ABSTRACT
Liberalism in Leicester had faced two major problems since the mid-nineteenth century – one political and one structural. The first problem was the difficulty of reconciling its Radical, Chartist and Secularist elements with the more 'moderate' Nonconformist mainstream. The second was how to spread the influence of 'Red Leicester' to the surrounding county constituencies, for so long Conservative strongholds. The Conservatives, in contrast, struggled to make any impact on Leicester politics. The challenge of county politics was to serve as something of a safety valve for urban Liberalism, with Radicals attracted to rural campaigning by the potential brought about by electoral reforms. In 1881 their major club was said to have barely 100 members – even though reports for public consumption claimed over 1,000. Leicester Liberal Party organisers made strenuous efforts to counter Conservative campaigns in the counties. By 1884 new Conservative clubs had been established in all the major towns in the county – including Hinckley, Melton and Loughborough.
