The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1905 and ended in 1915 consisted of two ministries: the first led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman (from 1905 to 1908) and the final three by H. H. Asquith (from 1908 onwards).
With the fall of Arthur Balfour's Conservative government in the United Kingdom in December 1905, the Liberals under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman were called in to form a government. In the subsequent election, the Liberals won an enormous majority. [1] Campbell-Bannerman was succeeded as prime minister by H. H. Asquith in 1908. [2]
The Liberal government was supported by 29 Labour Party MPs. Chancellor David Lloyd George crafted the People's Budget and introduced a great deal of social legislation, [3] such as old age pensions and unemployment insurance for a significant part of the working population. For many working people, for whom in old age the threat of the workhouse was very real, these represented a very significant change. Equally groundbreaking was the Parliament Act 1911 which:
Many of the members of Asquith's cabinet, however, opposed the social measures promulgated by leading figures such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George. This resistance was arguably a reflection of the extent to which many Liberals still adhered to the Party's Gladstonian, classical liberal tradition in spite of the growth of the "New Liberalism". Morley was opposed to both old-age pensions and the provisions of the Trade Boards Act of 1909, while Runciman was against the eight-hour day for miners and compensation for workers. Burns, Bryce, Loreburn, and W.S. Robson were opposed to land reform, insurance, and the feeding of schoolchildren, [4] while several cabinet members [5] (such as Crewe, [6] Fitzmaurice, [7] Harcourt, [8] and McKenna [9]) were critical of Lloyd George's progressive "People's Budget." Nevertheless, according to Neil Smith, the majority of the members of the Edwardian Liberal Cabinets were supportive of social reform and social progress. [10] As noted by one study,
They (the Liberal Cabinet members) sought to respond to the discontent of the electorate by using the existing structure of government to correct the ills of society through innovative legislation. Two-thirds of the Liberal candidates, including Edwin Montagu, had pledged support for such measures during the campaign. While their support was often expressed in general terms, their intent was clear: Social and economic reform must be the first order of the new government. [11]
Although the government lost a great deal of support by the two general elections of 1910, they managed to hold on by dint of support from the Irish Parliamentary Party. After early mismanagement during the First World War, particularly the failure of the Dardanelles Campaign, Asquith was forced to bring the Unionists into the government in a coalition. [12]
Campbell-Bannerman ministry | |
---|---|
1905–1908 | |
Date formed | 5 December 1905 |
Date dissolved | 5 April 1908 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Edward VII |
Prime Minister | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
Member party | Liberal Party |
Status in legislature | |
Opposition party | Conservative Party |
Opposition leaders |
|
History | |
Election(s) | 1906 general election |
Legislature term(s) | |
Predecessor | Balfour ministry |
Successor | First Asquith ministry |
Asquith ministries | |
---|---|
Date formed |
|
Date dissolved |
|
People and organisations | |
Monarch |
|
Prime Minister | H. H. Asquith |
Prime Minister's history | 1908–1916 |
Member party | Liberal Party |
Status in legislature |
|
Opposition party | Conservative Party |
Opposition leaders |
|
History | |
Election(s) | |
Legislature term(s) | |
Budget(s) | People's Budget |
Predecessor | C-Bannerman ministry |
Successor | Asquith coalition ministry |
Office | Name | Term |
---|---|---|
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury |
H. H. Asquith | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Lord Chancellor | The Lord Loreburn [17] | April 1908 – June 1912 |
The Viscount Haldane | June 1912 – May 1915 | |
Lord President of the Council | The Lord Tweedmouth | April–September 1908 |
The Viscount Wolverhampton | September 1908 – June 1910 | |
The Earl Beauchamp | June–November 1910 | |
The Viscount Morley of Blackburn | November 1910 – August 1914 | |
The Earl Beauchamp | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Lord Privy Seal | The Marquess of Ripon | May–October 1908 |
The Earl of Crewe [18] | October 1908 – October 1911 | |
The Earl Carrington | October 1911 – February 1912 | |
The Marquess of Crewe | February 1912 – May 1915 | |
Chancellor of the Exchequer | David Lloyd George | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Home Secretary | Herbert Gladstone | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Winston Churchill | February 1910 – October 1911 | |
Reginald McKenna | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Foreign Secretary | Sir Edward Grey, Bt | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Secretary of State for the Colonies | The Earl of Crewe | May 1908 – November 1910 |
Lewis Harcourt | November 1910 – May 1915 | |
Secretary of State for War | Richard Haldane [19] | May 1908 – June 1912 |
Jack Seely | June 1912 – March 1914 | |
H. H. Asquith | March–August 1914 | |
The Earl Kitchener | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Secretary of State for India | The Viscount Morley of Blackburn | May 1908 – November 1910 |
The Earl of Crewe | November 1910 – May 1915 | |
First Lord of the Admiralty | Reginald McKenna | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Winston Churchill | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | The Viscount Wolverhampton | May–September 1908 |
The Lord FitzMaurice | September 1908 – June 1909 | |
Herbert Samuel | June 1909 – May 1910 | |
Joseph Pease | May 1910 – October 1911 | |
Charles Hobhouse | October 1911 – February 1914 | |
Charles Masterman | February 1914 – January 1915 | |
Edwin Samuel Montagu | January–May 1915 | |
President of the Board of Trade | Winston Churchill | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Sydney Buxton | February 1910 – February 1914 | |
John Burns | February–August 1914 | |
Walter Runciman | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Secretary for Scotland | John Sinclair [20] | May 1908 – February 1912 |
Thomas McKinnon Wood | February 1912 – May 1915 | |
Chief Secretary for Ireland | Augustine Birrell | May 1908 – May 1915 |
President of the Local Government Board | John Burns | May 1908 – February 1914 |
Herbert Samuel | February 1914 – May 1915' | |
President of the Board of Agriculture | The Earl Carrington | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Walter Runciman | October 1911 – August 1914 | |
The Lord Lucas | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
President of the Board of Education | Walter Runciman | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Joseph Pease | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Postmaster General | Sydney Buxton | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Herbert Samuel | February 1910 – February 1914 | |
Charles Hobhouse | February 1914 – May 1915 | |
First Commissioner of Works | Lewis Harcourt | May 1908 – November 1910 |
The Earl Beauchamp | November 1910 – August 1914 | |
The Lord Emmott | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Attorney General | Sir Rufus Isaacs [21] | June 1912 – October 1913 |
Sir John Simon | October 1913 – May 1915 |
Members of the cabinet are in bold face.
The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1905 and ended in 1915 consisted of two ministries: the first led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman (from 1905 to 1908) and the final three by H. H. Asquith (from 1908 onwards).
With the fall of Arthur Balfour's Conservative government in the United Kingdom in December 1905, the Liberals under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman were called in to form a government. In the subsequent election, the Liberals won an enormous majority. [1] Campbell-Bannerman was succeeded as prime minister by H. H. Asquith in 1908. [2]
The Liberal government was supported by 29 Labour Party MPs. Chancellor David Lloyd George crafted the People's Budget and introduced a great deal of social legislation, [3] such as old age pensions and unemployment insurance for a significant part of the working population. For many working people, for whom in old age the threat of the workhouse was very real, these represented a very significant change. Equally groundbreaking was the Parliament Act 1911 which:
Many of the members of Asquith's cabinet, however, opposed the social measures promulgated by leading figures such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George. This resistance was arguably a reflection of the extent to which many Liberals still adhered to the Party's Gladstonian, classical liberal tradition in spite of the growth of the "New Liberalism". Morley was opposed to both old-age pensions and the provisions of the Trade Boards Act of 1909, while Runciman was against the eight-hour day for miners and compensation for workers. Burns, Bryce, Loreburn, and W.S. Robson were opposed to land reform, insurance, and the feeding of schoolchildren, [4] while several cabinet members [5] (such as Crewe, [6] Fitzmaurice, [7] Harcourt, [8] and McKenna [9]) were critical of Lloyd George's progressive "People's Budget." Nevertheless, according to Neil Smith, the majority of the members of the Edwardian Liberal Cabinets were supportive of social reform and social progress. [10] As noted by one study,
They (the Liberal Cabinet members) sought to respond to the discontent of the electorate by using the existing structure of government to correct the ills of society through innovative legislation. Two-thirds of the Liberal candidates, including Edwin Montagu, had pledged support for such measures during the campaign. While their support was often expressed in general terms, their intent was clear: Social and economic reform must be the first order of the new government. [11]
Although the government lost a great deal of support by the two general elections of 1910, they managed to hold on by dint of support from the Irish Parliamentary Party. After early mismanagement during the First World War, particularly the failure of the Dardanelles Campaign, Asquith was forced to bring the Unionists into the government in a coalition. [12]
Campbell-Bannerman ministry | |
---|---|
1905–1908 | |
Date formed | 5 December 1905 |
Date dissolved | 5 April 1908 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Edward VII |
Prime Minister | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
Member party | Liberal Party |
Status in legislature | |
Opposition party | Conservative Party |
Opposition leaders |
|
History | |
Election(s) | 1906 general election |
Legislature term(s) | |
Predecessor | Balfour ministry |
Successor | First Asquith ministry |
Asquith ministries | |
---|---|
Date formed |
|
Date dissolved |
|
People and organisations | |
Monarch |
|
Prime Minister | H. H. Asquith |
Prime Minister's history | 1908–1916 |
Member party | Liberal Party |
Status in legislature |
|
Opposition party | Conservative Party |
Opposition leaders |
|
History | |
Election(s) | |
Legislature term(s) | |
Budget(s) | People's Budget |
Predecessor | C-Bannerman ministry |
Successor | Asquith coalition ministry |
Office | Name | Term |
---|---|---|
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury |
H. H. Asquith | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Lord Chancellor | The Lord Loreburn [17] | April 1908 – June 1912 |
The Viscount Haldane | June 1912 – May 1915 | |
Lord President of the Council | The Lord Tweedmouth | April–September 1908 |
The Viscount Wolverhampton | September 1908 – June 1910 | |
The Earl Beauchamp | June–November 1910 | |
The Viscount Morley of Blackburn | November 1910 – August 1914 | |
The Earl Beauchamp | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Lord Privy Seal | The Marquess of Ripon | May–October 1908 |
The Earl of Crewe [18] | October 1908 – October 1911 | |
The Earl Carrington | October 1911 – February 1912 | |
The Marquess of Crewe | February 1912 – May 1915 | |
Chancellor of the Exchequer | David Lloyd George | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Home Secretary | Herbert Gladstone | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Winston Churchill | February 1910 – October 1911 | |
Reginald McKenna | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Foreign Secretary | Sir Edward Grey, Bt | May 1908 – May 1915 |
Secretary of State for the Colonies | The Earl of Crewe | May 1908 – November 1910 |
Lewis Harcourt | November 1910 – May 1915 | |
Secretary of State for War | Richard Haldane [19] | May 1908 – June 1912 |
Jack Seely | June 1912 – March 1914 | |
H. H. Asquith | March–August 1914 | |
The Earl Kitchener | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Secretary of State for India | The Viscount Morley of Blackburn | May 1908 – November 1910 |
The Earl of Crewe | November 1910 – May 1915 | |
First Lord of the Admiralty | Reginald McKenna | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Winston Churchill | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | The Viscount Wolverhampton | May–September 1908 |
The Lord FitzMaurice | September 1908 – June 1909 | |
Herbert Samuel | June 1909 – May 1910 | |
Joseph Pease | May 1910 – October 1911 | |
Charles Hobhouse | October 1911 – February 1914 | |
Charles Masterman | February 1914 – January 1915 | |
Edwin Samuel Montagu | January–May 1915 | |
President of the Board of Trade | Winston Churchill | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Sydney Buxton | February 1910 – February 1914 | |
John Burns | February–August 1914 | |
Walter Runciman | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Secretary for Scotland | John Sinclair [20] | May 1908 – February 1912 |
Thomas McKinnon Wood | February 1912 – May 1915 | |
Chief Secretary for Ireland | Augustine Birrell | May 1908 – May 1915 |
President of the Local Government Board | John Burns | May 1908 – February 1914 |
Herbert Samuel | February 1914 – May 1915' | |
President of the Board of Agriculture | The Earl Carrington | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Walter Runciman | October 1911 – August 1914 | |
The Lord Lucas | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
President of the Board of Education | Walter Runciman | May 1908 – October 1911 |
Joseph Pease | October 1911 – May 1915 | |
Postmaster General | Sydney Buxton | May 1908 – February 1910 |
Herbert Samuel | February 1910 – February 1914 | |
Charles Hobhouse | February 1914 – May 1915 | |
First Commissioner of Works | Lewis Harcourt | May 1908 – November 1910 |
The Earl Beauchamp | November 1910 – August 1914 | |
The Lord Emmott | August 1914 – May 1915 | |
Attorney General | Sir Rufus Isaacs [21] | June 1912 – October 1913 |
Sir John Simon | October 1913 – May 1915 |
Members of the cabinet are in bold face.