disraeli conservatism and gov

reasons for weakening of gladstone gov

declining efficiency of legislative process, gov ministers becoming increasingly fatigued, rejuvenation of conservative opposition, liberal by-election losses, decrease in support for gladstone

liberal by-election losses

Between 1871 and 1873 the Tories gained 23 seats in by-elections and the Liberals once 100-plus majority fell to 50.

Between May 1873 and January 1874 a further ten Liberal seats were lost.

gladstone’s gov ministers becoming fatigued

The burden of pushing complex legislation through an over-worked Commons took its toll on several members of the Government.

Childers (the First Lord of the Admiralty) suffered a breakdown and left the Cabinet in 1871, Cardwell’s health declined: by the late 1870s he had become insane.

declining efficiency of gladstones gov legislative process

an excessive number of bills were presented to parliament resulting in a number had to be abandoned. For example, 1871 saw the withdrawal of Goschen’s ambitious proposals to reform the local rating system, as well as Bills relating to such issues as Scottish Education and the Royal Parks.

result of liberal party issues

Gladstone looked to the Irish University Bill to re-focus support but the Bill had the opposite effect, pleasing neither Radicals, nor the Irish, nor Whigs, and the government was defeated. Rather than dissolving Parliament, Gladstone resigned.

1874 election

consv 52 maj

Conservatives 352

Liberals 240

Irish Home Rule Party 60

liberals result in 1874 election

• In effect, the Liberals had been pushed back into the north of England, Wales, and Scotland. In Wales they had 19 seats to the Conservatives 11, and in Scotland 40 to the Conservatives 20

• The Liberals lost significant ground in the English Counties. Of the 172 English County seats, the Liberals won 45 in 1868 and only 27 in 1874.

why liberals lost in 1874

party divisions, alienation of key electoral groups eg landowners, brewing interest, members of church of england, policy problems/failures

disraeli main goal

basic political goal was to unify the English nation and restore the ancient balance of its constitution, thereby ensuring that the essential character of the nation was maintained amidst the disruptive forces of the 19th century

unifying the nation entailed ensuring the correct and just balance between the different interest groups – such as the Church, the industrial middle class, the aristocracy, and the working class.

how disraeli could restore a harmonious society

defend the rights and privileges of the existing estates and interests ie the constitutional position of the House of Lords and he restoration of monarchical authority

to provide an integrative ideology that would unite Englishmen and make them proud to be part of an historic nation ie celebrate England’s glorious past of progress and liberty, sense of collective achievement in the form of the Empire, reinvigorate religion and emphasise the Christian unity of all men

disraeli views on poor

had genuine sympathy for the common people since he knew how they suffered in the process of industrialisation and urbanisation, believed they were loyal and revered the traditional social order.

preferred social model was one in which the landed interest demonstrated that it took a paternalistic concern with the wellbeing of the poor, would mean not only the traditional assistance given to the poor at local level, but also state intervention

manchester speech april 1872

• On 3 April he addressed a rally of Lancashire Conservatives at the Free Trade Hall with a speech of three-and-a-quarter hours.

• Outlined the conservative program which was to maintain the constitution of Britain.

• Raised the issue of government intervention to improve the well-being of the people.

• Criticised Gladstone’s government which, he argued, had been constructed on the principle of disruptive change for changes sake.

crystal palace speech june 1872

• On 24 June to the new National Union of Conservative Associations at London’s Crystal Palace.

• Returned to his familiar theme that whereas the Liberals were a party of ‘continental’ or ‘cosmopolitan’ ideas, it was the Conservatives who were the truly ‘national’, patriotic party, and as such appealed to the true sentiments of the working class.

• For the last forty years, Disraeli contended, the Liberals had been working systematically to denigrate the British Empire and effect its disintegration.

impact of 2 speeches

• Disraeli had finally succeeded in grafting his own set of ideas, provided the Conservative party with a coherent and comprehensive ideology.

• The Conservatives, were truly the party of the national interest, for they upheld the institutions essential to liberty and prosperity, advocated social reform in the interests of the working class, and celebrated the British Empire, at once the symbol and guarantor of British national greatness.

• With these speeches Disraeli simultaneously squashed any remaining doubts concerning his fitness to lead the Conservatives and increased the pressure on Gladstone’s faltering government.

disraelian conservatism main points 1870s

1. The use of social reform to regulate the laissez-faire economy so as to improve the condition of the people and bind sections of the new working class electorate to the Conservative party.

2. The use of government to strengthen Britain’s established institutions of church and state in the belief that these institutions, far from being the inefficient bastions of privilege and maladministration, were the key to the nation’s well-being and liberties.

3. The assertion of British power and interests on the international stage and the pursuit of measures to consolidate and celebrate the British Empire.

why disraeli won 1874 election

• Gladstone messed up – people were not happy with his reforms. Those for whom it was not radical enough eg those who supported him in 1868 with hope of it being a transformational government, and those who thought he went too far.

• Disraeli mass improving conservative organisation. Sets up party agents, conservative central office, party clubs to get people on register and get them to vote. 65 of 74 conservative gains were from where there were active clubs.

disraeli cabinet

Stafford Northcote as Chancellor of the Exchequer. had a strong financial background: a former President of the Board of Trade, he had worked with Peel and Gladstone in the 1840s and had even written a standard text on Financial Policy.

• The Home Secretary was Richard Cross, a lawyer who represented the important Conservative county of Lancashire, enjoyed the backing of Derby, and proved an effective administrator.

• Gathorne Hardy, one of the few Conservatives who was a strong orator, was appointed War Secretary

public health act 1875

• consolidated and rationalised the existing patch-work of health legislation, of which the Liberals incomplete 1872 Health Act was most significant.

• It set-down the compulsory duties of local authorities to ensure sewage, drainage, and water supply; remove nuisances; regulate offensive trades; and deal with contaminated food. (A Rivers Pollution Act the following year prohibited the release of poisonous waste into rivers).

• Cases of infectious disease were to be notified to the Medical Officer.

limitations of health act

was not innovative in that it built on the investigations and recommendations of Royal Commissions. Enforcement remained a problem since there was a marked reluctance to infringe upon the interests of property owners. For example, the river pollution measure failed to define pollution or provide ways of punishing polluters.

artisans dwelling act 1875

• Enabled urban local authorities to impose the compulsory purchase of unhealthy slums and oversee their replacement with planned housing for the working class. This activity was to be financed by government loans at low interest, although actual building was to be by the private sector.

• Its symbolic importance was certainly considerable for it asserted that, in certain circumstances, the rights of the poor to a healthy living environment took precedence over the right of property owners to do what they wished with their own.

limitations of dwellings act

It did not compel local authorities to take action; rather, it gave then them the power to do so. By 1881 only 10 of the 87 towns to which it applied had made any use of its provisions. It was hedged around by restrictions and was expensive to implement. In practice it made little difference to the life of slum dwellers.

merchant shipping act 1876

• response to the problem of shipping companies over-loading their ships - especially old ships for which, if they sank, they could collect the insurance money.

• Introduced the ‘Plimsoll line’ - a line painted on the side of every ship to show the maximum loading point.

limitations of shippings act

allowed the ship owners to decide where to draw the line. The government was reluctant to infringe the economic orthodoxy which left the negotiation of working conditions to the ‘free’ contract between employer and employee.

food and drugs act 1875

laid down regulations concerning the preparation and adulteration of food.

• However its impact was limited since councils were not compelled to appoint the analysts necessary to implement the law (was permissive)

• This reflected the widespread desire – shared by Disraeli – to protect the autonomy of local government by not subjecting it to the coercive powers of the state.

1875 employers and workmen act

Removed an anomaly whereby workmen could be subject to prosecution in the criminal courts for breech of contract, whereas employers were only liable to a civil action. Both were now subject to civil courts.

conspiracy and protection of property act

1875, legalised trade union picketing provided the acts undertaken were not illegal if carried out by an individual. If it was acceptable for one man to stand outside a factory and request others not to enter it was acceptable for a thousand to do so. In effect it gave the green-light to mass primary and secondary picketing.

education act 1876

• Designed to deal with the problem of low school attendance by working class children in rural areas.

• School Attendance Committees were to be set up to encourage parents to send their children to school, fining parents who did not do so, and contributing to their fees in cases of hardship. The government also granted increased subsidies to Church schools.

real purpose of education act

• Sandon, its author, was a strong Anglican who wished to encourage attendance at existing Church of England schools so as to avoid the spread of elective Board Schools into the countryside so its chief concern was with preserving the influence of the Church of England and the landed interest.

factory act 1874

• Reduced the maximum hours of work of women and children from ten-and-a-half to ten per day, with a weekly maximum of 56.

• This was an attempt to go some way towards meeting the demands for a nine hour day which had been raised by Conservative supporters in the larger urban boroughs, especially in Lancashire.

• One effect was to bring about the Saturday half day – if factories worked 10 hours a day during the week then they tended to work 6 on a Saturday – leaving the men free to go to football games in the afternoon.

limitations of effectiveness of social reforms

The legislation was largely permissive not compulsory. Central government passed responsibility to local authorities, who were empowered to take action, but were unlikely to do so given ratepayer resistance.

• Many of the measures were already in the legislative pipeline and happened to emerge in the mid-1870s. For example, the Torrens Act of 1868 would have included similar terms to the Artisan’s Dwellings Act but its compulsory clauses had been thrown out by the Lords. The measure had been recommended by the Charity Organisation Committee, of which Cross was a member, and enjoyed support of Liberals.

role of disraeli in social reforms

• could have resisted moves to reform. The key figure was Cross; but Disraeli appointed him and gave him scope to pursue his work.

• made social reform an acceptable part of the language of Conservatism, extending the range of practical politics, sought to remove unnecessary grievances and sustain harmony between rich and poor

disraeli weaknesses financial 1880 election

Disraeli’s government spending was excessive and wasteful, causing a budget surplus of £6m in 1874 to become an annual deficit of £8m by 1880. In the meantime income tax had doubled from three to six pence in the pound. Lax finance was ultimately a reflection of lax morality

disraeli foreign policy weakness 1880 election

gladstone argued that Disraeli was a dangerous innovator who promoted jingoistic imperialism

he had annexed the Transvaal and Cyprus, made war upon the Zulus, entered into an open-ended commitment to sustain Turkey-in-Asia, and had wantonly invaded Afghanistan. In South Africa ten-thousand Zulus had been slaughtered.

why disraeli lost 1880 election

Timing of the election/ Failure to call election in 1878

Party Organisation

Poor election campaign/Disraeli’s ill health

Agricultural Depression - from 1874 economic downturn

Midlothian campaign

Rise in taxation

Unity of Liberal Party