payment page
Conservatism versus Liberalism
Politics in Great Britain at this time can be summed up as a grand—and unresolved—debate between classical liberalism, represented by William Gladstone, and interventionist conservatism, represented by Benjamin Disraeli. Remember that liberalism and conservatism were defined much differently at this time, and bear little resemblance to their modern usage.
However, despite this debate, England never saw a revolution. While the rest of Europe was in turmoil due to revolutionary movements from 1830 to 1848, England’s social change happened in Parliament, not on the streets. The Liberals represented the economic and political wishes of the British bourgeoisie, while the Conservatives represented the aristocracy. Even without direct representation, both parties responded to the needs of workers and the poor, especially the Conservatives. Additionally, while ruling elites in nations such as Prussia and France were dedicated to the preservation of their privilege by birthright alone, English nobles were dedicated to the preservation of the rights of Englishmen. While “Englishmen” did mean fellow nobles and the wealthy, this different perspective, focused on rights rather than privilege, allowed English aristocrats to better understand liberal demands in the 1840s and respond to them with political and gradual change.
Liberalism in England
Though Gladstone began his career as a Tory (a member of the Conservative Party), he became the leader of the Liberal Party and a champion of classical liberalism. This economic and political philosophy opposed state intervention in economic affairs and supported free trade, competition, and individual initiative as the key to success. This philosophy was, above all, an attack on the privileged, such as aristocrats and the Anglican Church. Liberals believed that talent alone should dictate a man's advancement in the world, not family name or religion. Under Gladstone, Britain abolished tariffs, cut defense spending, lowered taxes, kept budgets balanced, reformed the civil service into a merit-based promotion system, and made elementary education both available to and mandatory for everyone.
Conservatism in England
While Gladstone advanced a liberal version of England’s future, Disraeli advocated for conservatism. Supported by an odd coalition of great privilege and the agrarian poor, the Conservative Party pushed for state intervention in the economy on behalf of both the disadvantaged and the landed elite, with both supported tariffs that helped British agriculture and domestic industries. While Disraeli was prime minister, the government passed the Factory Act of 1875, which set a maximum of a 56-hour workweek; the Public Health Act, which established a sanitary code; the Artisan Dwelling Act, which defined minimum housing standards; and the Trade Union Act, which permitted picketing and other peaceful labor tactics.
