Keeping the British Liberal Party flag flying high
- Thread starter pipisme
- Start date
It was the policy of Liberal/Socialist Labour coalition governments from 1950 to prepare British colonies for their eventual independence. On 6 March 1959, Ghana became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth, with Joseph Boakye Danquah as Prime Minister. [1]
[1] Here is his entry on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.B._Danquah.
[1] Here is his entry on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.B._Danquah.
The Bledisloe Commission, also known as the Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission, was appointed by the British government in 1937 to examine the possible closer union of the three British territories in Central Africa with Lord Bledisloe as its chairman. It reported in 1939. The majority of the Commission recommended a union of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland which would co-operate economically with Southern Rhodesia. But political amalgamation with Southern Rhodesia was ruled out until its racial policies were changed. [1]
In 1943 the Central African Council was established to promote co-operation between the three territories. It had consultative but not executive powers. The policy of the 1946 to 1950 Conservative government was to work towards federation of the three territories. In November 1950 Robert Bernays [Liberal], the Colonial Secretary in the Liberal/Socialist Labour coalition government which had come to power the previous month, announced in the House of Commons that it was the policy of the British government not to proceed with federation. This was because of the opposition of African majority opinion. Therefore in this TL there was no Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland as there was in OTL.
[1] This was as in OTL. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledisloe_Commission
In 1943 the Central African Council was established to promote co-operation between the three territories. It had consultative but not executive powers. The policy of the 1946 to 1950 Conservative government was to work towards federation of the three territories. In November 1950 Robert Bernays [Liberal], the Colonial Secretary in the Liberal/Socialist Labour coalition government which had come to power the previous month, announced in the House of Commons that it was the policy of the British government not to proceed with federation. This was because of the opposition of African majority opinion. Therefore in this TL there was no Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland as there was in OTL.
[1] This was as in OTL. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledisloe_Commission
The Grimond Memorandum written by the Colonial Secretary, Jo Grimond, in April 1958, stated that it was policy of the British government to bring the colonies to independence under majority rule with 'due diligent speed'.
In October 1959 Northern Rhodesia became an independent member of the Commonwealth as Zambia with Harry Nkumbula as President. [1] In the previous May Nyasaland had become independent within the Commonwealth with Dr. Hastings Banda as President.
[1] Here is his entry on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nkumbula.
In October 1959 Northern Rhodesia became an independent member of the Commonwealth as Zambia with Harry Nkumbula as President. [1] In the previous May Nyasaland had become independent within the Commonwealth with Dr. Hastings Banda as President.
[1] Here is his entry on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nkumbula.
Roy Welensky became Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia in February 1958 as head of a United Rhodesia Party government. The previous Prime Minister, Garfield Todd, had been forced out of office by his own party because they objected to his proposal to increase the number of blacks eligible to vote from 2% to 16% of the electorate by lowering educational and property qualifications. The United Rhodesia Party won a majority of seats in the legislative assembly in the June 1958 general election.
Doesn't sound like it from the rejection of the modest increase above and the Bledisloe and Bernays statements above.
Hopefully South Africa has a path to redemption too without the Communist Party driving egalitarianism.
A general election was held in South Africa on 26 May 1948 to elect members of the House of Assembly. The number of seats won by each party were as follows:
United: 74
Reunited National: 61
Afrikaner: 8
Labour: 7
Independents: 3
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Total: 153
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The United Party remained in power with the support of the Labour Party, and Jan Smuts continued in office as Prime Minister.
United: 74
Reunited National: 61
Afrikaner: 8
Labour: 7
Independents: 3
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Total: 153
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The United Party remained in power with the support of the Labour Party, and Jan Smuts continued in office as Prime Minister.
Jan Smuts, the Prime Minister of South Africa, died on 11th September 1950. He was mourned as a statesman in South Africa, throughout the British Commonwealth and around the world. He received a state funeral in South Africa.
He was succeeded as leader of the United Party and Prime Minister of South Africa by the Finance Minister, Harry Lawrence. [1]
[1] Here is the entry for Lawrence on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Lawrence. In this TL his spleen was not damaged at a political meeting as in OTL.
He was succeeded as leader of the United Party and Prime Minister of South Africa by the Finance Minister, Harry Lawrence. [1]
[1] Here is the entry for Lawrence on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Lawrence. In this TL his spleen was not damaged at a political meeting as in OTL.
A general election for the South African House of Assembly was held on 20 May 1953. The number of seats won by each party and Independents was as follows [1948 general election]:
Nationalist: 81 [61]
United: 67 [74]
Labour: 8 [7]
Communist: 1 [-]
Independents: 2 [3]
[Afrikaner: 8]
-----------------------------
Total: 159 [153]
-----------------------------
The Nationalist Party now had a majority of three seats and its leader, Daniel Francois Malan, became Prime Minister.
Nationalist: 81 [61]
United: 67 [74]
Labour: 8 [7]
Communist: 1 [-]
Independents: 2 [3]
[Afrikaner: 8]
-----------------------------
Total: 159 [153]
-----------------------------
The Nationalist Party now had a majority of three seats and its leader, Daniel Francois Malan, became Prime Minister.
The National Party government in South Africa implemented its policy of apartheid by legislation such as the Group Areas Act 1954 and the Natives Resettlement Act 1955. [1] Under the provisions of the latter Act on 14 March 1956 armed police forcibly removed black families from the multi-racial district of Sophiatown in Joannesburg to Meadowlands, Soweto. [1]
D.F. Malan resigned as prime minister of South Africa on 30 November 1954. He was succeeded as leader of the National Party and prime minister by Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom. [2] As in OTL.
[1] For these Acts in OTL see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_Areas_Act and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natives_Resettlement_Act,_1954.
[2] For Sophiatown see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophiatown.
[3] Here is the entry for Stridjom on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Strijdom.
D.F. Malan resigned as prime minister of South Africa on 30 November 1954. He was succeeded as leader of the National Party and prime minister by Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom. [2] As in OTL.
[1] For these Acts in OTL see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_Areas_Act and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natives_Resettlement_Act,_1954.
[2] For Sophiatown see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophiatown.
[3] Here is the entry for Stridjom on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Strijdom.
The result of the general election in South Africa for the House of Assembly on 14 May 1958 was as follows [1953 general election]:
National Party: 92 seats [81 seats]
United Party: 71 seats [67 seats]
[Labour Party 8 seats]
[Independents: 2 seats]
[Communist Party: 1 seat]
-----------------------------
Total:163 seats [159 seats]
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So the National Party remained in power.
National Party: 92 seats [81 seats]
United Party: 71 seats [67 seats]
[Labour Party 8 seats]
[Independents: 2 seats]
[Communist Party: 1 seat]
-----------------------------
Total:163 seats [159 seats]
-----------------------------
So the National Party remained in power.
There were three by-elections on 12 June 1958. These were for Argyll was caused by the death of Duncan McCallum [Conservative] on 10 May; St. Helens caused by the resignation of Hartley Shawcross [Socialist Labour]; Weston-Super-Mare caused by the death of Ian Orr-Ewing [Conservative] on 27 April. The results for each election were as follows [October 1955 general election]:
Argyll:
Michael Noble [Conservative]: 51.4% [46.3%]
Liberal candidate: 37.5% [41.7%]
Socialist Labour candidate: 11.1% [12.0%]
------------------------------------
Conservative majority: 13.9% [4.6%]
-----------------------------------
The swing from Liberal to Conservative was 4.65%.
St. Helens:
Anthony Greenwood [Socialist Labour]: 54.6% [59.3%]
Conservative candidate: 30.4% [23.0%]
Liberal candidate: 15.0% [17.7%]
---------------------------------------
Socialist Labour majority: 24.2% [36.3%]
---------------------------------------
There was a swing of 6.05% from Socialist Labour to Conservative.
Weston-Super-Mare:
Edward du Cann [Conservative]: 57.2% [51.7%]
Liberal candidate: 30.8% [34.7%]
Socialist Labour candidate: 12.0% [14.1%]
-------------------------------------
Conservative majority: 26.4% [17.0%]
-------------------------------------
The swing from Liberal to Conservative was 4.7%.
Argyll:
Michael Noble [Conservative]: 51.4% [46.3%]
Liberal candidate: 37.5% [41.7%]
Socialist Labour candidate: 11.1% [12.0%]
------------------------------------
Conservative majority: 13.9% [4.6%]
-----------------------------------
The swing from Liberal to Conservative was 4.65%.
St. Helens:
Anthony Greenwood [Socialist Labour]: 54.6% [59.3%]
Conservative candidate: 30.4% [23.0%]
Liberal candidate: 15.0% [17.7%]
---------------------------------------
Socialist Labour majority: 24.2% [36.3%]
---------------------------------------
There was a swing of 6.05% from Socialist Labour to Conservative.
Weston-Super-Mare:
Edward du Cann [Conservative]: 57.2% [51.7%]
Liberal candidate: 30.8% [34.7%]
Socialist Labour candidate: 12.0% [14.1%]
-------------------------------------
Conservative majority: 26.4% [17.0%]
-------------------------------------
The swing from Liberal to Conservative was 4.7%.