ABSTRACT
The Labour Party quickly set about adapting itself to undertake the duties and responsibilities of His Majesty’s Opposition. The Front Benches of both its rivals were appointed at the discretion of the respective party leaders, though they invariably contained a high proportion of ex-Ministers. The Opposition Bench was given such little time to accustom itself to its duties, before being called upon to form an administration, that no clear relationship between Opposition responsibilities and subsequent Government offices could really be seen. The Liberals were clearly a poor third in the 1924 General Election. However, they appear to have possessed a ‘Shadow Cabinet’ which was known as such. Asquith and Lloyd George appear to have been quite widely divided over the necessity for, and effectiveness of, a Liberal Shadow Cabinet.
