1804888 Why did Britain enjoy political stability in the interwar period? In order to effectively evaluate the reasons for political stability in Britain during the period of the interwar years, it is vital to first establish what is meant by politics and what constitutes 'sta- bility' within politics. It can be initially assumed that politics is founded and based in government, but it is more complex than that. Politics is the policy making in government, the impact of these policies on the people of the country, the relationship between the people and the government as well as the relationship between the party in government and its opposition. When establishing why British politics was stabilised between the wars, one needs to engage with concepts regarding public opinion, the personalities of the political parties. Stability in politics is defined through the relation- ships between the political parties as well as the people of the state. The interwar period was a unique and taxing time for British people, and it became increasingly clear to the government that new measures had to be introduced in order to regain stability to the country. This essay will ad- dress the political leadership of Baldwin and his engagement with the government and the British electorate, the increasing relationship between new media and political engagement, the relationship between Labour's struggles and Conservative success, the newly enfranchised members of the elec- torate and the impact of policies enforced under the National Government. The beginning of the inter-war period saw British politics undergo a transformation from a "limited, property-based franchise" to one with mass citizenship, through the passing of the Fourth Reform Act in 1918 which enforced universal suffrage.1 This shifted the focus from issues sur- rounding who actually had the vote, to evaluating how to engage with a significantly larger elec- torate and integrate them into politics. This ultimately triggered the government's focus on grass- roots organisations and mobilising mass support for the party, rather than the select few privileged men.2 In order for the government to provide stability, it was vita that they had the support of the electorate, which was gained through various means, which will be discussed. The Conservatives used film as an effective method of "reaching the people"; mobilising support allowed a greater sense of unity and togetherness of the country. Through the use of film and radio broadcasting, the Conservative Party in particular were "more successful than its rivals" in gaining the support of the recently enfranchised, such as the working-class and female voters, which Williamson argues to be a significant component of the Unionist-Conservative strength that 1 Helen, McCarthy. 'Parties, Voluntary Associations, and Democratic Politics in Interwar Britain' The Historical Jour- nal, 50.4, (2007), p. 891. 2 David Jarvis, 'Mrs Maggs and Betty: the Conservative appeal to women voters in the 1920s', Twentieth Century British History, 5, (1994), p. 130. Page 1
1804888 continued as a stable alliance throughout the inter-war years.3 Between 1925 and 1939, film was believed to be one of