Joseph Chamberlain, the Conservative party and the Leamington Spa candidature dispute of 1895

Author: Cawood, Ian

Source: Historical Research, Volume 79, Number 206, November 2006 , pp. 554-577(24)

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Abstract:

Based on manuscript and printed sources from private and public archives, this article examines the national repercussions of a controversy over the selection of a Unionist candidate for the constituency of Warwick and Leamington Spa in 1895. The controversy exposed tensions between Joseph Chamberlain and the Conservative party, both on a local and national level, generating a national debate which demonstrated Chamberlain's isolation within the Unionist leadership. The article argues that, as a consequence, Chamberlain was forced to adjust his political strategy in 1895 and enter the newly-formed Unionist cabinet in a seemingly subordinate role, abandoning his much cherished programme of social reform for the sake of political survival.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.2006.00372.x

Affiliations: 1: Newman College of Higher Education

Publication date: 2006-11-01