Liberals, Labour and Local Elections

Abstract

The rise of Labour and the downfall of the Liberal Party have long been themes which have fascinated historians. The historical debate has so far tended to focus on three main periods: the years of the Liberal government, 1906–14; the period of wartime politics, 1914–18; and the six years from 1918 to 1924, which saw the Lloyd George coalition, the split in the party, and the final blow dealt by the minority Labour government that followed the 1923 general election. Few historians have examined the Liberal Party after 1924; fewer still after 1931. Indeed, the period from 1931 to 1945 has yet to see a serious and scholarly published study of the Liberal Party.