On 6 June 1859, at Willis’s Rooms in King Street, St James, London, three groups of MPs – Radicals, Whigs and Peelites – met to formalise their parliamentary coalition to oust the Conservative government of Lord Derby and bring in a new administration under Lord Palmerston. Thus was born the first Liberal government, and the meeting in Willis’s Rooms marks the foundation of the Liberal Party.

To mark this 150th anniversary of the formation of the Liberal Party, and to commemorate the Willis’ Rooms meeting permanently, the Liberal Democrat History Group is arranging to erect a Westminster Council ‘heritage plaque’ on the current-day site, Almack House in King Street.

The cost will be approximately £1,000, so the Group is launching an appeal to meet the cost of th project. It has the backing of party leader Nick Clegg, who says: ‘The founding of the Liberal Party in 1859 was a landmark event in British political history, and I give my whole-hearted support to the campaign to put up a plaque at Almack House on the 150th anniversary of such a momentous occasion.’

If you would like to support this plaque appeal, please send your contribution to Willis’ Rooms Plaque Appeal, c/o Liberal Democrat History Group, 234d Lewisham Way, London SE4 1XL. Please make cheques payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’, and include your contact details. This form contains all the information you need.

All those who donate money will be informed about the unveiling of the plaque, and their names (though not the amounts donated) will be published in theJournal of Liberal History (unless you’d like to remain anonymous).