For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 47 / Summer 2005 / £7.50 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y Liberals of the Right? Tony Little Left and Right in Victorian Liberalism Ian Packer From Left to Right? The career of John Morley Jaime Reynolds ‘The Last of the Liberals’ Biography of Francis Wrigley Hirst Martin Farr Left, Right December 1916: The forward march of Liberals halted Robert Ingham Battle of ideas or absence of leadership? Liberals in the 1940s and 1950s Liberal Democrat History Group HISTORY GROUP NEWS Contribute to it be words or , will also contribute valuable or policy-making, or party words long. material. organisation). Liberal Democrat We also, however, need to Guidance will be given history interview a number of key with questions and interview Be honest party figures – and for that techniques. he Liberal Democrat This is the most important we need help! If you are able to help, History Group is trying thing about any story on this please write to Robert Ing- Tto establish an archive site. We want it to be a accu- ham, the Journal’s Biographies of personal recollections of rate and authentic. Interviewers needed Editor, who is coordinating party history. We would like to hear from the project, at: We’d like as many read- anyone willing to volunteer • biographies@liberalhisto ers of the Journal as possible What will happen to your some time to interview a ry.org.uk; or to send us your Liberal, SDP story? small number of key Liberal • Beltinge Road, Herne and Liberal Democrat anec- Our main aim is to ensure (or SDP or Liberal Demo- Bay, Kent CT DB dotes and recollections: every that the party’s ‘folk crat) activists about their story is vital. memory’ is preserved. period in the party, and their Cover illustration: Cover of Your contributions will be experience in particular areas Liberal Magazine, January archived and we will aim (campaigning, for example, 1947 What sort of information to make them accessible are we looking for? for researchers through our We’re looking for personal website, the Journal of Liberal recollections and information History and other publica- from people who have been tions. The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism active (or whose forebears Edited by Paul Marshall and David Laws were active) in the Liberal, The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism is an important Social Democrat or Liberal Send contributions to: collection of essays about the future policy direction of Democrat parties. Liberal Democrat His- the Liberal Democrats, written by some of the Party’s tory Group Liberal Archive brightest and youngest MPs and MEPs. project, at: What are our main areas • biographies@liberalhisto At a time when the Liberal Democrats are incresaingly of interest? ry.org.uk; or moving from being a party of protest to a party of Our interest ranges across the • Beltinge Road, power, leading Liberal Democrats set out a clear liberal whole history of the Liberal Herne Bay, Kent CT agenda for 21st century politics. The authors seek to Democrats and its predeces- DB re-establish the links between traditional liberalism sors from the nineteenth cen- – personal, political , economic and social – and tury to the present day. current policy solutions. We would like to hear Authors include memories of party personali- Oral history Paul Marshall, ties, elections, local constitu- nother related History David Laws, ency history, triumphs and Group project is a new Edward Davey, disappointments. publication: an Oral Nick Clegg, Whatever your experi- A History of twentieth century Christopher ence, you are welcome to Liberalism – a thematic study Huhne, Vince contribute. If you have or of the Liberal Party and lib- Cable, Susan know of party records or eralism, drawing upon inter- Kramer, Mark other documentary material views with Liberal activists Oaten, Steve that might be of historical and politicians, as well as Webb and Jo interest please give us details. autobiographical sources. Holland. Many of the necessary Published in 2004 interviews have already been Large or small by Profile Books, conducted, for other pur- Maybe your story is a brief £8.99 – available poses (such as PhD theses), anecdote, or maybe it’s a at all good and we hope that the new lifetime memoir. Feel free bookshops. Liberal Archive (see left) to write your story whether 2 Journal of Liberal History 47 Summer 2005 Journal of Liberal History Issue 47: Summer 2005 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 Liberals of the Right? 4 Editor: Duncan Brack Jaime Reynolds introduces this special issue of the Journal Deputy Editor: Sarah Taft Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Left and right in Victorian Liberalism 8 Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini Tony Little examines the meaning of terms in the political spectrum of the Deputy Reviews Editor: Tom Kiehl Victorian era. Patrons From left to right? The career of John Morley 16 Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; Biography of John Morley (1838–1923), the leading Victorian and Edwardian Professor John Vincent Liberal who could be seen as both of the ‘left’ and the ‘right; by Ian Packer. Editorial Board ‘The last of the Liberals’ 22 Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr Barry Doyle; Dr David Dutton; Professor David Gowland; Dr Richard Jaime Reynolds examines the career and political thought of Francis Wrigley Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Ian Hunter; Hirst (1873–1953). Dr J. Graham Jones; Tony Little; Professor Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Jaime Left, right: December 1916 – The forward 30 Reynolds; Iain Sharpe march of Liberals halted Editorial/Correspondence Was the disastrous Liberal split of 1916 a matter of personalities or Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and ideologies? Martin Farr considers the evidence. book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Battle of ideas or absence of leadership? 36 Contributions should be sent to: Robert Ingham analyses the ideological struggle in the Liberal Party in the Duncan Brack (Editor) 1940s and 1950s. 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ email: [email protected] Liberals and the New Right 45 All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. Biography of Arthur Seldon (1916– ), erstwhile Liberal and founder of the Institute for Economic Affairs; by John Meadowcroft and Jaime Reynolds. Advertisements Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. David Owen and the social market economy 52 Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please Duncan Brack looks at the Owenite concept of the ‘social market, and how it contact the Editor. was used as a political weapon. Subscriptions/Membership Reviews 60 An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal Paul Marshall and David Laws (eds.): The Orange Book: Reclaiming History costs £15.00 (£7.50 unwaged rate). This Liberalism, reviewed by Eugenio Biagini and Duncan Brack; David McKie: includes membership of the History Group unless you Jabez – The Rise and Fall of a Victorian Rogue, reviewed by Graham Lippiatt. inform us otherwise. The institutional rate is £25.00. Overseas (non-UK) subscribers should add £5.00; or, a special three-year rate is available for £55.00 (individuals) or £85.00 (institutions). Online subscriptions cost £35.00. In addition to printed copies, online subscribers will be able to access online copies of current and past Journals. Overseas online subscriptions are available for £40.00 per year, or £100 for three years. 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 The Liberal Democrat History Group promotes the discussion and research of historical topics relating to the histories of the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Party, and SDP, and of Cover design concept: Lynne Featherstone Liberalism. The Group organises discussion meetings and produces the Journal and other Published by the Liberal Democrat History Group, c/o occasional publications. 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ For more information, including details of publications, back issues of the Journal, tape Printed by Kall-Kwik, records of meetings and archive and other research sources, see our website at: 426 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5TF www.liberalhistory.org.uk. July 2005 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 47 Summer 2005 3 ‘I am a nineteenth-century Liberal. So is Mrs Thatcher. That is what this government is all about.’ Sir John Nott, Conservative Minister in the s ‘The picture generally given of the relative position of the three parties does more to obscure than to elucidate their true relations. They are usually represented as different positions on a line, with the socialists on the left, the conservatives on the right, and the liberals somewhere in the middle. Nothing could be more misleading.’ F. A. Hayek, Why I Am Not a Conservative () ‘Liberalism has always been about enterprise, competition and markets …’ Charles Kennedy () Jaime Reynolds asks whether it is meaningful to apply the terms left and right to the British Liberal Democrat tradition. And what do we mean by the ‘Liberal Right’ in this special edition of the Journal of Liberal History – LIBERALS OF THE4 Journal of Liberal History 47 Summer 2005RIGHT? LIBERALS OF THE RIGHT? or much of the past (Left): Liberal The articles in this special issue to shape its own environment; century, the question election slogan, look at various aspects of this the Right makes terms with the of where Liberals stand 1929 ‘right-wing’, predominantly eco- environment that surrounds it.