In the early years of the 20th century British politics were convulsed by Joseph Chamberlain’s campaign for tariff reform which sought to end the long period of Victorian free trade. The Tory Party was for a few years deeply split, but the majority backed the reintroduction of tariffs, as Alistair Lexden showed in a letter published in the New Statesman on 22 April.
Simon Heffer (“The Tory wars”, 8 April) errs in stating that only “a minority” of Tories backed tariff reform in 1903. Chamberlain’s crusade swiftly captured the enthusiastic support of most of the party. Advocates of free trade were subject to merciless attack from fellow Tories in the constituencies. After the disastrous 1906 election the parliamentary party consisted mainly of tariff reformers. After the second election of 1910 Lord Hugh Cecil, son of the great Lord Salisbury, was almost alone in carrying the tattered banner of Tory free trade in the Commons.
Alistair Lexden
House of Lords