Liberal Imperialists

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Liberal Imperialists were a faction of the Liberal Party around 1900, who disagreed with their leaders' lukewarm line over the Boer War. Their leaders were Rosebery, Grey, and Haldane. At one time they threatened to secede formally, but did not, partly because of Rosebery's dithering. That was probably fortunate, because once the war was ended they found they had more in common with other Liberals than they thought. All wanted the empire run more benevolently than under the Conservatives. It also meant that they were able to benefit from the Liberals' election landslide victory of 1906, and play their full part in the government that followed. Opponents sometimes shortened their title to ‘Limps’.

Bernard Porter

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Liberal Imperialists

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