The next Prime Minister, Tory Arthur James Balfour
(1848-1930, PM 1902-05), was a nephew of Salisbury, so in a way, the tradition
went on.
1902-22: A. J. Balfour, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Herbert H. Asquith, David Lloyd George
Our century began with the passing of Queen Victoria on 22nd Jan. 1901. When she died, the Marquess of Salisbury was Prime Minister again, who was already (on and off) heading the government when she celebrated her 50th and 60th anniversary on the throne. When he retired in 1902, the last link to the former century and the "Victorian Age" went with him.
Almost.
The next Prime Minister, Tory Arthur James Balfour
(1848-1930, PM 1902-05), was a nephew of Salisbury, so in a way, the tradition
went on.
Balfour had many non- and ministerial posts and was created a peer in 1922, becoming "Earl of Balfour".
After him,
Liberals Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836-1908, PM 1905-08) and Herbert
Henry Asquith (1852-1928, PM 1908-16) led the government. "C-B" had
been
a member in the House of Commons since 1868 and was the War Secretary in
Gladstone´s last ministries (1886 and 1892-95), but by the time he succeeded
A.J. Balfour as Prime Minister, he was too old and ill to really make
a difference (his signature on the right is on a note, written two months
before he became PM). Asquith (Earl of Oxford and Asquith from 1925 on),
however, was significant with his social reforms and his Parliament Act of
1911, which restricted some important rights of the Lords (a step he took
due
to disputes with the House of Lords over his reforms). Asquith
and his signature appear on the left.
When Asquith appeared to be a weak leader during
the first World War (1914-18), he was succeeded by Liberal David Lloyd George
(1863-1945), who became one of the most significant Prime Ministers (1916-22)
of the 20th century. A great orator, he travelled the country by car or train
like few before him to speak to big audiences. During the Asquith government
(in which he was "Chancellor of the Exchequer"), he was a social reformer
("Old Age Pensions Act" and "National Health Insurance Act"), and later he
was responsible for the "Government of Ireland Act" (1920), which separated
the free Irish state and Northern Ireland. A few months before he died, he
was knighted "Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor", but wasn´t able to take
his seat in the House of Lords anymore. This card on the right shows
"the great orator", it was sent out to admirers in the 30´s.
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