The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1905 and ended in 1915 consisted of four ministries: the first led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman (from 1905 to 1908) and the final three by H. H. Asquith (from 1908 onwards).
Formation With the fall of Arthur Balfour's Conservative government in the United Kingdom in December 1905, the Liberals under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman were called in to form a government. In the subsequent election, the Liberals won an enormous majority.A. K. Russell, Liberal landslide : the general election of 1906 (1973). Campbell-Bannerman was succeeded as prime minister by H. H. Asquith in 1908.Tuchman, Barbara. The Guns of August. Ed. Margaret Macmillan. New York: Library of America, 2008. p. 66.
Policies
The Liberal government was supported by 29 Labour Party MPs. Chancellor David Lloyd George crafted the People's Budget and introduced a great deal of social legislation,John Grigg, Lloyd George: The People's Champion, 1902–1911 (1978) such as old age pensions and unemployment insurance for a significant part of the working population. For many working people, for whom in old age the threat of the workhouse was very real, these represented a very significant change. Equally groundbreaking was the Parliament Act 1911 which: Removed the law-making veto from the House of Lords thus rendering it constitutionally most expedient to run any future government from the House of Commons Enshrined into law the previous convention, which the Lords had broken in 1909, that the Lords may not reject Money Bills Cut the length of parliaments from seven years to five
Many of the members of Asquith's cabinet, however, opposed the social measures promulgated by leading figures such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George. This resistance was arguably a reflection of the extent to which many Liberals still adhered to the Party's Gladstonian, classical liberal tradition in spite of the growth of the "New Liberalism;" with a number ministers said to have been opposed to certain reforms, while several cabinet members (such as Crewe, Fitzmaurice, Harcourt, and McKenna) were critical of Lloyd George's progressive "People's Budget." Nevertheless, according to Neil Smith, the majority of the members of the Edwardian Liberal Cabinets were supportive of social reform and social progress. As noted by one study,
They (the Liberal Cabinet members) sought to respond to the discontent of the electorate by using the existing structure of government to correct the ills of society through innovative legislation. Two-thirds of the Liberal candidates, including Edwin Montagu, had pledged support for such measures during the campaign. While their support was often expressed in general terms, their intent was clear: Social and economic reform must be the first order of the new government.
Fate Although the government lost a great deal of support by the two general elections of 1910, they managed to hold on by dint of support from the Irish Parliamentary Party. After early mismanagement during the First World War, particularly the failure of the Dardanelles Campaign, Asquith was forced to bring the Unionists into the government in a coalition.Keegan, John. The First World War. New York: Vintage, 1998. p. 320.
Cabinets
Campbell-Bannerman ministry
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman – Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of CommonsAll posts referenced in Cook, Chris. The Routledge Companion to Britain in the Nineteenth Century, 1815–1914. Abingdon: Routledge, 2005. p. 52. Robert Reid, 1st Baron Loreburn – Lord Chancellor Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of Crewe – Lord President of the Council George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon – Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords H. H. Asquith – Chancellor of the Exchequer Herbert Gladstone – Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir Edward Grey, 3rd Baronet – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin – Secretary of State for the Colonies Richard Haldane – Secretary of State for War John Morley – Secretary of State for India Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth – First Lord of the Admiralty David Lloyd George – President of the Board of Trade Sir Henry Fowler – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Sir John Sinclair – Secretary for Scotland James Bryce – Chief Secretary for Ireland John Burns – President of the Local Government Board Charles Wyn-Carrington, 1st Earl Carrington – President of the Board of Agriculture Augustine Birrell – President of the Board of Education Sydney Buxton – Postmaster-General
Changes January 1907 – Augustine Birrell succeeds Bryce as Irish Secretary. Reginald McKenna succeeds Birrell at the Board of Education.Daglish, Neal. Education Policy Making in England and Wales: The Crucible Years, 1895–1911. Abingdon: Routledge, 2013. p. 315. March 1907 – Lewis Harcourt, the First Commissioner of Works, enters the cabinet.Jenkins, Roy. Churchill: A Biography. New York: MacMillan, 2001. p. 123.
Asquith ministry
OfficeNameTermPrime MinisterFirst Lord of the TreasuryH. H. AsquithMay 1908 – May 1915Lord ChancellorRobert Reid, 1st Baron LoreburnEarl Loreburn from 1911.April 1908 – June 1912Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount HaldaneJune 1912 – May 1915Lord President of the CouncilEdward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron TweedmouthApril–September 1908Henry Fowler, 1st Viscount WolverhamptonSeptember 1908 – June 1910William Lygon, 7th Earl BeauchampJune–November 1910John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of BlackburnNovember 1910 – August 1914William Lygon, 7th Earl BeauchampAugust 1914 – May 1915Lord Privy SealGeorge Robinson, 1st Marquess of RiponMay–October 1908Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of CreweMarquess of Crewe from 1911October 1908 – October 1911Charles Wynn-Carrington, 1st Earl CarringtonOctober 1911 – February 1912Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of CreweFebruary 1912 – May 1915Chancellor of the ExchequerDavid Lloyd GeorgeMay 1908 – May 1915Home SecretaryHerbert GladstoneMay 1908 – February 1910Winston ChurchillFebruary 1910 – October 1911Reginald McKennaOctober 1911 – May 1915Foreign SecretarySir Edward Grey, 3rd BaronetMay 1908 – May 1915Secretary of State for the ColoniesRobert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of CreweMay 1908 – November 1910Lewis HarcourtNovember 1910 – May 1915Secretary of State for WarRichard HaldaneViscount Haldane from 1911May 1908 – June 1912Jack SeelyJune 1912 – March 1914H. H. AsquithMarch–August 1914Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl KitchenerAugust 1914 – May 1915Secretary of State for IndiaJohn Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of BlackburnMay 1908 – November 1910Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of CreweNovember 1910 – May 1915First Lord of the AdmiraltyReginald McKennaMay 1908 – October 1911Winston ChurchillOctober 1911 – May 1915Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterHenry Fowler, 1st Viscount WolverhamptonMay–September 1908Edmond Fitzmaurice, 1st Baron FitzmauriceSeptember 1908 – June 1909Herbert SamuelJune 1909 – May 1910Joseph PeaseMay 1910 – October 1911Charles HobhouseOctober 1911 – February 1914Charles MastermanFebruary 1914 – January 1915Edwin MontaguJanuary–May 1915President of the Board of TradeWinston ChurchillMay 1908 – February 1910Sydney BuxtonFebruary 1910 – February 1914John BurnsFebruary–August 1914Walter RuncimanAugust 1914 – May 1915Secretary for ScotlandJohn SinclairBaron Pentland from 1909May 1908 – February 1912Thomas McKinnon WoodFebruary 1912 – May 1915Chief Secretary for IrelandAugustine BirrellMay 1908 – May 1915President of the Local Government BoardJohn BurnsMay 1908 – February 1914Herbert SamuelFebruary 1914 – May 1915'President of the Board of AgricultureCharles Wynn-Carrington, 1st Earl CarringtonMay 1908 – October 1911Walter RuncimanOctober 1911 – August 1914Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron LucasAugust 1914 – May 1915President of the Board of EducationWalter RuncimanMay 1908 – October 1911Joseph PeaseOctober 1911 – May 1915Postmaster GeneralSydney BuxtonMay 1908 – February 1910Herbert SamuelFebruary 1910 – February 1914Charles HobhouseFebruary 1914 – May 1915First Commissioner of WorksLewis HarcourtMay 1908 – November 1910William Lygon, 7th Earl BeauchampNovember 1910 – August 1914Alfred Emmott, 1st Baron EmmottAugust 1914 – May 1915Attorney GeneralSir Rufus IsaacsLord Reading from 1913.June 1912 – October 1913Sir John SimonOctober 1913 – May 1915
Changes September 1908 – Lord Wolverhampton succeeds Lord Tweedmouth as Lord President. Lord FitzMaurice succeeds Lord Wolverhampton as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. October 1908 – Lord Crewe succeeds Lord Ripon as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords, while remaining also Colonial Secretary. June 1909 – Herbert Samuel succeeds Lord FitzMaurice at the Duchy of Lancaster. February 1910 – Winston Churchill succeeds Herbert Gladstone as Home Secretary. Sydney Buxton succeeds Churchill at the Board of Trade. Herbert Samuel succeeds Buxton as Postmaster-General. Joseph Pease succeeds Samuel as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. June 1910 – Lord Beauchamp succeeds Lord Wolverhampton as Lord President. November 1910 – Lord Beauchamp succeeds Lewis Vernon Harcourt as First Commissioner of Public Works. Lord Morley of Blackburn succeeds Beauchamp as Lord President. Lord Crewe succeeds Morley as India Secretary, remaining also Lord Privy Seal. Lewis Harcourt succeeds Crewe as Colonial Secretary. October 1911 – Winston Churchill and Reginald McKenna switch offices, Churchill taking the Admiralty and McKenna the Home Office. Lord Carrington succeeds Lord Crewe as Lord Privy Seal. Crewe remains India Secretary. Walter Runciman succeeds Lord Carrington at the Board of Agriculture. Joseph Pease succeeds Runciman at the Board of Education. Charles Hobhouse succeeds Pease at the Duchy of Lancaster. February 1912 – Lord Crewe succeeds Lord Carrington as Lord Privy Seal, remaining also India Secretary. Thomas McKinnon Wood succeeds Lord Pentland as Secretary for Scotland. June 1912 – The Attorney-General, Sir Rufus Isaacs, enters the cabinet. Lord Haldane succeeds Lord Loreburn as Lord Chancellor. Jack Seely succeeds Haldane as Secretary for War. October 1913 – Sir John Simon succeeds Sir Rufus Isaacs as Attorney-General. February 1914 – John Burns succeeds Sydney Buxton as President of the Board of Trade. Herbert Samuel succeeds Burns at the Local Government Board. Sir Charles Hobhouse succeeds Samuel as Postmaster-General. Charles Masterman succeeds Hobhouse at the Duchy of Lancaster. March 1914 – Asquith temporarily succeeds Jack Seely as Secretary for War. August 1914 – Lord Beauchamp succeeds Lord Morley as Lord President. Lord Emmott succeeds Beauchamp as First Commissioner of Public Works. Walter Runciman succeeds John Burns as President of the Board of Trade. Lord Lucas succeeds Runciman at the Board of Agriculture. Lord Kitchener succeeds Asquith as Secretary for War. January 1915 – Edwin Montagu succeeds Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
List of ministers
Members of the cabinet are in bold face.