"The Strange Immortality of Liberal England"
Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (Liberal majority, then minority) 1880-1888
1880 [maj, 351]: def. Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (Conservative) [236], William Shaw (Home Rule) [63]
1885 [maj, 347]: def. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) [233], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [86]
1888 [min, 311]: def. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) [247], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [84]
William Harcourt (Liberal minority with support of Irish Parliamentary, then majority) 1888-1895
1888 Lib.: ("Neutralist") def. Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington ("Unionist") and John Morley ("Home Rule")
1891 [maj, 347]: def. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) [201], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [58], Henry Hyndman (Social Democratic) [1]
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (Liberal majority) 1895-1896
1895 Lib.: ("Imperialist") def. William Harcourt ("Neutralist") and John Morley ("Anti-Imperialist")
Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal majority, then minority) 1896-1901
1896 Lib.: ("Radical") def. Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery ("Imperialist")
1897 [min, 297]: def. Michael Hicks Beach (Conservative) [259], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [61]
Michael Hicks Beach (Conservative minority with support of "Anti-Home Rule" Liberals, then majority) 1901-1910
1901 [coal, 281]: def. Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal [Home Rule All Round]) [145], no clear leader (Liberal [Anti-Home Rule]) [103], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [85], Keir Hardie (Independent Labour) [4]
1905 [maj, 334]: def. Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal [Radical Coupon]) [121], Charles Stewart Parnell (Irish Parliamentary) [79], Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (Liberal [Anti-Radical]) [78], Keir Hardie (Independent Labour) [7]
Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal majority) 1910-1914*
1910 [maj, 378]: def. Michael Hicks Beach (Conservative) [201], John Redmond (Irish Parliamentary) [38], Keir Hardie (Independent Labour) [11]
David Lloyd George (Liberal majority, then Wartime Coalition) 1914-1919
1914 Lib.: ("Radical") def. Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Landsowne ("Anti-Radical")
Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire (Liberal majority) 1919
Feb 1919 Lib.: ("National") def. David Lloyd George ("Radical")
William Joynson-Hicks (Conservative majority) 1919-1927
1919 [maj, 355]: def. Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire (Liberal) [191], Joseph Devlin (Irish Parliamentary) [41], John Clynes (Independent Labour) [31], Arthur Griffith (Sinn Fein) [11]
Aug 1919 Lib.: Philip Snowden ("Radical") def. Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire ("National")
1924 [maj, 338]: def. Philip Snowden (Liberal) [203], Joseph Devlin (Irish Parliamentary) [39], John Clynes (Independent Labour) [23], Arthur Griffith (Sinn Fein) [8]
1924 Lib.: Philip Snowden ("Radical") def. Austen Chamberlain ("National")
1925 Lib.: Austen Chamberlain ("National") def. Charles Trevelyan ("Radical")
Samuel Hoare (Conservative majority) 1927-1932
1927 [maj, 354]: def. Austen Chamberlain (Liberal) [179], James Larkin (Independent Labour) [54], William Redmond (Irish Centre) [45], Arthur Griffith (Sinn Fein) [4]
1928 Lib.: Leo Amery ("Reform") def. Ramsay MacDonald ("Radical") and Austen Chamberlain ("National")
Leo Amery (Liberal majority, then Wartime Coalition) 1932-1945
1932 [maj 457]: def. Samuel Hoare (Conservative) [101], James Larkin (Independent Labour) [71], William Redmond (Irish Centre) [54]
1937 [maj 431]: def. Edward Wood, Viscount Halifax (Conservative) [113], William Redmond (Irish Centre) [63], James Larkin (Independent Labour) [59], Winston Churchill (National Unity) [14]
John Simon (Wartime Coalition, then Liberal majority) 1945
1945 Lib.: ("National") def. Harold Macmillan ("Progressive")
Anthony Eden (Conservative majority) 1945-1954
1945 [maj, 335]: def. John Simon (Liberal) [211], Oswald Mosley (Independent Labour) [44], Ernest Blythe (Irish Centre) [23]
1946 Lib.: Harold Macmillan ("Progressive") def. John Simon ("National"), Gwilym Lloyd George ("National")
1950 [maj, 339]: def. Harold Macmillan (Liberal) [235], Aneurin Bevan (Independent Labour) [50], Ernest Blythe (Irish Centre) [25]
1950 Lib.: Harold Macmillan ("Progressive") def. Gwilym Lloyd George ("National")
Harold Macmillan (Liberal-Independent Labour-Irish Centre coalition) 1954-1957*
1953 [coal, 257]: def. Anthony Eden (Conservative) [275], Aneurin Bevan (Independent Labour) [63], Ernest Blythe (Irish Centre) [31]
Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (Liberal-Independent Labour-Irish Centre coalition) 1957
Jun 1957: ("Progressive") unopposed
John Maclay (Liberal-Irish Centre minority coalition) 1957
Sep 1957: ("National") def. Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell ("Progressive")
R. A. Butler (Conservative majority) 1957-1962
1957 [maj, 346]: def. John Maclay (Liberal) [178], Aneurin Bevan (Independent Labour) [74], Ernest Blythe (Irish Centre) [27]
Dec 1957: Jo Grimond ("Progressive") def. Gwilym Lloyd George ("National") and Harold Wilson ("Radical")
1961 [maj, 344]: def. Jo Grimond (Liberal) [223], Annie Maxton (Independent Labour) [57], James Everett (Irish Centre) [19], Oliver Flanagan (Social Credit) [7], Neil Blaney (Sinn Fein) [5], Saunders Lewis (Plaid Cymru) [2]
Quintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham (Conservative majority) 1962-1966
1963 Lib.: Dingle Foot ("Radical") def. Jo Grimond ("Progressive"), Roy Jenkins ("Progressive") and Reginald Maulding ("National")
Dingle Foot (Liberal minority supported by Independent Labour) 1966-1969
1966 [min, 293]: def. Quintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham (Conservative) [233], Annie Maxton (Independent Labour) [54], James Everett (National Centre) [27], Oliver Flanagan (Social Credit) [14]
Roy Jenkins (Liberal minority supported by Independent Labour, then majority) 1969-1976
1969 Lib.: ("Progressive") def. Reginald Maulding ("National") and Dingle Foot ("Radical")
1970 [maj, 345]: def. Jack Powell (Conservative) [245], Liam Kavanagh (National Centre) [28], George Brown (Independent Labour) [21], Oliver Flanagan (Social Credit) [11]
1974 [maj, 356]: def. Jack Powell (Conservative) [231], Liam Kavanagh (National Centre) [30], Peter Shore (Labour) [28], Oliver Flanagan (Social Credit) [5], Saunders Lewis (Plaid Cymru [European Democrats]) [4]
1975 EA referendum: 57.1% Yes
1975 Irish independence: 56.3% No
1976 EA election: Liberal [LEDL, 34], Conservative [ECM, 27], Labour [ESP, 14], National Centre [NI, 7], [European Democrats, 5]
Michael Foot (Liberal majority, then minority) 1976-1979
1976 Lib.: ("Radical") def. Megan Lloyd George ("Progressive") and Margaret Thatcher ("National")
1979 EA referendum: 62.5% Remain
1979 [min, 256]: def. William Whitelaw (Conservative) [254], Peter Shore (Labour) [45], Liam Kavanagh (National Centre) [21]
Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (Liberal minority with ad hoc support from Conservatives or Labour) 1979-1982
1979 Lib.: ("Progressive") def. Michael Foot ("Radical")
1981 EA election: Conservative [ECM, 31], Liberal [LEDL, 23], Labour [ESDA, 17], [European Democrats, 5], National Centre [NI, 3]
Margaret Thatcher (Liberal minority with support from Conservatives, then majority) 1982-1985
1982 Lib.: ("National") def. Roy Jenkins ("Progressive") and David Steel ("Progressive")
1982 [maj, 345]: def. William Whitelaw (Conservative) [175], Denis Healey (Labour) [57], Roy Jenkins (Just Society) [11], Dick Spring (National Centre) [11], Phil Williams (Plaid Cymru [European Democrats]) [5]
Anthony Wedgwood Benn, 2nd Viscount Stangate (Liberal majority) 1985-1988
1985 Lib.: ("Progressive") def. Margaret Thatcher ("National") and Roy Jenkins ("Progressive", ineligible)
1986 EA election: Conservative [ECM, 37], Labour [ESDA, 25], Liberal [LEDL, 14], Just Society [LEDL, 10], [European Democrats, 5]
John Major (Liberal majority, then minority, then majority) 1988-1994*
1988 Lib.: ("Unifier") def. Anthony Wedgwood Benn, 2nd Viscount Stangate ("Progressive")
1989 [min, 295]: def. Keith Joseph (Conservative) [137], Dennis Skinner (Labour) [114], Roy Jenkins (Just Society) [10], Dick Spring (National Centre) [10], Phil Williams (Plaid Cymru [European Democrats]) [4]
1991 EA election: Liberal [LEDL, 25], Conservative [ECM, 21], Labour [ESDA, 21], [European Democrats, 8], National Centre [NI, 2]
Michael Heseltine (Liberal majority) 1994-1999
Jul 1994 Lib.: ("National") unopposed
Sep 1994 Lib.: ("National") def. David Owen ("Owenite")
1994 [maj, 339]: def. John Bruton (Conservative) [101], Dennis Skinner (Labour) [79], Dick Spring (National Centre) [13], Dafydd Wigley (Plaid Cymru [European Eco-Democrats]) [7], Tracy Worcester (Green [European Eco-Democrats]) [1]
1996 EA election: Labour [ESDA, 28], Liberal [LEDL, 21], Conservative [ECM, 13], Green/Plaid Cymru [EED, 10], National Centre [NI, 2]
Anthony Blair (Conservative-Labour coalition [with support of Eco-Democrats from 2003-2007]) 1999-2007
1999 [coal, 174]: def. Michael Heseltine (Liberal) [231], David Blunkett (Labour) [156], Tracy Worcester (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [15], Dafydd Wigley (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [7], Roger Godsiff (National Centre) [5], Jenny Jones (Independent Green) [3]
1999 Lib.: Charles Kennedy ("Reform") def. Michael Heseltine ("National")
2001 EA election: Liberal [LEDL, 28], Conservative [ECM, 17], [Eco-Democrats, 15], Labour [ESDA, 7]
2003 [coal, 215]: def. Charles Kennedy (Liberal) [243], David Blunkett (Labour) [101], Jean Lambert (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [23], Dafydd Wigley (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [8], Roger Godsiff (National Centre) [7], Alex Neil (Scottish Left) [7]
2003 Lib.: Mary Harney ("National") def. Vince Cable ("Progressive")
2004 Brussells Treaty referendum: 51.5% Yes
2006 EA election: Liberal [LEDL, 29], Conservative [ECM, 23], [Eco-Democrats, 17], Labour [ESDA, 8], Scottish Left [EUL, 3]
Shaun Woodward (Conservative-Labour coalition [with support of Eco-Democrats in 2007]) 2007-2012
2007 [coal, 187]: def. Mary Harney (Liberal) [245], Francis Ross (Labour) [146], Mike Woodin (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [11], Adam Price (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [5], Alex Neil (Scottish Left) [4], Sammy Wilson (National Centre) [3]
2007 Lib.: Alistair Campbell ("Reform") def. Nick Clegg ("National")
2011 EA election: Conservative [ECM, 26], [Eco-Democrats, 19], Liberal [LEDL, 14], Labour [ESDA, 7], Scottish Left [EUL, 2]
2011 Lib.: Andrew Adonis ("Reform") def. Alistair Campbell ("Reform")
Andrew Adonis (Liberal majority) 2012-2019
2012 [maj, 439]: def. Shaun Woodward (Conservative) [135], Francis Ross (Labour) [43], Patrick Harvie (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [32], Adam Price (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [14], Kate Hoey (National Centre) [9], Alex Neil (Scottish Left) [5]
2015 Irish independence: 55.0% No
2015 Welsh independence: 53.1% No
2016 EA election: Liberal [LEDL, 25], Conservative [ECM, 21], Labour [ESDA, 18], [Eco-Democrats, 12], Scottish Left [EUL, 3]
2017 [maj, 403]: def. Leo Varadkar (Conservative) [156], John McDonnell (Labour) [37], Patrick Harvie (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [36], Adam Price (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [25], Kate Hoey (National Centre) [11], Alex Neil (Scottish Left) [4]
Lisa Nandy (Liberal majority) 2019-present
2019 Lib.: ("Progressive") def. Chuka Umunna ("Reform") and Daniel Hannan ("National")
2019 [maj, 407]: def. Leo Varadkar (Conservative) [160], Patrick Harvie (Eco-Democrats [EED]) [32], Ruth Coppinger (Labour) [31], Adam Price (Plaid Cymru [EED]) [19], Kate Hoey (National Centre) [14]
The famous, tried and true poster of the Liberals declare "CONSERVATISM? PAST IT! SOCIALISM? BEYOND IT! LIBERALISM? IT!". And as the Liberals chug forward with their restored dominance seemingly unassailable, Britain sinks once more into an era of shining amber dominance. The Tories are struggling to rebuild from their 2012 wipeout, while Labour has lost much left-wing support to the Eco-Dems. At least we can all say that the Irish and Welsh are not leaving any time soon.
Of course, many decry the Liberals for not having any actual consistent policies, instead being united around a vague feeling of "following the heritage of Gladstonian liberalism" and just being a party of power above all else. But it seems to work. Meanwhile, someone wonders of a different world, one where the Liberal Party's myriad splits actually went through and didn't "stay inside the party".
Could the Tories win a majority more? Perhaps it could be the time of Labour? Who knows. But that is not this world.