What was Gladstonian Liberalism?

Britain – Politics, 1865-85

In this course, Professor Jeremy Black (University of Exeter) discusses politics from 1865 to 1885. In the first module, we look at what Gladstonian Liberalism was. Then, we look at how politics transformed in this period. After this, we look at how did the changing role of the monarchy affected politics. Following this, we look at what Disraelian Conservatism was and how it was linked to the economy. In the penultimate module, we look at why taxation and Irish Home Rule became such important political issues. Finally, we look at the legacy of Gladstone and Disraeli on politics.

What was Gladstonian Liberalism?

In this module, we look at what Gladstonian Liberalism was. In particular, we focus on the key questions: (i) How did the interaction between Disraeli and Gladstone influence British politics?; (ii) How did the political parties evolve during the Disraeli and Gladstone era?; (iii) What role did the expansion of the electorate play in their political strategies?; (iv) How did changes in the electorate impact traditional voting patterns and party support?; and (v) What were the broader implications of democratisation on government and social policies?