Liberals in Schism: A History of the National Liberal Party

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Formed out of a breakaway from the mainstream Liberal partyin 1931, the Liberal National party renamed the 'National Liberal Party' in 1948 preserved a separate identity for almost 40 years. During this time they helped ensure that the Lberals themselves would not return to their former status of a governing party while helping to broaden the electoral appeal of their Conservative allies, contributing significantly to the Tory domination of the British political scene in the middle of the twentieth century. Here, David Dutton shows us for the first time how the National Liberals were a potent force in shaping the evolution of British politics in the middle decades of the twentieth century, before they finally merged with the Conservative party in 1968.

Reviews

David Dutton has written the first balanced account of the history of the National Liberals in this well-researched and well-written book covering the whole of the party's history Malcolm Baines in the Journal of Liberal History Liberals in Schism is avaluable and highly original study informing inquiry on a wide variety of aspects of British government and party politics in the twentieth century. Matt Cole, Visiting Fellow, Hansard Society

Author Bio

David Dutton is Professor of Twentieth-Century British Political History at Liverpool University. He is the author of numerous books including 'A History of the Liberal Party in the Twentieth Century' and 'The Politics of Diplomacy: Britain and France in the Balkans in the First World War', (I.B.Tauris).