" "Gladstone's policies towards Ireland 1868-93 were a complete failure"

P1 - Agree

- Radicals eg. Chamberlain, Hartington, Trevelyan, Bright broke away due to strong feelings against concessions to Ireland particularly when Dec 1885 Hawarden Kite announced G’s support for HR

- Formation of Liberal Unionists & weakening of Liberals meant Gladstone found it difficult to get his policies supported & had to rely on INP making him vulnerable

- 1870 1st Land Act: Tried to establish fair rents (attempt to avoid rack rents) but was ineffective, still many tent evictions & unfair treatment by landlords leading to more anger & violence eg. Land Wars in 1977-1882 using boycotts, rent strikes mass demos

- HOWEVER: Disestablishment of the Irish Church 1869: Aimed to resolve tension over Anglican dominance (12% pop) , Anglican church could no longer tax pop & it's bishops were no longer in HOL -> Very radical policy, Gladstone had to get Queen Victoria's support for this but acted quickly but seen as “too little,too late”

P2: Disagree as policies had some success

- 1881 Aug Second Land Act: 3Fs- Fixed tenancies, Freedom to sell tenancies & Fair rents -> Effective & greatly eased tensions on the land & answered Land League's demands,

• (Turning Point) Kilmainham Treaty of May 1882 which ended the 'Land War' and slowed down the agitation -> A deal with Parnell by which he would use his influence to end lawlessness in exchange for legislation cancelling arrears in rents

• TP as Parnell thenceforward led a strictly constitutional movement and concentrated on playing off one Westminster party against the other to gain a measure of legislative independence

• HOWEVER: Though KT treaty was followed by Phoenix Park Murders 1882 where Cavendish & Burke was murdered by Irish National Invisibles

• G loses INP support in June 1885 perhaps due to KT as Parnell was set to support party most likely successful par(y (cons at time) for HR to get done

P3 - Agree - HR & Coercion

• March 1881 Irish Coercion Act empowered authorities to arrest & imprison without trial any person reasonably suspected of treasonable practices or agrarian offences, led to uproar in HOC which was forced to sit for 41 continuous hours before the Speaker ended the debate

- 1886 1st HR Bill proposed the establishment of an Irish Parliament and the end of Irish representation at Westminster; this was defeated by 343 (93 Libs)-313, lack of concessions for ulster minority

HOWEVER:

• Step towards progress for HR, self interested Cons/Hol/LU delayed progress but shows hope for future, needed reform to diminish majority aristocratic intrests, not’complete’ failure’

C

- Gladstone's failure to unite party & Parliament over HR, failure of consultation illustrating his weak leadership, failure to achieve demands of Irish groups meant his policies were bound to fail

- Policies remained limited & even when embarked on his last crusade in supporting HR, this instead provoked disillusionment within party & his supporters as it was sudden