Independent Liberal Party (UK, 1918)

The Independent Liberal Party was formed in 1918 as a splinter from the Liberal Party. It was led by H. H. Asquith, in opposition to the Coalition government, whose candidates (whether Conservatives or Liberal) were marked at the 1918 election by the Coalition Coupon.^[1]

After the 1918 election, the party remained in existence in parliament until 1922, although greatly weakened. Only 28 were returned, and even Asquith himself had lost his East Fife seat. Between 1918 and 1922, there were twenty-four three-cornered parliamentary by-elections, but in each of them the Independent Liberal candidates polled only between 24 and 28 per cent of the votes.^[2]

Notes

1. William H. Field, Regional dynamics: the basis of electoral support in Britain (1997), p. 40
2. Chris Cook, A short history of the Liberal Party, 1900-92 (1993), p. 82.