On 18 December 1901, Lloyd George, an up-and-coming Liberal member of Parliament, tried to speak at an anti Boer War meeting in Birmingham Town Hall. A pro-war demonstration of 7,000 people soon degenerated into a riot. In a pitched battle one policeman and one rioter were killed, at least 40 injured and the Town Hall wrecked. In OTL Lloyd George escaped disguised as a policeman. The POD for this TL is that somehow he is fatally injured. In it I want to explore the consequences of the removal of probably the second most important figure in British politics in the 20th century after Winston Churchill.
The news of Lloyd George's death was greeted with shock and indignation. Some Liberals blamed Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary and uncrowned king of Birmingham as being indirectly responsible for his death. But he vehemently rejected any measure of responsibility. Arthur Balfour, the Conservative Prime Minister, and Chamberlain said they deeply rejected this tragic death. Charles Ritchie, the Home Secretary, appointed a public enquiry which some months later came to the conclusion that Lloyd George's death was a tragic accident for which no one could be held responsible.