Policy and structure.

During its period as a major political party, the Liberal Party was characterized by certain attitudes rather than a precise ideology. Central to Liberal attitudes was a trust in rationality, faith in the idea of progress, attachment to individualism, emphasis on human rights, and an eagerness to emancipate underprivileged groups. But Liberals’ distrust of the enlargement of the functions of the state eventually came into conflict with the egalitarian political aspirations of the party, leaving it unprepared to adopt the role subsequently taken up by the emergent Labour Party. On the one hand, the Liberal Party championed individualism, free trade, and private enterprise, opposing what it saw as the centralizing and stultifying power of the state; on the other, it pursued policies of active social reorganization to prevent abuses of private power, to promote social justice, and to extend the role of the state in fields such as education, social welfare, and industrial relations. The Liberal Party always sought reform of the system of government, and Liberal reforms molded most of Britain’s political institutions. In overseas policy, Liberal attitudes were pacific and internationalist. The party was wary of imperial expansion in the 19th century and supported the independence of colonial peoples in the 20th century. It constantly promoted international cooperation.

The Liberal Party’s most significant organizational feature was its decentralized structure. Owing to the paucity of its parliamentary representation throughout most of the 20th century, its parliamentarians and national head office were less able to dominate the national organization than was the case in the major British parties. The local parties controlled the process of candidate selection and also afforded their individual members a direct vote in the election of the party leader. Financial resources were also retained at the local level to a degree that was not typical of either of the major parties. The Liberal Party’s annual assembly held a consultative rather than a formally sovereign position within the party constitution, while a National Executive Committee directed its day-to-day business.