His Majesty's Loyal Opposition

This book describes the workings of a major political party in opposition during a period recognised as being of crucial importance in the development of the modern British political system. It attempts to explain why - uniquely in the twentieth century - the Unionist Party was unsuccessful at three consecutive general elections; why the period was dominated by internal party dissension when the presentation of a united image was naturally of some importance; and why, even by the outbreak of the European War in 1914, the Party's recovery was at best partial and uncertain. This is a 'high politics' study, based primarily upon a wide range of unpublished private papers. It contributes not only to the history of the Conservative and Unionist Party, but also to a controversial period of British history whose study is still, despite some notable exceptions, dominated by writings on the Liberal and Labour Parties.