David Lloyd George

The majority of historians have viewed Lloyd George’s early career to 1896 as superficial and merely the precursor to his successes at Westminster. Emyr Price provides an altogether different view. Based on original research he asserts that Lloyd George had a very strong commitment to Home Rule (and was the first modern Welsh nationalist), official status for the Welsh language and strong labour legislation and that he campaigned fearlessly against the tide (especially within his own party) to being these measures about. His decision to become a careerist politician after 1896 was the only way he could further the cause of Welsh ‘national movement’. Price also investigates Lloyd George’s ‘Welsh’ perception of the major issues that dominated his period of power at Westminster (1908-1922) including Ireland and how these Welsh and Celtic values determined his actions.