Anniversary of the Fall of Lloyd George’s Coalition Government
This week marks 103 years since the resignation of David Lloyd George as Prime Minister. This also marked the last time that a person held the office whose first language was not English.
The events were precipitated by the Newport by-election held on October 18th. It was a three-way contest between Labour, Conservative and Liberal candidates.
There was a growing cohort of grassroot Conservatives who wanted the party to extract itself from the coalition with Lloyd George and his Liberal group. Likewise, in the Liberal camp, the animosity between the Lloyd George and Asquith groupings was still raging. The Labour candidate was expected to win. All three candidates spoke out against the continuation of the coalition government.
Anticipating the Labour win, the Conservative leader, Austen Chamberlain, had planned to hold a meeting at the Carlton Club on the 19th to ward off wavering Conservatives from ending the coalition. However, the Conservative candidate won and the emboldened anti-coalition Conservatives won a vote to leave the coalition. Chamberlain resigned the leadership.
Upon hearing the news, Lloyd George resigned immediately but did not leave the role until the 23rd, as Bonar Law would not take over until the Conservatives had elected him as leader.
A General Election was held on the 15th Novemeber 1922 and was won by the Conservatives.
Newport is credited as the only by-election to topple a government. Lloyd George was the last Liberal leader to hold the post of Prime Minister.
