LiberalHistoryToday
@libhistorytoday.bsky.social
Discussion and research on histories of the Lib Dems and predecessors, Liberal Party and SDP, and of Liberalism. Publish quarterly Journal of Liberal History. www.liberalhistory.org.uk.
#OTD 1915: H.H. Asquith announces the formation of a War Committee. It proved largely ineffective, being too large and lacking any executive authority - lessons that were not lost on Lloyd George when he formed his War Cabinet in 1916.
November 11, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1915: H.H. Asquith announces the formation of a War Committee. It proved largely ineffective, being too large and lacking any executive authority - lessons that were not lost on Lloyd George when he formed his War Cabinet in 1916.
#OTD 1958: Birth of David Howarth, Lib Dem MP for Cambridge 2005-10. He won Cambridge on his 3rd attempt, becoming the first Liberal to win the seat since 1906. In parliament, he spoke on local government and energy, serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice from 2007.
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1958: Birth of David Howarth, Lib Dem MP for Cambridge 2005-10. He won Cambridge on his 3rd attempt, becoming the first Liberal to win the seat since 1906. In parliament, he spoke on local government and energy, serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice from 2007.
#OTD 1910: The constitutional conference between the Liberals and the Unionist opposition aimed at resolving the constitutional issues thrown up by the House of Lords' rejection of the 1909 budget and the proposed Parliament Bill breaks up without reaching a solution.
November 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM
#OTD 1910: The constitutional conference between the Liberals and the Unionist opposition aimed at resolving the constitutional issues thrown up by the House of Lords' rejection of the 1909 budget and the proposed Parliament Bill breaks up without reaching a solution.
#OTD 1826: Birth of Joseph Arch, trade unionist and Liberal MP. He started work aged nine as a crow scarer. In the 1870s, he was one of the leaders of the struggle of agricultural workers for a living wage and better conditions. 🧵
November 10, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1826: Birth of Joseph Arch, trade unionist and Liberal MP. He started work aged nine as a crow scarer. In the 1870s, he was one of the leaders of the struggle of agricultural workers for a living wage and better conditions. 🧵
#OTD 1831: Birth of Henry Labouchere, writer, publisher, theatre owner and radical Liberal MP for Windsor 1865-66, Middlesex 1867-68 and Northampton 1880-1906. Born into a Hugenot family and nephew of the prominent Whig politician, Labouchere often cut a controversial figure.🧵
November 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
#OTD 1831: Birth of Henry Labouchere, writer, publisher, theatre owner and radical Liberal MP for Windsor 1865-66, Middlesex 1867-68 and Northampton 1880-1906. Born into a Hugenot family and nephew of the prominent Whig politician, Labouchere often cut a controversial figure.🧵
#OTD 1988: Death of Donald Wade, Baron Wade, Liberal MP for Huddersfield West 1950-64. He was an active member of the House of Lords and in the 1970s was involved in the campaign to incorporate the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law.
November 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1988: Death of Donald Wade, Baron Wade, Liberal MP for Huddersfield West 1950-64. He was an active member of the House of Lords and in the 1970s was involved in the campaign to incorporate the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law.
#OTD 1870: Birth of Herbert Samuel, Liberal leader 1931-35. He was first elected to Parliament in 1902. On the left of the party, Samuel was prominent in the Rainbow Club of Liberals and Socialists, which included future Labour PM Ramsay MacDonald. 🧵
November 6, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1870: Birth of Herbert Samuel, Liberal leader 1931-35. He was first elected to Parliament in 1902. On the left of the party, Samuel was prominent in the Rainbow Club of Liberals and Socialists, which included future Labour PM Ramsay MacDonald. 🧵
#OTD 1956: Jo Grimond succeeds Clement Davies as Liberal leader. Davies had announced his resignation at a party assembly a month earlier. Grimond was unanimously elected leader. At 43, Grimond was the youngest leader since the Marquess of Hartington in the 1870s.
November 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1956: Jo Grimond succeeds Clement Davies as Liberal leader. Davies had announced his resignation at a party assembly a month earlier. Grimond was unanimously elected leader. At 43, Grimond was the youngest leader since the Marquess of Hartington in the 1870s.
#OTD 1909: The Liberal Party takes the extraordinary step of drafting a 2nd Budget (Finance (Number Two) Bill) on the assumption that the radical 1909 People's Budget, introduced principally to raise taxes for the Liberal government's social welfare programmes, is rejected. 🧵
November 5, 2025 at 12:00 AM
#OTD 1909: The Liberal Party takes the extraordinary step of drafting a 2nd Budget (Finance (Number Two) Bill) on the assumption that the radical 1909 People's Budget, introduced principally to raise taxes for the Liberal government's social welfare programmes, is rejected. 🧵
#OTD 1897: The Liberal Alderman James Duckworth gains the seat of Middleton from the Conservatives. Joseph Chamberlain commented that '...a desire for change invariably existed among a proportion of the electorate and a government was liable to perish by its own virtues.'
November 4, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1897: The Liberal Alderman James Duckworth gains the seat of Middleton from the Conservatives. Joseph Chamberlain commented that '...a desire for change invariably existed among a proportion of the electorate and a government was liable to perish by its own virtues.'
#OTD 1920: Death of Lavinia Malcolm. A leading member of the Clackmannan and Kinross Women’s Liberal Association, she was elected in 1907 to Dollar Council in Clackmannanshire. In 1913, she became the first ever female Provost, a post she held until 1919.
November 2, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1920: Death of Lavinia Malcolm. A leading member of the Clackmannan and Kinross Women’s Liberal Association, she was elected in 1907 to Dollar Council in Clackmannanshire. In 1913, she became the first ever female Provost, a post she held until 1919.
#OTD 1907: First women elected to borough and county councils. Women had been able to be elected to a number of public bodies since W.E. Forster's Education Act of 1870 and, following Henry Fowler's Local Government Act of 1894, to urban and rural district councils, however...🧵
November 1, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1907: First women elected to borough and county councils. Women had been able to be elected to a number of public bodies since W.E. Forster's Education Act of 1870 and, following Henry Fowler's Local Government Act of 1894, to urban and rural district councils, however...🧵
#OTD 1929: Death of George Jackson Bentham. He served as Liberal MP for Gainsborough, Lincolnshire (1910-1918), a seat he won in a straight fight against the Conservatives. In 1918, Jackson lost to a Coalition Conservative. Following his defeat, he retired from active politics.
October 31, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1929: Death of George Jackson Bentham. He served as Liberal MP for Gainsborough, Lincolnshire (1910-1918), a seat he won in a straight fight against the Conservatives. In 1918, Jackson lost to a Coalition Conservative. Following his defeat, he retired from active politics.
#OTD 1897: Reviewing a speech by Sir Charles Dilke describing the state of the Liberal Party the Spectator comments, 'What does Sir Charles Dilke say? Almost exactly what we have said again and again in these columns - namely that the Liberal Party has at present...🧵 1/2
October 30, 2025 at 4:31 PM
#OTD 1897: Reviewing a speech by Sir Charles Dilke describing the state of the Liberal Party the Spectator comments, 'What does Sir Charles Dilke say? Almost exactly what we have said again and again in these columns - namely that the Liberal Party has at present...🧵 1/2
#OTD 1939: Death of James Scott, lawyer and Liberal MP 1929-31. He had a distinguished legal career serving as a solicitor to the Supreme Courts of Scotland. He briefly served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sir Archibald Sinclair, the then Secretary of State for Scotland.
October 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1939: Death of James Scott, lawyer and Liberal MP 1929-31. He had a distinguished legal career serving as a solicitor to the Supreme Courts of Scotland. He briefly served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sir Archibald Sinclair, the then Secretary of State for Scotland.
#OTD 1751: Birth of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright and Whig MP. He established a reputation as a great orator with his speech demanding the impeachment of Warren Hastings, which was regarded by both Burke and Pitt as the greatest speech they had ever heard.
October 30, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1751: Birth of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright and Whig MP. He established a reputation as a great orator with his speech demanding the impeachment of Warren Hastings, which was regarded by both Burke and Pitt as the greatest speech they had ever heard.
#OTD 1865: Following the sudden death of Lord Palmerston, Queen Victoria asks Earl Russell to form his second administration. His key policy was to extend the franchise. Unfortunately, this was opposed by the 'Adullamites' led by Robert Lowe.
October 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1865: Following the sudden death of Lord Palmerston, Queen Victoria asks Earl Russell to form his second administration. His key policy was to extend the franchise. Unfortunately, this was opposed by the 'Adullamites' led by Robert Lowe.
#OTD 1924: The 1924 general election. It was a disaster for the Liberal Party. Outmanoeuvred in parliament, strapped for cash and unprepared to fight an election, the party was only able to field a little over 350 candidates. The number of Liberal MPs fell from 158 to 42.
October 29, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1924: The 1924 general election. It was a disaster for the Liberal Party. Outmanoeuvred in parliament, strapped for cash and unprepared to fight an election, the party was only able to field a little over 350 candidates. The number of Liberal MPs fell from 158 to 42.
#OTD 1928: Happy birthday to Bill Rodgers. In 1981, along with Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams and David Owen, Rogers formed the 'Gang of Four' who founded the SDP. He led the successful 'Yes to Unity' campaign in the SDP in favour of merger with the Liberals.
October 28, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1928: Happy birthday to Bill Rodgers. In 1981, along with Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams and David Owen, Rogers formed the 'Gang of Four' who founded the SDP. He led the successful 'Yes to Unity' campaign in the SDP in favour of merger with the Liberals.
#OTD 1951: Liberal Party leader Clement Davies meets PM Winston Churchill to discuss his offer to include Davies in his cabinet as Minister for Education. Davies returned to London to report the offer to the Liberal Party Executive. The Executive rejected the offer 11 to 1.
October 27, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#OTD 1951: Liberal Party leader Clement Davies meets PM Winston Churchill to discuss his offer to include Davies in his cabinet as Minister for Education. Davies returned to London to report the offer to the Liberal Party Executive. The Executive rejected the offer 11 to 1.
#OTD 1931: Polling day in the 1931 General Election. In all 72 Liberals are elected representing in theory an improvement from the 1929 election...🧵 1/3
October 27, 2025 at 9:43 AM
#OTD 1931: Polling day in the 1931 General Election. In all 72 Liberals are elected representing in theory an improvement from the 1929 election...🧵 1/3
#OTD 1972: Cyril Smith wins the Rochdale by election. The election was caused by the death of the sititng Labour MP John "Jack" McCann. Smith, a former Labour Mayor of Rochdale before joining the Liberals in 1967, contested the seat in the 1970 General Election.🧵 1/2
October 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
#OTD 1972: Cyril Smith wins the Rochdale by election. The election was caused by the death of the sititng Labour MP John "Jack" McCann. Smith, a former Labour Mayor of Rochdale before joining the Liberals in 1967, contested the seat in the 1970 General Election.🧵 1/2
#OTD 1853: Birth of Sidney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton, member of the 1905-14 Liberal cabinets. Buxton first came to prominence with the publication of his Handbook to the Political Questions of the Day, a popular work which went through 11 editions. 🧵 1/3
October 25, 2025 at 11:50 AM
#OTD 1853: Birth of Sidney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton, member of the 1905-14 Liberal cabinets. Buxton first came to prominence with the publication of his Handbook to the Political Questions of the Day, a popular work which went through 11 editions. 🧵 1/3
#OTD 1800: Birth of Thomas Babbington Macaulay. A key figure in early 19th-century literature and politics, his History of England, with its theme of human progress, gave rise to the Whig interpretation of history. 🧵 1/2
October 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
#OTD 1800: Birth of Thomas Babbington Macaulay. A key figure in early 19th-century literature and politics, his History of England, with its theme of human progress, gave rise to the Whig interpretation of history. 🧵 1/2