The final IASH Work-in-Progress seminar of 2021, delivered by Dr Michael Kyle Thompson (American Philosophical Society Fellow 2021; Pittsburg State University):
Gladstonian Influence in Edinburgh
Abstract:
This paper looks at Gladstone’s relationship and influence with Edinburgh, which was one of convenience when he first arrived. Edinburgh was a Liberal stronghold which, like the majority of Scotland, was dominated by Liberal politics. Gladstone saw Edinburgh as an ideal place to mount a northern stand for his ‘Midlothian campaign’. He tried to make a connection to the city, using Edinburgh to deliver many of his campaign speeches during the 1880 election and even paying for the restoration of the Market Cross in 1885. This prominent location enabled his speeches to be transmitted quickly and easily by the press. Having the Prime Minister deliver high-profile speeches also benefited the burgh as its importance grew. Both candidates and constituents in Edinburgh looked to Gladstone for guidance on questions and for mediation between rival candidates. Instead of forcing his desires on either side, he tried to stay above the fray of local politics. This is most evident in the 1885 disestablishment question in which he pushed the question off into a ‘long vista’. However, in the 1886 election Edinburgh became more important than just a convenient location to get maximum coverage from the press and Gladstone’s approach changed after the Liberal party spilt over the Irish question. Gladstone wanted to show constituents throughout the country that he still represented the official Liberal party. Edinburgh, as the capital of liberal Scotland, was an essential holding for either side of the Liberal split. Gladstone not only held speeches in Edinburgh during the 1886 election, but he also personally interjected in elections within the burgh. This is especially true regarding the attacks he made on George Goschen, a dissenting Liberal. Even after his death Gladstone played an important part in the city’s Liberal politics as young progressives, dubbed the ‘Young Scot’s Society’ used Gladstone as a rallying point to distinguish their politics from the leading Liberal Imperialist. Gladstone’s influence cut at Edinburgh’s Liberal unity, often pitting Liberals against one another, but it also galvanized Liberals around him or his perceived ideology. Overall, Gladstone loomed large and had a lasting influence on Edinburgh’s Liberal politics.
Biography:
Dr Kyle Thompson is an Associate Professor of European History at Pittsburg State University. His research focuses on Scottish political history. He is particularly interested in political identity and the interplay between candidates and their constituents as they navigated politics. For example, his article in the Innes Review “Defining Liberalism: The First Home Rule Crisis in the Scottish Capital,” discusses the struggle of liberalism in Edinburgh that was brought about by the Irish question and the role played by political identity.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ed-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/81322391722
Passcode: Vr8f3ew2