Political aftermath of WW1 Decline of Liberals & rise of Conservatives and Labour

 The end of the war meant a return to domestic politics  General Election was called for December 1918  Lloyd George was determined to fight and win the election on the coalitions wartime record  Lloyd George had the support of most Liberals and the conservatives.

Opposition  Labour had left the coalition  As did the supporters of Asquith in the Liberal Party

Split in the Liberal Party Reasons Introduction of Conscription caused problems Non-Interventionist ideas Battles between Asquith & Lloyd George King George replaced Asquith With Lloyd George In Many MPs withdrew their support and stopped paying subscriptions. Arguments within the Party weakened its organisation and demoralised its workers

‘Coupon Election’  14 December 1918  ‘Coupon’ – A letter of support from Lloyd George & Andrew Bonar Law (Leader of Conservatives)  Coalition candidates did not compete against each other  All 159 Liberal candidates supporting DLG were given the ‘coupon’ and all 159 Liberals won.  Most of Asquith’s non-coupon Liberals lost.  Asquith lost his seat for East Fife.

Seats in Scotland  Conservatives 32  Coalition Liberals 19  Asquith Liberals 8  Labour 8

Effect of Coupon Election  Divisions created by the election had a lasting effect on party solidarity  Coalition Liberals found themselves fighting former colleagues  The split in its ranks had damaged party unity, it had been criticised for its handling of the war War Front Criticism War Front Criticism Treatment of Labour Disputes Treatment of Labour Disputes Support for Irish Home Rule Support for Irish Home Rule

Conservative Party  The chief beneficiaries in Scotland were the Conservatives who not only won the most seats but attracted 30% of the vote  Emerged from the war as a significant power in the land  Increasingly the middle classes were seen as the safeguard of the conservatives  Worked hard to build up a core support in country areas and amongst young people who wanted to ‘get on in life’.

Labour Party  Won as many votes as the conservatives but losing out on seats as a result of ‘First Past the Post’  Like the conservatives, the Labour Party picked up support from the Liberals.  Labour looked for support from the industrial working class but also got backing from moderates and free thinkers who saw them as the coming party and an engine for social change

Continued…  Extension of the Franchise in 1918  Representation of the People Act  Extended the electorate by giving women over 30 and men over 21 the vote  A huge number of working class men over 21 gained the vote for the first time  Benefited from Irish Catholic voters who deserted the Liberals after 1916 Easter Uprising  Brutal and repressive policies of the Government afterwards had infuriated Catholics in Ireland and Scotland.