ABSTRACT
The outcome of the 1874 general election was a grievous disappointment for William Ewart Gladstone and the Liberal Party. Most of Gladstone’s limited contributions to parliamentary debates in the 1874 session were concentrated on religious and ecclesiastical matters. His retirement did leave the Liberal Party in the difficult position of having to find a new leader. In January 1879 Gladstone was approached by a group from the Scottish Midlothian constituency asking that he accept their nomination as Liberal candidate for the seat. After some thought, he accepted and, as a consequence, began one of the most famous speaking tours in British political history. In the campaign Gladstone denounced ‘Beaconsfieldism’, which he said had not only led to unnecessary wars and unnecessary expenditure and taxation, but had also presented a perverted view of British interests. he years from 1874 to 1880 were crucial to Gladstone’s career.
