Tag Archives: henry campbell-bannerman

Jim Forrest

When they ran special trains for us

By Jim Forrest | Tue 9th December 2025 - 1:00 pm

Embed from Getty Images
 
(Editor’s note: The above photo merely gives a flavour of the 1906 election and is unrelated to the specifics of the article below.)

It’s a torn and faded paper poster in a nondescript frame; no illustrations, just 30 or so lines of red-printed text in a wide range of sizes. But it’s a strong contender for the treasured item I would rush to save from a fire.

“We are seven!” it begins. Then in huge type, “Great Liberal DEMONSTRATION” followed by the much smaller but far more interesting line: “To celebrate the return of a Liberal MP for every constituency within the county of Northamptonshire.”

The date for the MASS MEETING in the Corn Exchange, Northampton is June 6, 1906, a few months after the historic General Election which saw Henry Campbell-Bannerman’s Liberals win 397 seats.

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Posted in Liberal History | 4 Comments
Duncan Brack

Forgotten Liberal Heroes: Sir Edward Grey and Richard Haldane

By Duncan Brack | Tue 24th January 2023 - 4:35 pm

The Liberal governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H.H. Asquith, from 1905 to 1916, included many ‘big beasts’. Sir Edward Grey served as Foreign Secretary 1905–16 and remains the longest-serving holder of the office. He maintained good relations with France and Russia at a time of great instability in Europe. When his efforts to avert conflict failed, in 1914, Grey persuaded a divided cabinet to support Britain’s entry to the First World War.

Richard Haldane was Secretary for War 1905–12 and created the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force. As Lord Chancellor after 1912 he pursued a series of judicial reforms. He was also a co-founder of the UK university system.

Both have a credible case for being regarded as Liberal heroes. But Grey’s record has been strongly criticised in recent years and Haldane is largely forgotten.

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NewsHound

LibLink: Christine Jardine: Campbell-Bannerman, School Meals Pioneer

By NewsHound | Fri 10th January 2014 - 5:19 pm

There has been some controversy about Nick Clegg’s sudden announcement last September that schoolchildren would get a hot meal every day at school for the first 3 years. Some within the Party feel that resources could be better spent. Others argue that it does make a difference, having a direct effect on children’s learning ability.

Clegg though, is not the first liberal to be associated with such a policy, as former Special Adviser Christine Jardine wrote in the Scotsman this week:

Exactly a century ago, the last Liberal government to win a majority at Westminster made their policy compulsory to ensure councils

…

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