Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party Template:Politics of Rhodesia The Southern Rhodesian Liberal Party was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, founded in 1943 by Jacob Smit (1881–1959), the former United Party (UP) Minister of Finance.<ref name=hug /> It was dissolved in the 1950s.<ref name=b />
History
It is thought that Smit split from the UP largely because Prime Minister Sir Godfrey Martin Huggins had failed to include him in the exclusive Second World War Defence Committee.<ref name=hug>Template:Cite book</ref> Smit then set up the Liberal Party to base their policy upon that of the recently dissolved Reform Party.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In his A History of Rhodesia, Robert Blake writes that Smit's party, "in accordance with the Rhodesian tradition of adopting the most misleading political nomenclature possible, called themselves 'Liberals.'" The party was, in fact, pronouncedly illiberal, and attempted to unite conservative, non-trade union opposition to the UP while opposing government economic regulation and the advancement of Black political interests.<ref name=b /><ref name=trove /> An English-born Member of the Southern Rhodesian House of Assembly noted that "The Liberal Party were not Liberal...".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Southern Rhodesian Chief Medical Officer Andrew Paton Martin joined the Liberal Party but due to ill-health, was unable to actively partake in politics.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The Liberal Party did well in the 1946 general election, winning 12 out of 30 seats in the Southern Rhodesia Legislative Assembly, which forced the United Party to govern as a minority government.<ref name=b /> But in the 1948 general election it won only five seats and its support declined subsequently,<ref name=trove>Template:Cite web</ref> despite the future Prime Minister Ian Smith being elected as one of their members.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was to become one of the political precursors to the future Rhodesian Front (RF) party.<ref name=b>Template:Harvnb</ref>
See also
References
- References
- Bibliography
- 1943 establishments in Southern Rhodesia
- Conservative parties in Zimbabwe
- Defunct political parties in Zimbabwe
- Political parties in Rhodesia
- Political parties established in 1943
- Protestant political parties
- White nationalism in Zimbabwe
- White nationalist parties
- Political parties disestablished in the 1950s