Liberalism and Liberal Politics in Edwardian England

George L. Bernstein

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9781032568263
  9781032567549
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000957815
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

First published in 1986, Liberalism and Liberal Politics in Edwardian England makes a lively contribution to the historical debate over whether the Liberal Party was already threatened by decline before the First World War. It challenges the current orthodoxy among historians of the Liberal Party, arguing that neither the new liberalism nor the progressive alliance with Labour helped to make it more attractive to working-class voters. Dr. Bernstein takes a wide view of liberal ideology and policies, stressing that the new liberalism cannot be treated in isolation from traditional domestic and external policies. He examines the crucial relationship between party leaders and constituency activists and argues that the party was more effective when the leadership could mobilize the activists in support of traditional domestic and foreign policies such as peace and retrenchment, free trade, education and temperance reform, land reform, the House of Lords and Irish Home Rule. This book will be welcomed by both scholars and students of history and political science.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables and Figures
• Acknowledgements
• A Note on the Use of Newspapers
• Introduction
• 1. The Foundations of Edwardian Liberalism
• 2. The Challenge of Liberal Imperialism
• 3. The Liberal Revival
• 4. The Progressive Alliance
• 5. Domestic Policies: The Years of Disappointment, 1906–8
• 6. Domestic Policies: The Years of Achievement, 1909–11
• 7. Domestic Policies: The Years of Frustration, 1912–14
• 8. Liberalism and External Affairs
• The Future of the Liberal Party in 1914
• List of Abbreviations in the Notes
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index