Wooing the workers

But 19th century liberalism, although it had a provided powerful rhetoric in foreign affairs, had been more limited in its domestic aspirations. 'Household suffrage', adopted in 1867, tied political responsibility to the ownership of property.

Although increasing affluence meant that the boundaries of this suffrage were porous, in 1914 Britain had the most restrictive franchise of any power in Europe, with the exception of Hungary. Many of those killed in action in 1914-1918 were fighting for a state that denied them the vote.

The Conservative party dominated government for the decade after 1886 - when William Gladstone's Liberal party had split over the issue of 'home rule' for Ireland. The Liberals were returned to power at the end of 1905, winning elections in 1906 and 1910 (twice), even if with dwindling majorities.

Many of those killed were fighting for a state that denied them the vote.

Their recovery was founded in part on their readiness to embrace social reform. The long-term issue for the Liberals was whether they or the Labour party would be the preferred party of the working classes, and on that would hang their survival in government.

The 'new' Liberals struck a deal with the Labour party in 1903, pledging themselves to avoid clashes in seats dominated by Tory interests. When in government, they introduced old age pensions, unemployment benefit and public health provision.

The Liberals' shift to the left was aided by fact that the association of the Labour party with the trades union movement truncated the growth of political socialism in Britain, and so tied Labour to the material interests of the working class, more than to a radical and reforming ideology.