ABSTRACT

Superficially the electoral victory of 1880 implied that the old Liberal order which Gladstone understood, accepted and wished to consolidate had survived intact. The rallying cries of sound finance and a responsible approach to foreign affairs reflected a continuation of mid-Victorian policies. In reality, however, the foundations of Liberal hegemony were gradually being undermined as assumptions about human motivation and the role of government were questioned in the wake of fundamental changes in British society. From this time on, the Liberals were to find themselves increasingly out of touch with the forces moulding popular electoral opinion and progressively unsure of their future role, even of their survival. Within half a century they had been virtually eclipsed as a political force by the rise of the Labour Party.