William Ewart Gladstone, David Lloyd George, John Maynard Keynes, John Stuart Mill – who is the greatest Liberal of all time? All Lib Dems coming to the autumn party conference will be able to cast a vote.
The poll for the greatest British Liberal in history is being run by the Liberal Democrat History Group. In the first stage, in July, readers of the Journal of Liberal History voted between 15 potential candidates (plus an eclectic collection of write-ins).
We chose not to define what we meant by ‘great’ – leaving that up to our voters – but our criteria for candidates were that they must have been active in the Liberal Democrats, or its predecessors, or influential on Liberal thinking; they must have been British, or active in Britain; and they must be dead.
The final four to emerge were:
• William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98), the political giant of Victorian politics. He defined the Liberal Party of the second half of the nineteenth century: the party of peace, retrenchment, reform and – above all – trust in the people.
• John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946), the most influential and important economic thinker of the twentieth century, whose ideas came to underpin Western governments’ post-war economic strategy. He effectively invented macroeconomics.
• David Lloyd George (1863–1945), one of the most dynamic and brilliant – and controversial – politicians ever to lead the party. He was instrumental in ensuring that the Liberal Party adjusted successfully to the demands of a mass industrial democracy.
• John Stuart Mill (1806–73), philosopher, economist, journalist, political writer, social reformer, and, briefly, MP, is one of the most famous figures in the pantheon of Liberal theorists. His masterpiece, On Liberty, is the symbol of office of the President of the Liberal Democrats.
The case for each of these four will be presented at the History Group’s fringe meeting at Brighton (8.00pm, Wednesday, 19th September), where leading politicians and historians – including Paddy Ashdown – will make the case for each one of the four. Votes can be cast either at the fringe meeting or at the History Group’s stand in the exhibition. Make sure you help to choose the greatest British Liberal!
See www.liberalhistory.org.uk for more details of the candidates and the History Group.
* Duncan Brack is Editor of the Journal of Liberal History.
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9 Comments
Sadly it’s typical of the LibDems that Churchill is the glaring omission…
DLG ‘was instrumental in ensuring that the Liberal Party adjusted successfully to the demands of a mass industrial democracy’ is an interesting take on one of the key men responsible for almost destroying the party in the 1920s and seeing it replaced by Labour (who clearly adapted to ‘mass industrial democracy’ far better).
I would have thought Beveridge would be as least as important as Keynes.
I haven’t seen the long list, but there are a number of philosphers who ought to merit a mention too – Berlin, Popper and Hayek for example…
The full long-list was published on Lib Dem Voice a couple of months ago HERE.
Voting will be by AV, won’t it?
I suspect Lloyd George might just win on first past the post, but AV would not favour him. A few years ago, the Liberal Democrat History Group had a pair of votes on ‘best and worst Liberal Leaders of the 20th Century’ – he polled very, very strongly. But in both.
Gladstone is tempting (certainly the Liberal Party’s greatest party-political figure, and a great if probably unbearable man), but for lasting impact on our party a century and a half later and a more coherent, consistent philosophy, Mill pips him. He’d be even more of a shoe-in if the vote didn’t follow his sexist Victorian publishers in missing off “…and Harriet Taylor”.
Voting for Mill and Taylor would really annoy Roy Hattersley, too, which is always a plus.
Personally I can’t stand Lloyd George for what he did to the party. He may have been a great politician, but he almost destroyed the party (with some help admittedly) and I disagree with some of his policies (he learned too much from Bismark in my opinion)
Keynes – the country should be governed by Oxbridge graduates – not very liberal… Also a lot of his economics (accompanied by misapplication) caused the crises of the second half of the 20th Century. He made some useful insights and got a lot wrong… (probably like most economists) I don’t think that singles him out as a great Liberal… An influential economist, a member of the Liberal party, not a great Liberal…
Mill and Gladstone I have little problem with.
I’m still disappointed Cobden didn’t get through though… I think Trenchard should have been in there too, he was a Whigg MP for a bit. Unfortunately I got my ballot paper too late 🙁 (my own fault – I’m amazed I got it at all)
What about Henry Dupre Labouchere???
The man who coined the phrase Grand old Man to describe WEG – who agreed to a diplomatic posting in somewhere unappealing subject to his being allowed to remain in Baden – who occupied a few more empty hours by being Chairman of the Westminster Aquarium (I kid you not).
Okay, not very sound on women’s suffrage; but how can you not warm to a man who never achieved cabinet status because of the Queen’s objections.
He was a republican, an Irish home ruler, and an aetheist, but worst of all – from Victoria’s perspective – he believed in … whisper it softly … birth control.
What a man !
Many good things about him, of course, but I suspect you would’t get a lot of gay Lib Dems voting for the Labouchere Amendment. The man was responsible for more misery than any other homophobe of his time, and should stay forgotten.
Henry Labouchere who authored the 1885 Labouchere amendment which became known as “the blackmailer’s charter” for criminalising gay men, caused more suicides than almost any other law, and wasn’t repealed until 1967? If he’s a great man then I’m a dutchman.