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Post-war Scottish Politics

Explore the transformation of Scottish politics post-WWI: Liberal Party's decline, Labour's ascent, and the resurgence of the Conservative and Unionist Party, analyzing key factors and shifts in voter dynamics.

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Post-war Scottish Politics

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  1. Post-war Scottish Politics What you need to learn: • The decline of the Liberal Party • The rise of the Labour Party. • The re-emergence of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (rise of Unionism)

  2. The Liberals • Old Liberalism (before 1906) believed that in a Laissez Faire ideology – the poor should deal with their own problems. • New Liberalism (after 1906) believed that problems the poor faced were not necessarily their own fault. In some circumstances it was okay for the government to intervene.

  3. The Decline of the Liberal Party • Before WW1 the Liberal party was the biggest party in Scotland, traditionally the party most working class and many middle class Scots voted for • However by the 1920s it was in third place behind the Conservatives and Labour.

  4. Reasons for the decline of Liberals: • The Liberal party Splitinto factions during WW1 e.g. those that supported the new Prime Minister Lloyd George vs. those loyal to the old Liberal Prime Minister HH Asquith. Most of the party supported the war, others didn’t. In the election of 1918 the “coupon election” Lloyd George’s Liberals ran against old style Asquith Liberals this was electoral suicide. • Disenchanted members-Liberal party members began to leave in disgust, without members, party funding dropped rapidly and the party collapsed. • Old Liberal ideals –old fashioned ideas like Laissez-faire or Irish Home Rule did not appeal to voters anymore. • Resentment of Rent Strikes/Dilution Lloyd George’s government had been the target of protesters during the rent strikers and Munitions Act/Dilution. The working class remembered this after 1918 and voted against them.

  5. The Decline of the Liberals • Class politics – After WW1 the politics of Scotland split down class lines e.g. -Working Class voted Labour for better housing, health, greater reform etc -The Middle Class scared about radicalism/Red Clydeside voted Conservative -The Liberals were squeezed in the middle and didn’t really appeal to either – similar to today • In the election of 1910 the Liberals had gained 58 MPs in Scotland, by far the biggest party. • By 1924 the Liberals had only 8 MPs in Scotland, 5 of them in the Highlands and Islands, they were now a fringe party in Scotland.

  6. The Rise of Labour • Emergence of The new working class voter was created after the extension of the franchise in 1918 to all men 21+ and most women 30+, removed the property qualification to vote. • This new, poorer electorate, many of them returning soldiers were disenchanted with the Liberal party’s failed promises e.g. “homes for heroes” so switched to Labour. • Women voters were attracted to Labour’s pledges to help the family and improve housing.

  7. Rise of Labour continued… • The Catholic vote, mainly second generation Irish immigrants, switched to Labour due to the Liberal Party’s handling of the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. • The Independent Labour Party was very significant, the myth of Red Clydeside was strong, and many working class people were impressed with the ILP’s local campaigns during the rent strikes & industrial disputes after the war • ILP’s successes included gaining the 47 hour week. For many in the west of Scotland the ILP was the Labour Party. In the election of 1922 10 out of Glasgow’s 15 MPs were members of the ILP.

  8. The Rise of the Conservatives • Pre WWI the Conservatives in Scotland had been seen as the party of rich landowners BUT post war they became more popular – why? • Red Clydesidescared many middle class voters and those in rural areas that a communist revolution might happen in Scotland’s cities. • Only the Scottish Conservatives as the party of law and order seemed to stand against chaos. • Scottish newspapers e.g. the Sunday post exaggerated the left wing threat and most Scottish newspapers switched support to the Conservatives as did many of their readers.

  9. Conservatives continued… • With the decline of the Liberals the only alternative to Labour & ILP socialism was the Conservatives. • In the 1920s and 1930s there was a reaction in Scotland to Irish immigration. As Irish Catholics supported Labour in reaction some Protestant Unionists supported the Conservatives. • The Church of Scotland supported unionism and were conservative by nature. • In the election of 1918 the Conservatives gained 30% of the vote and by the second election of 1924 the Conservatives gained 38 seats, Labour 26 seats, the Conservatives were the biggest party in Scotland.

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