"Conservative Dominance in British Politics Between 1885 and 1905 Was Due to Conservatives Strengths Rather Than Liberal Failures" Discuss

One of the key reasons the Conservatives were so successful was because of Salisbury’s leadership skills. This was demonstrated when he managed to persuade Gladstone that he would (as head of house of Lords) pass the reform act in return for the Redistribution of Seats Act. Salisbury knew that the reform act was inevitable, so he used his political skills to negotiate the redistribution of seats act in return for the reform act. This ultimately benefited the conservatives as they won the next election; however, it was a mixture of Gladstone’s weakness to deal with his opposition, as apposed to just Salisbury’s leadership skills. His skills were also evident and beneficial in the Redistribution of Seats bill as it weakened the Whig element of the Liberals, and seeing as the Whigs joined the Conservatives when the Liberals split, strengthened the Conservatives. Another aspect of this redistribution act which showed Salisbury’s strengths and leadership qualities was how it would mean the Conservatives would gain the support of the Middle Class. This shows Liberals weakness and the Conservatives strengths leading to the party’s dominance. It can be argued therefore that the source is correct in saying that the reason the Conservatives were so dominant in British politics is because of Conservative strengths i.e. Salisbury’s leadership skills. He also dealt very well with the disputes within the party as shown when he achieved the army funds in return for Churchill’s resignation which was ultimately beneficial for the Tory party. The appointment of WH Smith showed his ability to appoint people from different backgrounds to his own and the skills of Smith shows his excellent judgement.      

However there are a considerable number of other factors in explaining why the conservatives were so dominant. For example, the weaknesses of the Liberal party. The Liberal split of 1886, due to the Home Rule crisis, created the Liberal Unionist party, which supported the Conservatives throughout the period of 1886 to 1895 and shows how it was a Liberal weakness which strengthened the Conservatives. This is shown in the 1895 general election when a Conservative coalition with the Liberal Unionists saw Salisbury return to power. Another key weakness of the Liberals was the reliance of support on the Home Rule party which meant if they failed to keep their support, they could lose the election. The failure to pass the 1893 Home rule bill secured this fate. They also relied heavily on Welsh and Scottish votes as they failed to gain a majority in England. The reform act gave safe Tory constituencies in business areas which showed the weakness in Liberal policy as that ultimately helped the Conservatives win the Election. The Liberal party was also under weak leadership which meant that it was struggling to keep together. Without the leadership qualities of Gladstone they lacked a unifying factor that they needed. This helps to show that there were considerable weaknesses in the Liberal party which would mean that the Conservatives would gain support and therefore dominate politics.