William Ewart Gladstone

This paper examines the development of Gladstonian liberalism, looking particularly at how coherent it could lay claim to being as well investigating what elements of GladstoneÆs political philosophy were owed to Peelite conservatism.1

Gladstone served not only as a lowly MP for the Tories but rose fairly quickly in the partyÆs. In 1843 he became president of the Board of Trade in the Tory cabinet of Sir Robert Peel in large measure because Gladstone supported Peel's movement toward free trade, but when Peel rescinded the Corn Laws in 1846, the Tory party was shattered, and Peel's government collapsed and for the next 13 years, Gladstone as a Peelite, was for the main politically isolated.2

It was during this period of mostly political exile that GladstoneÆs views changed. He accepted the need for religious freedom, including the ad

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to mobilize the idealism of the British public. He succeeded in part because of his strong religious convictions. A daily reader of the Bible and the author of numerous books on religion, he believed that through politics religion could be reflected and made practical and he brought this simplicity of belief in the power of morality and engaged action in the world to his work.10 Although Gladstone seems to have been more consistent in his vision of liberalism than many politicians have been on the subject since, but certainly there were inconsistencies brought about with by GladstoneÆs own uncertainties on an issue or by the necessities of political life. There were also some aspects of his political philosophy that now appear to be inconsistent but given the thinking of his own time were not, such as his own deep religious feelings and his desire to see those citizens who did not belong to the Church of England given equal standing. It is quite simply impossible to see Gladstone himself converting to Judaism, but the fact that he wished to follow one set of religious beliefs himself while granting to others the right to follow another path is perfectly consonant with liberal beliefs about the freedoms that all individuals should
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2491
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)