OCR Specification focus:
‘The result of, and reasons for, the outcome of the 1918 election; the decline of the Liberal party to 1924; Lloyd George’s coalition, policies and reasons for fall.’
The 1918 election, known as the ‘Coupon Election’, reshaped British politics. It marked the decline of the Liberal Party, strengthened the Conservatives, and exposed deep divisions.
The 1918 Election
Context of the Election
The First World War had transformed British society and politics. By November 1918, Germany had surrendered, and Prime Minister David Lloyd George faced the challenge of securing a post-war mandate.
Britain’s electorate had expanded due to the Representation of the People Act (1918), which enfranchised all men over 21 and some women over 30.
Over 8 million new voters participated, many of them working-class, creating a transformed political landscape.
Voters were eager for stability, security, and rewards for wartime sacrifices.
The ‘Coupon’ System
Lloyd George, a Liberal, chose to remain allied with the Conservative Party, led by Andrew Bonar Law, forming the Coalition Government.
Coalition candidates received a joint endorsement letter, popularly known as the ‘coupon’.
Candidates without the coupon, particularly Liberals loyal to former Prime Minister H. H. Asquith, were heavily disadvantaged.
The coupon symbolised national unity but deepened the split within the Liberal Party.
Election Results
Coalition Conservatives: over 330 seats
Coalition Liberals: 133 seats
Asquithian Liberals: 36 seats
Labour: 57 seats
The Conservatives emerged as the dominant force, despite Lloyd George’s personal prestige.
Composition of the House of Commons, 1918: coalition Conservatives and coalition Liberals vastly outnumbered Asquithian Liberals, Labour, and Irish parties, showing how the coupon strategy shaped dominance. Source
The election effectively sidelined the Liberals as a united governing party.
Decline of the Liberal Party, 1918–1924
Liberal Split
The division between Lloyd George’s Coalition Liberals and Asquith’s Independent Liberals fatally weakened the party.
Asquithians criticised Lloyd George for betraying Liberal principles by allying with Conservatives.
Lloyd George’s faction relied on Conservative support, undermining Liberal independence.
The feud prevented any credible Liberal challenge to Labour or the Conservatives.
Competition from Labour
The Labour Party emerged as the main voice of the working class.
Labour benefited from the trade union movement’s growth during the war.
Its adoption of a socialist-inspired 1918 Constitution (Clause IV advocating common ownership) gave it a distinctive platform.
Labour’s ability to attract working-class voters coincided with Liberal disunity, further marginalising the party.
Structural Weaknesses
Liberals lacked strong funding compared to Conservatives, who were supported by business interests.
Organisationally, Labour was more rooted in local constituencies, through unions and socialist societies.
The first-past-the-post system punished the split Liberal vote and rewarded unified Labour challenges.
Key Turning Points
1922 election: Conservatives broke with Lloyd George, leading to Liberal collapse.
1923 election: Asquith and Lloyd George temporarily reunited, but voters now saw Labour as the true alternative.
1924 election: Labour formed its first government under Ramsay MacDonald, confirming the decline of Liberal power.
Lloyd George’s Coalition, Policies and Fall
Lloyd George as Prime Minister
David Lloyd George was widely admired for his wartime leadership, especially his role in winning the war and securing peace terms at Versailles. However, his domestic record was mixed.
Coalition Policies
Social Reform Promises: Lloyd George pledged to create a ‘land fit for heroes’, including homes for ex-servicemen and welfare reforms.
Housing Act 1919: Introduced subsidies for council housing but was underfunded and insufficient.
Economic Challenges: Post-war boom quickly gave way to recession, rising unemployment, and industrial unrest.
Irish Question: His handling of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) created the Irish Free State but left bitter divisions.
The Fall of Lloyd George
Lloyd George’s reputation began to decline after 1919.
Scandals: Accusations of corruption arose from the sale of honours, damaging his integrity.
Foreign Policy Criticism: His interventionist policies in Europe and support for Greece in the war against Turkey were unpopular.
Conservative Disillusionment: By 1922, many Conservatives felt Lloyd George was unreliable and too radical for their interests.
Carlton Club Meeting (1922): Conservatives voted to withdraw from the coalition, ending Lloyd George’s premiership.
Carlton Club, 69 St James’s Street, London, where Conservative MPs met in October 1922 and resolved to end the coalition. This moment brought Lloyd George’s premiership to a sudden close. Source
Aftermath
Lloyd George never again returned to power. The Liberal Party, already divided and weakened, could not recover, leaving the political stage dominated by the Conservatives and Labour.
Key Points for OCR Students
The 1918 Election was decisive in reshaping British politics, ensuring Conservative dominance and accelerating the Liberal decline.
The Coupon system entrenched Liberal divisions, preventing recovery.
The rise of Labour and structural weaknesses hastened the party’s collapse by 1924.
Lloyd George’s coalition policies, though ambitious, were undermined by economic struggles, scandal, and Conservative rejection.
His fall in 1922 symbolised the end of the Liberal Party as a governing force.
FAQ
It was labelled the ‘Coupon Election’ because coalition candidates received a letter of endorsement, nicknamed the ‘coupon’. The letter, jointly issued by Lloyd George and Bonar Law, assured voters of cross-party backing.
Opponents ridiculed it as a ‘coupon’ because it resembled a voucher guaranteeing victory. For many candidates, possession of the coupon made the difference between success and defeat.
The Act trebled the electorate to over 21 million.
Working-class men aged 21 and over gained the vote.
Women over 30, owning property or married to householders, could now vote.
This influx of new voters, many ex-servicemen, created a demand for stability and gratitude towards wartime leaders, which benefitted coalition candidates and particularly the Conservatives.
Lloyd George’s government was accused of selling peerages and knighthoods to raise political funds.
Titles were allegedly exchanged for donations to the Liberal Party.
This practice angered Conservatives, who felt it tarnished the coalition.
Public perception of corruption weakened Lloyd George’s credibility and moral authority.
The scandal gave his critics, including many Conservatives, a justification to break from him by 1922.
The Carlton Club meeting gathered Conservative MPs to decide whether to continue the coalition.
Most MPs believed Lloyd George had become a liability.
They preferred governing independently rather than propping up a Liberal leader.
The vote to withdraw ended the coalition and forced Lloyd George’s resignation. This moment formally ended Liberal participation in government and shifted the party into long-term decline.
Labour’s new constitution included Clause IV, which committed the party to common ownership of industry.
This ideological clarity distinguished Labour from the divided Liberals. By presenting itself as the genuine party of working-class interests, Labour:
Drew trade union backing.
Gained organisational strength across constituencies.
Appeared modern and united compared to the fractured Liberal Party.
This transformation made Labour the main alternative to the Conservatives by the mid-1920s.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Who were the two political leaders who issued the ‘coupon’ to candidates during the 1918 election?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying David Lloyd George.
1 mark for identifying Andrew Bonar Law.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain two reasons why the Liberal Party declined between 1918 and 1924.
Mark Scheme:
Up to 3 marks for each well-explained reason.
Valid reasons include:
Liberal split: Division between Lloyd George’s Coalition Liberals and Asquith’s Independent Liberals weakened unity and electoral strength (up to 3 marks for explanation).
Rise of Labour: Labour’s new 1918 constitution, strong trade union links, and ability to appeal to working-class voters allowed it to replace the Liberals as the main opposition (up to 3 marks for explanation).
Electoral system disadvantage: First-past-the-post punished the split Liberal vote, handing seats to other parties (up to 3 marks for explanation).
To achieve 5–6 marks, the answer must include two reasons with developed explanation rather than simple statements.
