Despite being Wales' oldest political party there has never been a published history of the Welsh Liberal Party or its successor, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Party. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the Welsh Liberal Party dominated Welsh politics and in the process, the Welsh Liberal Party became the first truly Welsh political party. During this period a new generation of radical and talented politicians emerged from its ranks and who would leave an indelible mark on Wales and the British state. From 1905 until 1922 Welsh Liberals would hold some of the most senior political position in the British Empire, but by the end of the First World War the Welsh Liberals had passed their political peak. For the next half century it was a story of decline and a struggle for the party's very survival until it once more joined a government in 2000, this time in the National Assembly for Wales. The Welsh Liberals: The History of the Welsh Liberal and Liberal Democrat Parties charts the highs and lows of an extraordinary party. This comprehensive study includes over 40 interviews with senior figures from within the Welsh Liberal Party, the Welsh SDP and Welsh Liberal Democrat Party and provides the first detailed history of Wales' oldest political party.

About the Author
Russell Deacon is an Honorary Research Fellow at Swansea University and a Lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University and Coleg Gwent. He is also author of The Governance of Wales: The Welsh Office and the Policy Process 1966-1999 (Welsh Academic Press, 2002).

Reviews
'Truly a pioneering volume - a comprehensive, authoritative study of the history of the Liberal Party in Wales from 1868 until the end of the twentieth century. Thoroughly researched and assembled from an array of disparate source materials, compellingly written, the book fills a distinct gap in the political historiography of modern Wales and Britain.' Dr J. Graham Jones former Head of the Welsh Political Archive 'The Welsh Liberals vividly illustrates the massive fluctuations in the Liberal Party's fortunes in Wales - It is a dramatic political story, succinctly told and well explained.' Dr Alun Wyburn-Powell University of Leicester



Book Information
ISBN 9781860570964
Author Russell Deacon
Format Hardback
Page Count 366
Imprint Welsh Academic Press
Publisher Welsh Academic Press
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 25mm