Gladstonian Liberals

Members and supporters of the Liberal Party associated particularly with William Ewart Gladstone and his political principles during his leadership, 1867–94. They generally supported free trade, economy in government, religious and political reform, and, increasingly, Irish Home Rule. Gladstonian Liberalism also emphasised individual liberty, moral responsibility, and the extension of political participation. The term is chiefly historical, distinguishing Gladstone’s followers from other Liberal tendencies of the later nineteenth century.