La « caricature au vinaigre » : Francis Carruthers Gould et Joseph Chamberlain, 1895-190. (French)

'Etching with vinegar': Francis Carruthers Gould and Joseph Chamberlain, 1895-1907. (English)

This article discusses the victory of the liberal party in the 1906 legislative elections for the House of Commons in Great Britain and the implications for a policy of free trade. It argues that while it is commonly believed that this victory signaled a rejection of the protectionist policies of the government under Joseph Chamberlain and the Tariff Reform League, the true reason is much more nuanced. Rather than an endorsement of free trade principles it is argued that other considerations such as cheap foreign labor and divisions in religious groups over education legislation had much more of an impact on the results.