2010) – and his research examines recruitment to both the Conservative and Labour parties.2 The publication is a phenomenal achievement, taking understanding of general issues in Liberal recruitment much further than was hitherto possible, placing it, at last, more centrally in the debates about realignment and Liberal party decline. However, there is still room for more specific and detailed examination of recruitment to the 1 Alun Wyburn-Powell, Defections and the Liberal Party, 1910-2010 (Manchester & New York, 2012). The published research relates to material presented for Powell’s University of Leicester Ph.D. thesis. Also see Alun Wyburn-Powell, ‘Defectors and the Liberal Party since December 1910’, Unpublished University of Leicester Ph.D. thesis (2010). 2 Wyburn-Powell’s is not the only study which covers recruitment into the Labour party. An older study exists – Catherine Ann Cline, Recruits to Labour - The British Labour Party, 1914-1931, (New York, 1963). There is also a recent short journal article – John Shepherd, ‘The Flight from the Liberal Party – Liberals Who Joined Labour, 1914-1931’, Journal of Liberal History 67 (2010), 24-34. 2 Conservative party from the early part of the twentieth century up to 1935. Wyburn-Powell’s broad study does not enable him to provide sufficiently detailed coverage of the Liberal recruits in the period, or of the context of the party system in which they played a role. More specific coverage of the period is justified not only for reason of understanding of a neglected historical topic but also for a secondary consideration, lying in current interest in Liberal and Conservatives relations as a result of the creation of the Coalition government in 2010. A study such as this might well assist in understanding the historical context in which these relations can be viewed. Overall, this introductory chapter will focus on two elements. The first section will seek to consolidate existing appreciation of the topic of Liberal to Conservative recruitment through examination of a range of research with both direct associations with the issue, as well as wider research which creates a context for it, to ensure the focus is sufficiently holistic. The latter suggestion includes the need for assessment of relevant material referring to socio-political and cultural phenomena, political beliefs, and Liberal party politics. It is intended that this section will highlight critical findings and offer a view about gaps in assessment and the scope for further research. The second part of the chapter will set out the parameters for enquiry in this study, building on points made in this introductory section about the importance of Liberal recruitment and its place in appreciation of the party system and Liberal party decline.