The British Liberal Tradition: From Gladstone to Young Churchill, Asquith, and Lloyd George - Is Blair Their Heir? Lord Roy Jenkins The British Liberal Tradition From Gladstone to Young Churchill, Asquith, and Lloyd George - Is Blair Their Heir? LORD ROY JENKINS Published in association with Victoria University by University of Toronto Press www.utppublishing.com © University of Toronto Press Incorporated 2001 Toronto Buffalo London Printed in Canada ISBN 0-8020-8454-0 Printed on acid-free paper The Senator Keith Davey Lectures National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data Jenkins, Roy The British liberal tradition : from Gladstone to young Churchill, Asquith, and Lloyd George - is Blair their heir? (The Senator Keith Davey lectures) ISBN 0-8020-8454-0 i. Liberal Party (Great Britain) - History. 2. Liberalism - Great Britain - History. 3. Great Britain - Politics and government - 1837-1901. 4. Great Britain - Politics and government - 2oth century. I. Title. II. Series: Senator Keith Davey lecture series. JNH29.145)46 2001 324.24io6'o9 02001-930247-9 University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP). Contents Preface ROSEANN RUNTE, President, Victoria University vii INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Opening Comment ADEL SEDRA, PrOVOSt, University of Toronto 3 Introduction THE HONORABLE H.N.R. JACKMAN, Chancellor, University of Toronto 5 vi Contents THE FOURTH ANNUAL SENATOR KEITH DAVEY LECTURE The British Liberal Tradition: From Gladstone to Young Churchill, Asquith, and Lloyd George - Is Blair Their Heir? LORD ROY JENKINS 11 CONCLUDING REMARKS Toast to Lord Jenkins H. GARFIELD EMERSON, QC 41 Commentary BARONESS SCOTLAND OF ASTHAL, QC 45 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Lord Roy Jenkins 5 3 Senator Keith Davey 57 Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC 61 The Senator Keith Davey Lectures 63 Prefacee H.G. Wells wrote that 'history is a race between catastrophe and education.' When one has had the privilege of listening to and reading a wonderful lecture like this one which was delivered by Lord Jenkins, one has the impres- sion, however fleeting, that education is win- ning. I would like to thank all those who were present and all those who have purchased this slim volume, for contributing to that victory. We have more than one winning score to celebrate. I heard that wagers were being taken on whether this lecture would, once again, be delivered in a snowstorm. The clement weather made and lost more than one minor fortune. viii Preface This is not the first time that some people have been misled in similar circumstances. When Churchill came to the United States, he took the train to Missouri with President Tru- man. Churchill asked if they might play cards, mentioning that he had once played poker in the Boer War. Truman acquiesced and in- structed his staff to play their best. He was cer- tain that Churchill was just being a model of British modesty. After Churchill began losing seriously, Truman reconsidered and counter- manded his initial order. He said that, as a courtesy to the guest, the staff should play poorly, allowing Churchill to win. Today Mother Nature has allowed us to win. To continue with Truman, he once said that 'men make history — history does not make the man/ Well, Senator Davey has consistently made history in Canada. His successes have truly been remarkable, and they have been accomplished thanks to a strong team effort with his wife Dorothy. I salute them both. I would like to thank Dean Beach of the Fac- ulty of Music for allowing us to use its hall and the members of the organizing committee for their fine work: Ms Stephanie Connolly, Sena- tor and Mrs Davey, Dr Paul Fox, Dr Brian Prefaceeixixx Merrilees, Mr Corey Salih, and Dr Rob Vipond. I am also deeply indebted to Sir Anthony Goodenough, the High Commissioner for Great Britain in Canada and the co-host of Lord Jenkins's lecture. He brought with him Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Minister for the Americas in the British Cabinet, and Mr Tony Curren, British Consul General in Toronto. The previous year's lecture was co-hosted by Mr Heinrich Kroon, Consul General of the Netherlands, who attended this year. On the same day as Lord Jenkins spoke we were proud to launch the publication of the third lecture in our series, Revitalizing Liberal Values in a Globalizing World, by Dr Ruud Lubbers, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. I would like to thank the Provost of the Uni- versity of Toronto for accepting to speak at Lord Jenkins's lecture. We are fortunate to have such a fine scholar and academic leader with excellent administrative skills. It would be very hard indeed to imagine a better Provost. Lord Jenkins was introduced by the Honor- able H.N.R. Jackman, Chancellor of the Uni- versity of Toronto and distinguished Victoria graduate. One of the qualifications of the per-