To What Extent Did the Liberals, Conservatives, Ipp, the Ulster Unionists and the Southern Achieve Their Political Objectives During the Home Rule Crisis of 1912-14?

1433 Words6 Pages
To what extent did the Liberals, Conservatives, IPP, the Ulster Unionists and the Southern achieve their political objectives during the Home Rule crisis of 1912-14? During the third Home Rule bill crisis of 1912-1914 there was many differing objectives among those who lived in Ireland and those in Westminster who governed Ireland. The Liberal Party and the Irish Parliamentary Party, otherwise known as the IPP, wanted Home Rule for all of Ireland. However the Conservative Party and Ulster and Southern Unionists wanted to prevent Home Rule completely. Home Rule for Ireland meant that an Independent Irish Parliament would stand in Dublin to govern Irish affairs, still having an Irish representation in Westminster, whilst Westminster would govern all issues to do with the crown, defence and imperial government. The Government of Ireland Bill, the official name of the Third Home Rule Bill, was given its first reading in the House of Commons on 11th April 1912. There was much support for the Home Rule Bill within the Liberal party. Asquith, the leader of the Liberals, justified the bill to Parliament as the democratic wish of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people. However, he emphasised that ‘the supreme power and authority of the imperial parliament is to remain unimpaired and unchallenged.’ He made clear strict provisions that were to be imposed on the new Irish government and its continued connection to the British Parliament and Crown. It had been proposed before the Third Home Rule Bill was drawn up that Ulster counties could have the option to opt out of Home Rule, however the Liberals insisted that no special provision was to be made for Ulster. This was made clear even though Asquith knew that Unionist MP’s outnumbered Home Rule MP’s by 17 to 16 in Ulster. He stated ‘we cannot admit…the right of…a relatively small minority…to veto the verdict

More about To What Extent Did the Liberals, Conservatives, Ipp, the Ulster Unionists and the Southern Achieve Their Political Objectives During the Home Rule Crisis of 1912-14?

Open Document