Why was Ireland a continuing problem for British governments during the period 1909-1916?
… balance of power. Gladstone introduced his first Home Rule bill in 1886, although it allowed only limited independence for Ireland. It stated that the British government would retain control of security, foreign policy and financial institutions. Parnell and the Irish Nationalist Party saw it as a final settlement of the Irish Question, but Unionists saw it as a betrayal of the Act of Union, which led to riots. However, the bill failed to get through commons and Home Rule was put on hold until 1893. This was Gladstone’s second Home Rule bill which managed to get through commons but was heavily defeated in the House of Lords by the in-built Conservative-Unionist majority. The Liberals had a land-slide victory in 1906, which meant that they could carry almost any legislation they chose through the commons. However, the House of Lords was a different matter and the Liberals decided to concentrate on …
