1. Licensed User Page 1 18/03/2022
Chronology of the constitutional crisis 1909-1911
Head line news flash:
The House of Lords rejects the budget and Asquith is forced to dissolve parliament
and hold an election - why is this unusual and what issue has now been raised.
Headline: Parliament dissolved over Lords row
Content:
After the well publicised throwing out of the 1909 budget proposals by the lords
Asquith has called for (and been granted) and dissolution of parliament by our new
king George V. Asquith has called for this single issue election to allow the people to
vote upon what they view as a fair and democratic system. In his words: “the question
will be asked whether five hundred men, ordinary men chosen accidentally from the
unemployed, should override the judgement of millions of people who are engaged in
the industry which makes the wealth of the country”.
No doubt Mr Asquith is concerned with the built in conservative majority in the Lords
and is looking to place his party on the advantage should they take power at the
coming general election. Clearly without this advantage there is no hope of the budget
being passed and the Liberals being able to fund their reforms. Mr Asquith faces
loosing a further general election if he is unable to pass the budget as he was elected
in on the back of reform promises that appealed to the average working man, should
he fail to deliver no small amount of trust will be lost.
No doubt holding an election so shortly after the last will raise eyebrows, but Mr
Asquith is certainly looking to improve upon his 2 seat lead and remove the element
of relying on radical party’s such as “Labour” and the Unionists. Besides, our recently
departed monarch Edward VII insisted that an election be held to put the issue to the
people before allowing Asquith to simply attack the Lords. Honouring this with will
surely put him in good favour with our current King and let him demonstrate the
democratic values that he campaigns for.
This election will no doubt alter the direction of the countries democratic system
totally; Mr Asquith accuses the Lords of being “frankly and nakedly partisan”. He
also accuses them of abusing what is being described as a built-in conservative
majority. “It is a body that does not attempt to exercise any kind of effective control
over the legislation in the Commons when its own party is in a majority there … when
the conditions are reversed, however clear an emphatic the verdict of the country may
have been, sets itself to work to mutilate and to obstruct democratic legislation”
More details as they emerge

2. Licensed User Page 2 18/03/2022
Chronology of the constitutional crisis 1909-1911
Head line news flash:
Election victory for liberals: what is the significance of the election of January 1910
for the Constitutional Crisis and for the Liberals? Explain what the election was
fought over.
Headline: Election victory secures end to Constitutional Crisis!
Content:
With the revealing of today’s Liberal Victory no doubt came a breath of relief from
Mr Asquith who has managed (by the narrowest of margins) to secure a resolution to
the Constitutional Crisis brought about by his latest budget. As reported by this paper,
Mr Asquith was granted dissolution of parliament by King George on the
understanding that should his party win the upcoming election the crisis would be
resolved by the neutering of the Lords power. Mr Asquith has achieved electoral
victory with the help of the upcoming Labour party and the Irish Unionists, allowing
him to have a overall majority despite his party having the same number of seats as
the Conservatives.
Some radical proposals have been put forward in a bid to improve the democratic
process, with the Lords having their blocking powers reduced to merely delaying bills
by two years (and subsequently hoping for an election) and MP’s now receiving a
salary (a proposal put forward by the Labour party, no doubt in order to allow
themselves to field more MPs). It should also be noted that in all the turmoil, Mr
Balfour has lost his position as leader of the conservatives, to be replaced by Andrew
Bonar Law.
Mr Asquith is now free to press on with his reforms, unimpeded by the Lords – who
no doubt will not want their powers reduced even further. Truly a wonderful day for
the Liberal party.