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503:, the Liberals fell back even further, holding only 6 seats, with 2.5% and 2.7% of the vote respectively (although these vote shares were largely attributed to the huge drop in the number of seats the party fought). He finally resigned as leader at the party conference in September 1956 and was succeeded by the much younger and more vigorous
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tensions of the late 1940s and early 1950s in particular, leading the
Liberal Party then would have been a challenge for anybody, and just by keeping the party together and in existence at all, Davies made a significant contribution. It has also emerged that he was offered cabinet office (Education
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for decades, which left him in a weakened state of health, particularly by the time he took on the burden of party leadership. For two of his three general election campaigns as leader, for example, he was hospitalised. Also, despite the general affection in which he was held, his leadership was
523:. The cliché "A Liberal vote is a wasted vote" argument never held truer than in the 1950s. He was personally well-liked, both in the party and beyond it. The general view of him was that of a personally decent man who did his best in a position to which neither taste nor temperament fitted him.
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Davies had not sought the position of leader and was not enthusiastic about it. However, with only 12 MPs, 6 of whom were only newly elected that year, the party's choice was somewhat limited. It was widely expected and generally hoped (probably even by Davies himself), that he would be only a
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and adopt more radical policies. Indeed, at his adoption meeting in June 1945 he declared that "Members of the Labour Party and myself can walk side by side for a long way. There are many things on which we can agree." Despite the fact that he had been absent from the party for a decade, with
473:'caretaker' leader until the more dynamic and popular Sinclair could get back into the House of Commons. Since that never happened, Davies, was in fact to remain party leader for the next 11 years, taking the Liberals through three general elections.
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Clement Davies died in 1962, at the age of 78. Though still an MP, he was by then largely detached from the affairs of the
Liberal party and acted semi-independently. He was succeeded as Liberal MP for Montgomeryshire by
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Davies therefore led the
Liberal Party, which, in the late 19th and early 20th century had been a major force in British politics and a frequent party of government, through its lowest period, when it was reduced to a
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who was
President of Montgomeryshire Liberal Association, to move into opposition. In 1939 he resigned from both the Liberal Nationals and the National Government whip. In 1940, he was chairman of the
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388:. He practiced as a barrister in North Wales and in northern England before moving to London in 1910, where he established a successful legal practice. During the
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Numerous personal tragedies darkened his life. He lost three of his four children within the space of a few years after the outbreak of the
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widely regarded as lacklustre and ineffective, thus contributing to the party's malaise at a time when it was most in need of direction.
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in exchange for supporting the new
Conservative government but refused on the grounds that it would have destroyed the Liberal Party.
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surprisingly lost his seat in the electoral debacle of that year that reduced the
Liberals to just 12 seats in the House of Commons.
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lingering suspicions that his commitment to
Liberalism was less than full, he became leader of the Liberal Party in 1945 after
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In recent years, however, his role has been revised and treated more sympathetically. Historians now point out that with the
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in 1942. Each of his children died at the age of 24, except for Davies' fourth child, Stanley, who survived until old age.
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that played a significant role in forcing the resignation of the Prime
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In 1942, he rejoined the
Liberal Party, becoming a prominent figure in the
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Davies was
President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the
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973:
Liberals in Schism - A History of the National Liberal Party
901:"Clement Davies: An Underestimated Welshman and Politician"
515:: the result of the electorate's polarisation between the
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group, which called for the party to withdraw from the
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Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion
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Edward Clement Davies was born on 19 February 1884 in
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56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1407:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
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1007:biography from the Liberal Democrat History Group
633:, and his daughter Mary (a servicewoman with the
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1402:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
491:His first general election as party leader, in
368:, where he graduated with first-class honours.
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1392:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians
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1033:contributions in Parliament by Clement Davies
1011:Clement-Davies, Christopher (February 2020).
821:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
669:(The Foundation of Peace Is Law And Justice)
667:Sylfaen Heddwych Yw Cyfraith A Chyfiawnder
593:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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856:"Lincoln's Inn Great Hall, Wd52 Davies, C"
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975:. I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 118.
613:Learn how and when to remove this message
403:
336:(19 February 1884 – 23 March 1962) was a
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
1038:Newspaper clippings about Clement Davies
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378:University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
173:2 August 1945 – 5 November 1956
818:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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1020:– Lecture on Davies by his grandson –
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929:"The Liberal Party and Wales, 1945-79"
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591:adding citations to reliable sources
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539:Minister) in 1951 by Prime Minister
424:. From 1929 until 1931 he supported
235:30 May 1929 – 23 March 1962
54:adding citations to reliable sources
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1128:Leader of the British Liberal Party
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1397:Leaders of the Liberal Party (UK)
1387:Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
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892:(Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000)
890:Daring to Hope: Diaries 1945–1969
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1073:Parliament of the United Kingdom
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650:Coat of arms of Clement Davies
41:needs additional citations for
19:For the Canadian minister, see
958:Clement Davies: Liberal Leader
927:Jones, J. Graham (June 1993).
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420:Member of Parliament (MP) for
376:Davies lectured in law at the
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1064:Dictionary of Welsh Biography
730:. 21 June 1929. p. 4112.
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340:politician and leader of the
1287:Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
1206:Leaders of the Liberal Party
842:UK public library membership
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1042:20th Century Press Archives
1022:Photographs for the lecture
858:. Baz Manning. 13 July 2009
697:"Clement Davies, 1884-1962"
452:Leader of the Liberal Party
161:Leader of the Liberal Party
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1157:Welsh Liberal Federation
1113:Party political offices
1005:Clement Davies 1884–1962
812:"Davies, Clement Edward"
400:in 1926, becoming a KC.
348:Early life and education
1272:William Ewart Gladstone
1267:The Viscount Palmerston
1018:. Lloyd-George Society.
778:"Our Former Presidents"
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462:war-time electoral pact
366:Trinity Hall, Cambridge
317:Trinity Hall, Cambridge
1336:Sir Archibald Sinclair
1277:Marquess of Hartington
1121:Sir Archibald Sinclair
971:Dutton, David (2008).
827:10.1093/ref:odnb/32736
809:Boyd, Francis (2004).
786:. 2010. Archived from
442:All Party Action Group
404:Early political career
21:Clem Davies (minister)
1248:The Marquess of Crewe
1243:The Marquess of Ripon
1233:The Earl of Kimberley
1051:Clement Davies Papers
981:10.5040/9780755621118
414:1929 General Election
380:in 1908–1909 and was
329:Edward Clement Davies
1282:Sir William Harcourt
1238:The Earl of Rosebery
956:Alun Wyburn-Powell,
937:Welsh History Review
886:Violet Bonham Carter
587:improve this section
218:Member of Parliament
50:improve this article
960:(Politico's, 2003)
888:, ed. Mark Pottle,
783:London Welsh Centre
651:
478:London Welsh Centre
446:Neville Chamberlain
434:National Government
432:MPs supporting the
344:from 1945 to 1956.
1331:Sir Herbert Samuel
1326:David Lloyd George
1316:Sir Donald Maclean
1223:The Earl Granville
1148:David Lloyd George
880:Books and journals
727:The London Gazette
695:Jones, J. Graham.
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467:Archibald Sinclair
426:David Lloyd George
392:he worked for the
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184:Megan Lloyd George
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1442:UK MPs 1955–1959
1437:UK MPs 1951–1955
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1427:UK MPs 1945–1950
1422:UK MPs 1935–1945
1417:UK MPs 1931–1935
1412:UK MPs 1929–1931
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946:. Retrieved
944:(3): 326–355
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788:the original
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253:Succeeded by
246:David Davies
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48:Please help
43:verification
40:
1382:1962 deaths
1377:1884 births
1356:David Steel
1304:(1916–1988)
1260:(1859–1916)
1216:(1859–1916)
1031:1803–2005:
862:20 December
753:Dutton 2008
741:Hooson 1998
722:"No. 33508"
513:minor party
438:Lord Davies
241:Preceded by
194:Preceded by
187:(1949–1951)
1371:Categories
1346:Jo Grimond
1161:1945–1948
1138:Jo Grimond
1132:1945–1956
948:24 January
844:required.)
794:4 February
765:Jones 1993
706:15 October
679:References
505:Jo Grimond
354:Llanfyllin
312:Alma mater
300:Montgomery
279:Llanfyllin
211:Jo Grimond
76:newspapers
914:: 168–186
574:does not
528:alcoholic
488:in 1947.
398:took silk
231:In office
169:In office
899:(1998).
631:epilepsy
536:Cold War
519:and the
1062:at the
1053:at the
1044:of the
1040:in the
1028:Hansard
918:17 July
875:Sources
595:removed
580:sources
418:Liberal
412:in the
306:, Wales
285:, Wales
90:scholar
987:
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517:Labour
179:Deputy
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1016:(PDF)
932:(PDF)
904:(PDF)
664:Motto
416:as a
396:. He
362:Wales
338:Welsh
304:Powys
283:Powys
97:JSTOR
83:books
1099:1962
1095:1929
985:ISBN
962:ISBN
950:2017
920:2020
864:2020
834:2023
796:2011
708:2021
645:Arms
578:any
576:cite
501:1955
499:and
497:1951
493:1950
290:Died
273:Born
221:for
69:news
1046:ZBW
977:doi
823:doi
635:ATS
589:by
384:at
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