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Lloyd George's Timing of the 1918 Election

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2014

Barry McGill
Barry McGill*
Affiliation:
Oberlin College
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Extract

The full story of the 1918 election can never be told, although its importance as a watershed is, and was at the time, undoubted. Private papers have disappeared and fire destroyed records of the Local Government Board and Home Office. An especially interesting kind of record, the expenditure of candidates, was not even collected, and no questions were raised about this until it was too late.

Churchill was among those who understood that “an election is to be fought, the result of which will profoundly affect political relationships and political issues for several years to come ….” Recent scholarship has concentrated on the divisions within the Liberal Party prior to the election, the special questions of Ireland and of National Democratic Party candidates, and “the stages” by which the drama unfolded in the autumn of 1918. But there has been no explanation of the timing: why did Lloyd George wait so long, and, having waited so long, why did he hurry into a December election, knowing the problems of voter registration and the signs of apathy and even hostility to an election? Moreover, all the discussion of why “coupons” were awarded as they were has obscured the difficulty of planning a coalition program, which was the precondition of any allocation of “coupons.”

The constraints upon Lloyd George went back to 1916. From the moment he succeeded Asquith he was “a Prime Minister without a party.” His claim to have 136 Liberal supporters in the Commons was never substantiated by a name list or verified in the division lobbies.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of British Studies , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , November 1974 , pp. 109 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference of British Studies 1974

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References

1. The papers of W. Hayes Fisher and the political diary of F. E. Guest are untraceable, while those of George Cave (Viscount Cave) were destroyed. Heuston, R. F. V., Lives of the Lord Chancellors, 1885-1940 (Oxford, 1964), p. 405, n. 1Google Scholar.

2. 5 Hansard 131:269 (June 29, 1920).

3. Beaverbrook Library, Churchill to Lloyd George, n.d. (Nov. 8, 1918?), F 8/2/39, Lloyd George Papers. I am indebted to the First Beaverbrook Trust for permission to use these and other papers in the collection of the Beaverbrook Library, henceforth B.L.

4. David, E., “The Liberal Party Divided,” The Historical Journal, XIII (1970), pp. 509–32CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5. McEwen, J. M., “The Liberal Party and the Irish Question during the First World War.” J.B.S., XII (1972), pp. 109–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Douglas, R., “The National Democratic Party and the British Workers' League,” The Historical Journal, XV (1972), pp. 533–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Stubbs, J. O., “Lord Milner and Patriotic Labour, 1914-1918,” English Historical Review, LXXXVII (1972), pp. 717–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

6. Cuthbert, D. D., “Lloyd George and the Conservative Central Office, 1918-1922,” pp. 167–87Google Scholar, Lloyd George: Twelve Essays, Taylor, A. J. P. (ed.), (London, 1971)Google Scholar.

7. LordBeaverbrook, , The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George, (London, 1963), p. 9Google Scholar.

8. B. L., Steel-Maitland to Lord Edmond Talbot, December 12, 1916, 81/1/54, Bonar Law Papers.

9. Stevenson, F., Lloyd George: A Diary, Taylor, A. J. P. (ed.), (London, 1971), p. 149Google Scholar.

10. Ibid., pp. 155-56.

11. Public General Acts, c. 64, 1918; PRO, Order in Council, March 4, 1918, PC/2/434; Order in Council, June 4, 1918, PC/2/435; Order in Council, July 9, 1918, PC/2/436.

12. PRO, Hayes Fisher memorandum, Feb. 20, 1918, CAB, 24/42.

13. B. L., Addison to Lloyd George, Jan. 4, 1918, F1/4/6, Lloyd George Papers.

14. B. L., Salisbury to Law, Feb. 22, 1918, 82/9/13; Curzon to Law, Feb. 25, 1918, 82/9/16, Bonar Law Papers.

15. B. L. Long to Law, March 15, 1918, 83/1/8, and Younger to Law, March 16, 1918, 83/1/9, Bonar Law Papers.

16. Ibid.

17. B. L., Sutherland to Lloyd George, March 13, 1918, F93/2/6, Lloyd George Papers.

18. B. L., Guest to Younger, March 16, 1918, enclosed with Younger to Law, March 16, 1918, 83/1/9, Bonar Law Papers.

19. B. L. Guest to Lloyd George, July 20, 1918, F21/2/28, Lloyd George Papers.

20. David, E., “Liberal Party Dividend,” The Historical Journal, XIII, pp. 514–18Google Scholar.

21. Stubbs, J. O., “Lord Milner and Labour,” E.H.R., LXXXVII, 726Google Scholar.

22. PRO, Hayes Fisher report, May 17, 1918, CAB, 23/6.

23. PRO, Order in Council, July 19, 1918, PC/2/436.

24. PRO, Hayes Fisher memorandum, May 15, 1918, CAB, 24/51.

25. B. L., Lloyd George to Law, April 10, 1918, 83/2/11, Bonar Law Papers. The same letter appears in F30/2, Lloyd George Papers, and is commented on by McEwen, , “The Liberal Party and the Irish,” J.B.S., XXII, 127Google Scholar.

26. As in 1917, B. L., Sir F. Cawley to Law, March 9, 1917, 81/4/8, Bonar Law Papers.

27. PRO, May 14, 1918, CAB, 23/6.

28. B. L., Guest to Lloyd George, July 6, 1918, F21/2/25, Lloyd George Papers.

29. B. L., amended draft where “Parliament Act repealed” is deleted by J. T. Davies, July 24, 1918, 83/5/23, Bonar Law Papers.

30. B. L., Sanders to Law, July 19, 1918, endorsed by Law, 83/5/18, Bonar Law Papers.

31. B. L., Guest to Lloyd George, Aug. 3, 1918, F21/2/30, Lloyd George Papers.

32. Ibid.

33. Taylor, A.J.P., Beaverbrook, (London, 1972), p. 159Google Scholar.

34. Private possession, Norman memorandum headed “Points for Discussion,” n.d., but for use at Criccieth, Aug. 22, 1918, Sir Henry Norman Papers. I am indebted to Lady Burke for permission to quote this and subsequent extracts from the Norman Papers.

35. Ibid., Norman's “Points for Discussion” as annotated, p. 2 and reverse of p. 2, at Criccieth, Aug. 22, 1918.

36. Taylor, A.J.P., English History, 1914-1945 (Oxford, 1965), p. 112Google Scholar confuses September with November; cf. Times, Sept. 13, 19, 1918.

37. B. L., Norman “Notes for the P.M.,” Sept. 19, 1918, F21/2/39, Lloyd George Papers.

38. Private possession, the earliest dated version of the Liberal program, dated July 26, 1918 and entitled “The War and Its Issue” is in the Norman Papers; the 200 seats are mentioned in B.L., Norman “Notes” Sept. 19, 1918, F21/2/39, Lloyd George Papers.

39. B. L., Guest to Lloyd George, Sept. 25, 1918, F21/2/40, Lloyd George Papers.

40. B. L., SirCornwall, Edwin, “Memo on London,” Sept. 3, 1918Google Scholar, and Dudley Ward's report, n.d., but included with Norman's, “Notes,” Sept. 19, 1918Google Scholar, all in F21/2/39, Lloyd George Papers.

41. B. L. Law's correspondence from Jan. to Sept. 1918, 82/8 to 84/1, Bonar Law Papers, and especially Law to Balfour, Oct. 5, 1918, 95/1, Bonar Law Papers.

42. There are many copies of the drafts, but the easiest way to compare Liberal and Conservative versions and the final agreed version is to consult the collection, n.d., B. L., 95/1, Bonar Law Papers. The Liberal version entitled “The War and Its Issue” and the Conservative “Heads of Policy” are pencilled, respectively “Theirs” and “Ours.” A critical commentary entitled “Notes” perhaps by James A. Clyde (later Baron Clyde) and a “New Draft” are included.

43. B. L., Beaverbrook to Churchill, Oct. 26, 1918, Churchill File, Beaverbrook Papers; Churchill to Law, July 5, 1919, 97/5/4, Bonar Law Papers.

44. B. L., Guest to Lloyd George, Oct. 21, 1918, F21/2/43, Lloyd George Papers.

45. Private possession, Robert Sanders (later Sir Robert Sanders, Bart., and later Baron Bayford) kept a diary of his political work at Conservative Central Office where in 1918 he was in charge of settling Conservative candidates outside of Scotland. The Bayford Diary supplies precise dates for events which I cite first, followed by the date of the Diary entry, as here, Law, Oct. 24, Oct. 27, Bayford Diary. I am indebted to the Hon. Mrs. T.P.P. Butler, O.B.E., for permission to make this and subsequent references to the Bayford Diary. B. L., Balfour to Law, “Saturday night” [Oct. 26, 1918], and Younger to Law, “Sunday morning,” [Oct. 27, 1918], 95/1, Bonar Law Papers.

46. Murray, A. C., Master and Brother (London, 1945), p. 176Google Scholar.

47. Private possession, Norman “Memorandum upon the Political Situation,” Oct. 17, 1918, Norman Papers.

48. Cf. Wilson, T., Downfall of the Liberal Party, 1914-1936 (London, 1966), p. 144Google Scholar.

49. Private possession, Lloyd George, Oct. 17, 1918, Oct. 20, 1918, Bayford Diary.

50. The comparison of 119 and 150 is of Lloyd George Liberal Candidates only. B. L., Guest to Lloyd George, Oct. 29, 1918, F21/2/46, Lloyd George Papers.

51. Cf. Wilson, T., Downfall of the Liberal Party, p. 148Google Scholar; private possession, Sanders' account of November 14, decisions on polling date, Nov. 16, 1918, Bayford Diary.

52. Blake, Robert, The Unknown Prime Minister (London, 1955), pp. 381–83Google Scholar.

53. Private possession, Sanders' report on his progress with seat allocation, Nov. 10, 1918, Bayford Diary.

54. PRO, Cabinet minutes, Nov. 25, 1918, CAB, 23/17; B. L., Milner to Lloyd George, Dec. 4, 1918, F38/4/30, Lloyd George Papers; Guest to Lloyd George, Oct. 29, 1918, F21/2/46, Lloyd George Papers; Lloyd George to A. Chamberlain, June 14, 1921, F7/4/9, Lloyd George Papers.

55. Times, Aug. 23, 1918; PRO, Cabinet minutes, Nov. 25, 1918, CAB, 23/17; 5 Hansard 114:1653 (April 7, 1919).

56. Private possession, Bonar Law, Nov. 8, 1918, Nov. 10, 1918, Bayford Diary.

57. Parliament was dissolved November 25, 1918 and polling took place December 14, 1918.

58. Cf. Morgan, K. O., “Lloyd George's Stage Army: the Coalition Liberals, 1918-1922,” Lloyd George: Twelve Essays, Taylor, A.J.P. (ed.), p. 228Google Scholar; B. L., Churchill to Lloyd George, Nov. 7, 1918, n.d. [Nov. 8, 1918?], Nov. 19, 1913, and Dec. 26, 1918, F8/2/37, 39, 40, and 49, Lloyd George Papers; private possession, Sanders on Law and Churchill arbitrating, Nov. 27, 1918, Bayford Diary.

59. Craig, F. W. S., British Parliamentary Election Statistics (Glasgow, 1968)Google Scholar, supplies the best statistics on the election.

60. James, Robert R., Memoirs of a Conservative (London, 1969), pp. 129–31Google Scholar, mistakenly omits the names H. Clifton Brown, R. Terrell, and T. G. Tickler from the list of “Ayes” and includes the name H. B. Ratcliffe with the “Noes” in the Carlton Club vote. The correct total is 187 to 87, with Ratcliffe and Clough abstaining. The Centre Party supporters are listed in letters from Frederick and Oscar Guest. B. L., F. Guest to Lloyd George, May 10, 1919, F21/3/21, and O. Guest to Lloyd George, n.d. [June?] 1919, Lloyd George Papers.

61. Private possession, Sanders on talk with Law concerning Guest and “new joint party” March 23, 1918, March 24, 1918, Bayford Diary.

62. Ibid., Sanders' reflection on the outcome, Jan. 5, 1919, Bayford Diary.