Group    From 6/6/1859  To 2/3/1988

Liberal Party

Founded at a meeting in Almack's / Willis's Rooms, when 280 Whig, Liberal, former Peelite and radical MPs met to agree on a strategy to remove Lord Derby's Conservative government.

The Guardian reports, at the unveiling of the plaque: 
Duncan Brack, of the Liberal Democrat History Group... said of that meeting a century and a half ago: "Among those attending were Lord Palmerston, John Bright and Lord John Russell – and the meeting paved the way for the political ascendancy of Liberal prime minister William Gladstone."
Davis described the occasion as "momentous" and said: "When Palmerston, Russell and their Radicals, Peelites and Whigs coalesced around the issue of Italian reunification, at this very location in 1859, I am sure everyone expected the union to be a temporary one. For generations British political life has been fluid, with numerous changes of government, factions and minority administrations. However, for what was then such a disparate union, the Liberal party has endured, helping to shape so much of British politics since. And the timing of this unveiling could not be more appropriate, as its successor – the Liberal Democrat party – once more finds itself in government."

The Liberal Party merged with the Social Democrats in 1988 to form what became the Liberal Democrats.

Note: The Radical Club is said to be a precursor to the Liberal Party.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Liberal Party

Commemorated ati

Liberal Party

The Liberal Party was founded on this site 6th of June 1859. City of Westmins...

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Geoffrey William Ridley

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F. Brader

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Charles Wager

Charles Wager

Born Rochester, Kent to a naval family. He entered the navy, rose to Rear-Admiral and was knighted 1709. Entered Parliament in 1713 and worked the rest of his life in the Board of Admiralty. Known ...

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Arthur H. Valentine

Arthur H. Valentine

Committee chairman in Bow in 1900. Our colleague Andrew Behan has researched this man: Initially (ha) we thought the middle initial on the plaque read 'R' but since that name lead nowhere Andrew ...

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Edward White

Edward White

Churchwarden of St John the Baptist upon Walbrook in 1884.  Given the shared surname we thought this might be the Reverend White's son, Edward, but he would have been only 11 in 1884 so it's not hi...

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