ABSTRACT
England dominated the United Kingdom, much as Prussia dominated imperial Germany. The United Kingdom Parliament sat in England and the British Museum was situated in London. London was the capital both of the United Kingdom and of England and there was no need to show excessive devotion to St George. For their part, London governments had never been sure whether to treat Ireland as a quasi-colonial dependency or simply another part of the United Kingdom. Such a party, distinct from the Conservatives and Liberals, made Irish politics increasingly different from that of the rest of the United Kingdom. Even so, Scotland's political role within the United Kingdom was becoming more contentious. In mid-century, despite the birth of vigorous contested politics in Scotland after 1832, there was still no Scottish political class. Although Welsh political battles were fought between Liberals, Liberal Unionists and Tories, the ethos, atmosphere and even the issues were not exactly the same as in England.
