ABSTRACT
After a decade in political exile, the Liberals found themselves back in power in 1905. Following the landslide election victory of 1906, the governments of Campbell-Bannerman (to 1908) and Asquith (1908–15) set about a major programme of social reform. This chapter will consider five questions. What was the nature of Liberalism during this period, and how did it differ from Gladstonian Liberalism? What changes did its social reforms involve for the role of the State? How did the Liberals deal with political obstacles from the House of Lords? How effectively did Asquith’s government cope with the three threats to stability between 1911 and 1914: the Suffragettes, Ireland and industrial unrest? And was there any indication by 1914 that this Liberal government was to be the last?
