ABSTRACT
ANALYSIS (1): HOW LIBERAL WERE CHURCHILL’S POLICIES IN THE YEARS 1908-1911?
This is a question of definitions. How far was Churchill a politician in the liberal tradition, which had dominated British politics throughout the nineteenth century, or how loyal was he to the doctrine and policies of the Liberal Party, of which he was such a prominent member during these years? And even within the broad base of that party were there policies or beliefs of Churchill’s which did not fit, and which placed him at some distance from his political colleagues? Because Churchill defected not once but twice – from the Conservatives in 1904 and from the Liberals in 1924 – the issue of where his loyalties and political beliefs really lay was one that fascinated his contemporaries as much as it does historians today.
