National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)

A growing number of Liberal MPs led by Sir John Simon declared their total opposition to this policy and began to co-operate more closely with the Conservative Party, even advocating a policy of replacing free trade with tariffs, anathema to many traditional Liberals.

By 1933 they had abandoned it completely and crossed the floor of the House of Commons, leaving the Liberal Nationals supporting the government.

Its replacement, the Liberal National Council, the main organ of the local (extra-parliamentary) party, was founded in 1936.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, there were a number of proposals to reunite the two Liberal parties, but these routinely foundered on the question of continued support for the National Government.

Even established Conservatives with little or no former connection to the original party (including Randolph Churchill) after 1950 used the National Liberal name when standing as candidates in some wards and constituencies.

In 1951 it was only thanks to fraught local arrangements that five of the six remaining Liberal MPs were elected in the absence of a Conservative candidate.

Two of these elections were achieved by formal local pacts, whereby only one Liberal or Conservative candidate would stand in each constituency (in Bolton and Huddersfield).

A joint Conservative and National Liberal candidate (Michael Shaw) gained a seat from the opposition Labour Party in a by-election in Brighouse and Spenborough in 1960.

In 1962, Ian Gilmour, who later was a Conservative cabinet minister, defended the National Liberal seat of Central Norfolk as that party's candidate in a by-election.

The post of chairman of the parliamentary party was filled by the former junior minister David Renton, the MP for Huntingdon since 1945, with veteran National Liberal Herbert Butcher (who sat for the seat of Holland with Boston) remaining their chief whip.

Butcher retired at the 1966 general election, in which the National Liberals were reduced to just three MPs (including the future Conservative Party cabinet minister John Nott).

Poulson, who was Chairman of the National Liberal Council's Executive Committee from 1964, had little political skill, and his speeches were written by a Scottish Office civil servant, George Pottinger, who was on his payroll.