Liberal Unionist Party

Ian Cawood is Head of History at Newman University College, Birmingham. He holds a PhD from University of Leicester. He is a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement and his previous publications include The First World War and Britain in the Twentieth Century.

• IntroductionChapter 1: ‘Dagon must be thrown down’ The Origins of the Liberal Unionist partyChapter 2: Whiggery or Socialism? The Ideology of Liberal UnionismChapter 3: 'Yeast to leaven the Tory lump’ The Unionist Alliance Chapter 4: Party Organisation - Cave or Caucus?Chapter 5: Liberal Unionism and the electorate - ‘A Farce and a Fraud’?Chapter 6: ‘Strangled by its own parent’, The Strange Death of Liberal Unionism - 1895-1912Conclusion: Who were the Liberal Unionists?

'This book tackles a useful topic, is well written, and thoroughly researched. Ian Cawood rightly notes that, apart from the role that Joseph Chamberlain has played in its origin and development, Liberal Unionism as a popular political movement has been ignored. Far more than merely a creature of Chamberlain's, Liberal Unionism had a life of its own, extending well beyond the parliamentary corridors of power in Westminster. In exploring the details of Liberal Unionism's constituency organizations and its influence among the electorate at a local level, Cawood convincingly demonstrates its legitimacy as a topic of historical investigation. He proves conclusively that Liberal Unionism was not merely a short-lived curious splinter movement in British politics.' Travis L. Crosby, Professor Emeritus of History, Wheaton College, Massachusetts 'The Liberal Unionist Party is a well written and cogently argued book. It makes important contributions to our understanding of late nineteenth-century British politics.' William Lubenow, Professor of History, Stockton College, New Jersey