Last Two Days!

 Not of this blog.., but the last two days to respond to the Lloyd George Society questionnaire. It's to help us plan the 2026 weekend. If you are interested in attending please do take a couple of minutes to answer the questions. You can find the questionnaire on the Society website at this link

Max Beerbohm and David Lloyd George

Max Beerbohm, essayist, caricaturist, and parodist, was born on this day 1872. Here is "Mr Lloyd George and his Guardians", from his 1914 book "Fifty Caricatures". David Lloyd George is seen between Charles Masterman and Rufus Isaacs.

Masterman had worked closely with Lloyd George on the People's Budget of 1909 and the National Insurance Act 1911. Isaacs, later the 1st Marquess of Reading, was Lord Chief Justice of England, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary, the last Liberal to hold that post. The second practising Jew to be a member of the British cabinet (the first being Herbert Samuel, Isaacs was the first Jewish Lord Chief Justice, and the first British Jew to become a marquess. He was Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords from 1931 to 1935.

Lloyd George Society weekend 2026

Planning has started for the 2026 Lloyd George Society weekend school. We are considering a slightly later date, 7th to 8th March, and a new venue, the Lake Country House Hotel and Spa, at Llangamarch Wells.

You can read more about the proposals at the Society website here

Lloyd George's reading

One of the criticisms of David Lloyd George made by his enemies was that he "did not read". It was, of course, a nonsense. In Lord Riddell's War Diary on the 29th July 1918 Riddell notes Lloyd George reading from and discussing the speeches of John Bright, the letters of Byron, and Macaulay's Essays - "a favourite book of his. He reads well and his comments are fresh and interesting". Lloyd George said of Macaulay "His first object was to be interesting, his second to hit hard". 

A new biography of David Lloyd George

A new biography of David Lloyd George will be released soon. Written by Paul Spackman and published by Barnthorn Publishing, it aims to correct oft-repeated misunderstandings and misconceptions of the true nature of the man and of his policies. I'm looking forward to reading it. You can read more about Paul, and his book, on Barnthorn's website. 

Lloyd George's Last Vote

David Lloyd George cast his last vote in the House of Commons on 18 February 1943. It was against the government, and for the Beveridge Plan. It was a fitting end to his long Parliamentary career. Lloyd George's National Insurance Act 1911, along with a raft of other Liberal welfare reforms, had laid the foundations of the welfare state, providing protection from sickness, disability, and unemployment. Beveridge, who was to be elected as a Liberal MP in 1944, proposed extending and universalising the existing schemes. The Daily Telegraph described it as completing the revolution begun by Lloyd George. 

Cymdeithas Lloyd George, the Lloyd George Society

Cymdeithas Lloyd George, the Lloyd George Society is a loose combination of like minds that meets in Wales for a weekend school on topical subjects, historical issues (particularly those relating to David Lloyd George) or interesting questions affecting Welsh life and culture, all from a liberal perspective.

You can book now for 2025's Lloyd George Weekend School in Llandrindod Wells Our venue this year is the Hotel Commodore. 

February 22 & 23 2025 - Limited Spaces Left. 

Full details on how to book and Programme for the School: on our website

Speakers include: Adam Price MS - Former Plaid Cymru leader and Shadow Justice Minister. 

Ann Davies MP - Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthenshire. 

David Chadwick MP - Liberal Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe 

Mark Williams - Former Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion.

Michael Meadowcroft - historian & former Liberal MP. 

Dr Luca Trent - Assoc. Professor, Swansea University.

Rev. Richard Walker - JMK Expert. 

Dr Jonathan Kirkup - Senior Lecturer, Cardiff Uni. 

Prof. Tony Claydon - Bangor University 

Dr Charles Smith - Wales European Movement.

The Society website is https://lloydgeorgesociety.org.uk/, and our new social media accounts are:

X (formerly Twitter) – @LloGeoSocNew

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/454477021058445

Bluesky – @lloydgeorgesociety.bsky.social

Please do follow us, and I hope to see you in February.