For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 75 / Summer 2012 / £6.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y The making of ‘The People’s William’ Richard A. Gaunt William Ewart Gladstone A bicentary perspective Chris Wrigley The making of ‘The People’s William’ David Dutton The 1936 Preston by-election Coalition tensions Michael James John Sutton Nettlefold, Liberalism and the early town planning movement Ian Ivatt Liberal Party fortunes in the Isle of Wight 1900–1910 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 75 Summer 2012 Journal of Liberal History Issue 75: Summer 2012 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 William Ewart Gladstone: A bicentenary 4 Editor: Duncan Brack perspective Deputy Editor: Tom Kiehl Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Richard A. Gaunt explores Gladstone’s connections with Nottinghamshire. Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini The making of ‘The People’s William’ 14 Contributing Editors: Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, York Membery Chris Wrigley analyses Gladstone’s transformation into the most popular politician of his age. Patrons Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; The 1936 Preston by-election 20 Professor John Vincent David Dutton looks at the tensions a by-election caused for Liberal National and Conservative coalition partners. Editorial Board Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Ian Cawood; Dr Roy Douglas; Discovering Berwick’s Liberal history 27 Dr David Dutton; Prof. David Gowland; Prof. Richard Sir Alan Beith MP explores the Liberal history of his native town. Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Dr Alison Holmes; Dr J. Graham Jones; Dr Tudor Jones; Tony Little; Prof. Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; John Sutton Nettlefold, Liberalism and the early 30 Dr John Powell; Jaime Reynolds; Dr Andrew Russell; town planning movement Dr Iain Sharpe The contribution of the chair of Birmingham’s Housing Committee, 1901–11, to the debates on slum housing and town planning; by Michael James. Editorial/Correspondence Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed Liberal Party fortunes in the Isle of Wight 1900– 38 publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. 1910 Contributions should be sent to: Ian Ivatt looks at the political and electoral history of a Liberal–Conservative Duncan Brack (Editor) marginal seat. 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN email: [email protected] Report 45 All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. All Winston Churchill: Liberal or Tory? with Sir Alan Beith and Professor Martin rights reserved. Pugh; report by Mark Pack. Advertisements Reviews 47 Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers Fry, And Fortune Fled: David Lloyd George, The First Democratic Statesman, 1916– (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please 1922, reviewed by J. Graham Jones; Dostaler, Keynes and His Battles, reviewed contact the Editor. by Richard Toye; Shepherd and Laybourn, Britain’s First Labour Government, reviewed by Michael Meadowcroft. 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. July 2012 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 75 Summer 2012 3 From December 2009 to March 2010, the University of Nottingham held an exhibition – ‘W. E. WilliAM EWART GLAdstONE: Gladstone: The “Grand Old Man” in Nottinghamshire’ – to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth A BICENteNARY PERspeCtiVE of the great nineteenth- century Liberal politician and statesman. The exhibition had two major objectives: first, to illustrate some of the larger themes of Gladstone’s life (in particular, his transformation from Macaulay’s ‘stern, unbending Tory’ of the 1830s to the ‘People’s William’ of the 1850s and 1860s, feted and adored through – amongst other things – a remarkably modern- looking exploitation of his public image); second, to highlight the hitherto unexplored connections between Gladstone and Nottinghamshire. t first glance, the second constituencies ranged from New- objective might seem an ark in Nottinghamshire (1832–46) Here we reprint two Aincongruous undertaking. through the University of Oxford Gladstone was, after all, the Lanca- (1847–65), South Lancashire (1865– of the lectures given at shire-raised and Oxford-educated 8) and Greenwich (1868–80) to the time; by Richard son of a wealthy Scottish merchant; Edinburgh Midlothian (1880–94). his wife – Catherine Glynne (1812– Gladstone himself spent most of his A. Gaunt and Chris 1900) – was a member of a Welsh active political life in the heart of gentry family which was raised to Westminster, first as a Conserva- Wrigley. a hereditary baronetcy; Gladstone’s tive MP (1832–46), later as a Liberal 4 Journal of Liberal History 75 Summer 2012 WilliAM EWART GLAdstONE: A BICENteNARY PERspeCtiVE (1859–94). Ascribing to Gladstone From Conservative to Liberal: be a pivotal influence determining a particular local attachment was Gladstone as MP for Newark his son’s early career and a princi- problematic in his lifetime: as one (1832–46) pal reason for his association with contemporary observed, in 1865, Although there are many biogra- Nottinghamshire. Gladstone was ‘Oxford on the sur- phies and monographs studying Two things pre-occupied the face, but Liverpool underneath’. Gladstone’s role in national political mind of the High-Flyer’s eminent Yet there are good reasons for life, as the man who became Liberal young passenger as he arrived at remembering the strong and con- prime minister four times between Newark: one was the ‘painful sac- tinuing connections which Glad- 1868 and 1894, Nottinghamshire rifice’ he had made, in travelling stone forged with Nottinghamshire was in many respects the cradle of on the sabbath from Torquay to throughout his life: connections his parliamentary career. As Glad- Newark for the purposes of elec- which, in many ways, mirrored stone commented in 1882, on the tioneering. The second was the the political journey which he took golden jubilee of his first election to reception he was likely to receive from Conservative to Liberal over parliament as Conservative MP for upon arrival: the course of his remarkable life. Newark, the county had provided The exhibition was supported him with the ‘first link of connec- I had heard much of the extreme by a series of lectures, from which tion with political life’.2 violence of [the opposing] party the following two articles derive. It was the ‘High-Flyer coach’ in Newark and on seeing a man Whilst the first concentrates upon from London to York which waiting, evidently on the look- Gladstone’s connection with New- brought Gladstone to Newark, out for me, at the hotel gateway ark, his first parliamentary con- on Monday 24 September 1832, [of the Clinton Arms], I was in stituency, in the unashamedly on what proved to be the first of no way inclined to suppose him Tory period of his life, the seeds his many visits to the county. The a friend but thought … that he of his future Liberalism emerge as coach’s title – a reference to the might be a spy stationed there the crucial reason for his depar- great distance it covered at relative for any purpose whether of vio- ture from the constituency in 1846.