Liberal Imperialists

The Liberal Imperialists were a faction within the British Liberal Party around 1900 regarding the policy toward the British Empire. They supported the Second Boer War which most Liberals opposed, and wanted the Empire ruled on a more benevolent basis. The most prominent members were R. B. Haldane, H. H. Asquith, Sir Edward Grey and Lord Rosebery.[1] The group was at first titled "The Imperial Liberal Council", the inaugural meeting of which was held in April 1900. That meeting was chaired by Robert William Perks. Stephen Koss described Perks`s role in the group as: "It was not Rosebery who recruited Perks as first-lieutenant, but Perks who recruited Rosebery as captain".[2]

## Beliefs

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The Liberal Imperialists believed that under the leadership of William Ewart Gladstone the Liberal Party had succumbed to "faddists", sectional interests, and the "Celtic fringe" which prevented it from being a truly national party.[3] Furthermore, the Liberal Party should include people of all classes, along with promoting working-class MPs in the Liberal Party.[4] They also argued that the Liberals had lost the centre vote because the party had distanced itself from "the new Imperial spirit".[5] Instead, they argued for a "clean slate", that the Liberal Party must change if it is to succeed. The old, classical Liberalism must give way to the new ideas of "National Efficiency" and imperialism.[6]

## History

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The grouping came to prominence shortly after the failed Jameson Raid in 1895 and prior to the outbreak of the Boer war four years later, as tensions between Britain’s South African colonies and its neighbours increased. Its leaders were members of the parliamentary Liberal Party – then in opposition – who supported the imperialist aspects of Lord Salisbury's Conservative government’s foreign policy. This stood in contrast to the radical wing of the parliamentary Liberal Party, whose prominent members included former leader William Harcourt, John Morley and David Lloyd George. Party leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, himself sceptical of Government foreign policy and particularly critical of the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, tried to bridge the gap between the two Liberal Party factions.[7]

In the 1900 General Election Liberal Imperialist affiliated candidates were opposed by the Unionist Coalition. In particular, Joseph Chamberlain labelled the entire Liberal party as 'pro-Boer' and unpatriotic in the Second Boer War.

In 1902 the group changed its name from the Imperial Liberal Council to the Liberal League with more or less the same people involved. After the Liberal victory in 1906 they played major roles in the new Liberal government: Asquith, Grey and Haldane went to the Exchequer, the Foreign Office and the War Office respectively. [8]

## Political epithet

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In modern times, "liberal imperialism" has been increasingly used as a political epithet against liberals in the United States. This modern term is unrelated to the historic political faction. Proponents often use the term to criticize Democratic Party foreign policy, calling it a form of cultural imperialism. They claim that liberal imperialists seek to impose their cultural liberalism on foreign cultures with more socially conservative values.[9] It has been compared to neoconservatism in that liberal imperialists are willing to use military force to achieve their goals.[10]

## Notes

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1. ^ H. C. G. Matthew, The Liberal Imperialists. The Ideas and Politics of a Post-Gladstonian Élite (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973), p. viii.
2. ^ Koss, Stephen (1975). "Wesleyanism and Empire". The Historical Journal. 18 (1): 105–118.
3. ^ Matthew, p. 127.
4. ^ Matthew, pp. 128-129.
5. ^ Matthew, p. 134.
6. ^ Matthew, pp. 136-137.
7. ^ Wilson, John (1973). CB - A life of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. London: Constable and Company Limited. pp. 301–2. ISBN 009458950X.
8. ^ Tyler, p 256.
9. ^ Ryan, Alan (2012). The Making of Modern Liberalism. Princeton University: Princeton Scholarship Online. doi:10.23943/princeton/9780691148403.001.0001. ISBN 9780691148403.
10. ^ Walt, Stephen (May 20, 2013). "Top 10 warning signs of 'liberal imperialism'". Foreign Policy. Washington, D.C.: Graham Holdings Company.

## Further reading

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* Bernstein, George L. "Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and the Liberal Imperialists." Journal of British Studies 23.1 (1983): 105-124.
* Boyle, Thomas. "The Liberal Imperialists, 1892–1906." Historical Research 52.125 (1979): 48-82.
* Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Twenty Five Years. 1892-1916 (1925).
* R. B. Haldane, An Autobiography (1929).
* Robert Rhodes James, Rosebery (1963).
* H. C. G. Matthew, The Liberal Imperialists. The Ideas and Politics of a Post-Gladstonian Élite (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973).
* J. A. Spender and Cyril Asquith, Life of Herbert Henry, Lord Oxford and Asquith (1932).
* Peter Stansky, Ambitions and Strategies (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1964).
* Tyler, J. E. "Campbell-Bannerman and the Liberal Imperialists, (1906–1908)." History 23.91 (1938): 254-262. online</ref>

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Liberal Party

Leadership

| Leaders|

| Leaders in the House of Commons (1859–1916)|

* Palmerston (1859–65)
* Gladstone (1865–75)
* Hartington (1875–80)
* Gladstone (1880–94)
* Rosebery (1894–96)
* Harcourt (1896–98)
* Campbell-Bannerman (1899–1908)
* Asquith (1908–16)

|

Leaders in the House of Lords (1859–1916)|

* Granville (1859–65)
* Russell (1865–68)
* Granville (1868–91)
* Kimberley (1891–94)
* Rosebery (1894–96)
* Kimberley (1896–1902)
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Overall Leaders (1916–88)|

* Asquith (1916–26)
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Deputy Leaders|

* Samuel (1929–31)
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* Crewe (1908–23)
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Leadership elections

* 1967 (Thorpe)
* 1976 (Steel)

Governments

| Single party Liberal governments|

* First Gladstone ministry (1868–74)
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* Rosebery ministry (1894–95)
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* First Asquith ministry (1908–15)

|

Liberal-led coalitions|

* Asquith coalition ministry (1915–16)
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Coalitions with Liberal ministers|

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Structure

| Parliamentarians|

* Members of Parliament
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* Chief Whip

|

Frontbench|

* Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1945–1956
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State parties|

* National Liberal Federation
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Conference|

* Liberal Assembly

SAOs|

* National League of Young Liberals
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Related organisations

* Brooks's
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* Social Democratic Party (1981-1988)
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History and related topics

* Liberal Imperialists
* Coalition Government:
* Coalition Coupon in Government
* Independent Liberal Party (UK, 1918) in Opposition
* National Government:
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* General election manifestos
* Britain's Industrial Future ("The Yellow Book")
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Breakaway parties

* Liberal Unionist Party (Spencer Cavendish)
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* Liberal Party (UK, 1989) (Michael Meadowcroft)

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Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery

Career|

* Rosebery ministry (1894-1895)
* 1895 United Kingdom general election
* 1895 vote of no confidence in the Rosebery ministry

Party|

* Liberal Party

Family|

* Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny (father)
* Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope (mother)
* Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery (wife)
* Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery (son)
* Neil Primrose (son)
* Lady Sybil Grant (daughter)
* 1st Marquess of Crewe (son-in-law)

In popular culture|

* Edward the Seventh (TV, 1975)

Related articles|

* Dalmeny House
* Barnbougle Castle
* Horses
* Cicero
* Ladas
* Sir Visto
* Mentmore Towers
* Liberal Imperialists
* Liberal League
* Mentmore and Crafton Studs
* Rosebery Charity Cup

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