Which important sections of th

On becoming Prime Minister in 1868 Gladstone had a ‘mission to pacify Ireland’. This was going to be partly responsible for the loss of power after one term when the Liberal Party had been at its electoral victory at its highest level of popularity and more united than it was to ever be again in the nineteenth century. It was called by Ensor ‘the greatest ministry of Victoria’s reign’ however this was more to do …

…to swing to the Conservatives who they felt offered a more secure future for their interests. The disunity of the Liberal Party and its lack of organisation compared to its opponents exacerbated the Liberals difficult situation and so it was inevitable they would lose power. Bibliography Britain in the 19th Century H. Martin The Age of Improvement A. Briggs The Forging of the Modern State E. Evans Gladstone Disraeli and Later Victorian Politics P. Adelman