The Liberal Party was founded in 1859 and was an amalgamation of several political groups of the earlier nineteenth century known as the Peelites, Whigs, and Radicals. The Whigs wanted to reduce the power of the monarchy in favor of Parliament. The Peelites favored free trade over Conservative protectionist economic policies. The Radicals sought to increase the working class rights. These three groups eventually combined to form the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party ideology centered on free trade, decreasing the power of the monarchy in favor of Parliament, and social reform. Many members also did not conform to the state religion and sought to reduce the power of the Church of England. William Gladstone was one of the most important figures in the Liberal Party. He served as prime minister four times and promoted low taxes and laissez faire economic policies. As leader of the Liberal Party, he also supported educational reform by instituting the Elementary Education Act in 1870, which established a network of elementary schools in England. Gladwell also legalized trade unions, underscoring why the Liberal Party was particularly popular with the working class. The Liberal Party’s decline ultimately arose due to the crises before and during the First World War. The party was heavily divided internally and, externally, many were unhappy with their response to the war. The Labour Party ultimately gained greater power, and the Liberal Party faded into near obscurity.
John Stuart Mill served as an MP for the Liberal Party from 1865 to 1868 and was considered a more radical member. Mill writes, “The same idea, that the use of my being in Parliament was to do work which others were not able or not willing to do, made me think it my duty to come to the front in defence of advanced Liberalism on occasions when the obloquy to be encountered was such as most of the advanced Liberals in the House, preferred not to incur.” Mill also claims he was less concerned with gaining power or influence while in Parliament and more so with advocating for the causes he believed in, such as women’s suffrage.
Citations:
Cook, C. A Short History of the Liberal Party: The Road back to Power. Google Books, Springer, 2010, books.google.com/books?id=Y1p9DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA25#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed 18 May 2024.
“History of William Ewart Gladstone - GOV.UK.” Www.gov.uk, www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/william-ewart-gladstone.
Perduniak, Michael. Pamphlets and Politics: The British Liberal Party and the Working Man, University of Manchester, 2013.