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The Viability of the Progressive Alliance: Electoral Politics in Manchester, 1910–1912

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The Progressive Alliance and the Rise of Labour, 1903-1922

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Abstract

The author examines the two general electoral campaigns of 1910 and illustrates how the politics of the Progressive Alliance was complex. Relations were severely strained on occasion with unfavourable outcomes on both sides. The author considers two important by-elections during 1912 and argues that poor by-election performance was determined by adverse public reaction to specific policy and legislation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The 1908 by-election had seen a three-cornered contest but the Labour Party had not officially sanctioned the third candidate on that occasion, rather, his candidature had not met with Labour approval.

  2. 2.

    Manchester South West had a history of problems. In 1900, for example, though the Liberals did not run a candidate, the local association refused to endorse the LRC candidate.

  3. 3.

    That the party was performing well in the municipal politics of this district (Bradford, Beswick and Ardwick wards in particular) may have confirmed for Labour their claim to contest the parliamentary constituency.

  4. 4.

    The Times, 17 December 1909. It was believed that Zimmerman had been instrumental in the 1906 election victories in Manchester and this made him a popular choice with ordinary members.

  5. 5.

    Manchester Liberal Federation Executive Committee Minutes, 20 December 1909.

  6. 6.

    Ibid.

  7. 7.

    Ibid.

  8. 8.

    Manchester Liberal Federation Executive Committee Minutes, 29 December 1909.

  9. 9.

    Manchester Courier, 5 January 1910.

  10. 10.

    N. Blewett , The Peers, The Parties and the People: The General Elections of 1910 (Toronto, 1972), pp. 234–235.

  11. 11.

    Ibid., p. 234.

  12. 12.

    See Manchester Guardian, 3 and 6 January 1910.

  13. 13.

    See Manchester Guardian, 4 January 1910 and Labour Leader, 21 January 1910.

  14. 14.

    Manchester Evening News, 11 January 1910.

  15. 15.

    Manchester Courier, 3 January 1910.

  16. 16.

    Colefax’s policies were remarkably progressive. He argued strongly for the removal of the pauper disqualification (incorporated within the pensions scheme), advocated the establishment of a national scheme for unemployment and invalidity insurance, extension of the education system and state-aided purchase of land; see Manchester Courier, 8 and 10 January 1910.

  17. 17.

    See speeches in Manchester Courier, 3 and 6 January 1910.

  18. 18.

    Manchester Courier, 6 January 1910.

  19. 19.

    Manchester Courier, 5 January 1910.

  20. 20.

    See Manchester Courier, 8 January 1910.

  21. 21.

    Manchester Evening News, 5 January 1910.

  22. 22.

    Blewett , Peers, Parties and the People, p. 109.

  23. 23.

    Generally, the attitude of Labour candidates was to provide support to the government on the constitutional question. There was very little difference between the lines adopted by Liberals or Labour candidates. For a useful account of Labour and the constitutional question, see Douglas, R. ‘Labour and the Constitutional Crisis’ in K. D. Brown, The First Labour Party (London, 1985). Douglas highlights how Labour candidates were especially interested in land taxation, and this period marked the high point of Lib-Lab cooperation.

  24. 24.

    Manchester Guardian, 17 January 1910.

  25. 25.

    See Manchester Evening News, 7 January 1910.

  26. 26.

    See Manchester Courier, 5, 7 and 8 January 1910.

  27. 27.

    Manchester Courier, 7 January 1910.

  28. 28.

    Manchester Guardian, 11 January 1910.

  29. 29.

    Ibid.

  30. 30.

    Manchester Evening News, 12 January 1910.

  31. 31.

    Ibid.

  32. 32.

    See Manchester Evening News, 4 January 1910.

  33. 33.

    Liberal Yearbook, 1910 and Manchester Evening News, 5 January 1910.

  34. 34.

    Schwann, in particular, focused on free trade and requested that the MLF provide election hoardings that dealt solely with the subject.

  35. 35.

    Manchester Guardian, 12 January 1910.

  36. 36.

    Manchester Courier, 14 January 1910.

  37. 37.

    See Manchester Guardian, 11 January 1910.

  38. 38.

    Ibid.

  39. 39.

    Labour Leader, 21 January 1910.

  40. 40.

    See N. Blewett, Peers, Parties and the People, p. 379.

  41. 41.

    Manchester Liberal Federation Executive Committee Minutes report on the general election, 13 December 1910.

  42. 42.

    Labour faced particular problems in tracking down removals especially in the poorest parts of the city. In East Manchester, for example, it was estimated that half had moved since the register had been compiled; see Manchester Guardian, 9 December 1910. See also Manchester and Salford Labour Representation Committee Annual Report 1910 which noted that ‘whilst Manchester [was] the only town in the country returning two Labour members it is one of the weakest in organisation’.

  43. 43.

    Blewett suggests that there were two objectives to Bonar Law’s candidature in Manchester North West. First, it was hoped that it would provide a much needed boost for the Conservatives in Lancashire, and second it could encourage the wider unity of the party behind protectionism; see N. Blewett, Peers, Parties and People, p. 23. Contesting such a free-trade seat (at least in terms of how the Liberals perceived it) no doubt also boosted Bonar Law’s personal reputation as a leader of the Tariff Reform movement.

  44. 44.

    Manchester Guardian, 22 November 1910.

  45. 45.

    Ibid.

  46. 46.

    Manchester Guardian, 25 November 1919.

  47. 47.

    Manchester Guardian, 26 November 1910.

  48. 48.

    Ibid.

  49. 49.

    See Manchester Liberal Federation Minutes, 13 December 1910.

  50. 50.

    See Manchester Guardian, 25 November 1910.

  51. 51.

    Glazebrook arrived at Manchester Town Hall only six minutes after nominations closed; Arthur Howarth did offer to resign the seat in order to allow Glazebrook to fight the election, but the offer was declined.

  52. 52.

    See Manchester Courier, 5 December 1910 and the preceding day’s coverage.

  53. 53.

    See Manchester Courier, 25 November 1910.

  54. 54.

    Labour Leader, 5 December 1910.

  55. 55.

    Labour Leader, 9 December 1910.

  56. 56.

    P. Readman and L. Blaxill, ‘Edwardian By-Elections’ in T. G. Otte and P. Readman (eds), By-Elections in British Politics, 1832–1914 (Woodbridge, 2013), p. 228.

  57. 57.

    Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1912.

  58. 58.

    Glazebrook via cablegram, Manchester Guardian, 24 February 1912.

  59. 59.

    See Manchester Evening News, 24 February 1912.

  60. 60.

    Manchester Guardian, 26 February 1912.

  61. 61.

    Manchester Courier, 3 March 1912.

  62. 62.

    See Sir John Simon speech, Manchester Guardian, 4 March 1912.

  63. 63.

    Ibid.

  64. 64.

    Manchester Evening News, 5 March 1912.

  65. 65.

    See Asquith’s message to the constituency, Manchester Guardian, 5 March 1912.

  66. 66.

    P. Clarke , Lancashire, p. 304.

  67. 67.

    Manchester Liberal Federation Minutes, 15 March 1912.

  68. 68.

    Manchester Courier, 17 July 1912.

  69. 69.

    Manchester Courier, 18 July 1912.

  70. 70.

    Manchester Courier, 26 July 1912.

  71. 71.

    Manchester Courier 27 July 1912.

  72. 72.

    This quotation is from an election address by the Liberal candidate during the previous year’s by-election campaign in Oldham; Manchester Guardian, 3 November 1911.

  73. 73.

    Manchester Courier, 7 August 1912.

  74. 74.

    Manchester Courier, 2 August 1912.

  75. 75.

    See Manchester Courier, 30 July 1912.

  76. 76.

    Ibid.

  77. 77.

    Manchester Guardian, 29 July 1912.

  78. 78.

    Manchester Courier, 27 July 1912.

  79. 79.

    This was 10% lower than that of the January 1910 general election.

  80. 80.

    The ‘progressive’ and nationalist majority over Unionists stood at 109 (389–280). After December 1910, it had been 126.

  81. 81.

    Manchester Evening News, 9 August 1912.

  82. 82.

    This was based on a comment by a Unionist official intimating that the party had polled fewer than fifty votes in Cheetham; see Manchester Courier, 9 August 1912.

  83. 83.

    See P. Clarke, Lancashire, p. 305.

  84. 84.

    The Times, 9 August 1912.

  85. 85.

    See Manchester Liberal Federation Executive Committee Minutes, 1 April 1913 and 28 January, 18 February and 11 March 1914.

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  1. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Samantha Wolstencroft

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Wolstencroft, S. (2018). The Viability of the Progressive Alliance: Electoral Politics in Manchester, 1910–1912. In: The Progressive Alliance and the Rise of Labour, 1903-1922. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75744-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75744-5_3

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