Radical Action was a political group within the British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

. It advocated for Liberal candidates to stand in elections despite the

war-time electoral pact The war-time electoral pact was an electoral pact established by the member parties of the UK coalition governments in the First World War, and re-established in the Second World War. Under the pact, in the event of a by-election A by-election, a ...

. The organisation was founded in 1941 as the Liberal Action Group. It included some prominent members of the Liberal Party who disagreed with the war-time electoral pact in which the Liberals, Conservative Party and Labour Party agreed not to stand candidates against each other. Initially, its leading figures were

Lancelot Spicer Lancelot Dykes Spicer DSO, MC and Bar, (22 March 1893 – 6 December 1979), was a British Liberal Party politician. Background He was the youngest son of Rt Hon. Sir Albert Spicer, the Liberal Party politician. He was educated at Rugby School ...

Honor Balfour Honor Catherine Mary Balfour (4 August 1912 – 24 February 2001), was a British Liberal Party politician and journalist. Early life and education Honor Balfour was born in Liverpool, England, in 1912, and attended Liverpool Institute High Sch ...

and

Everett Jones Everett Jones may refer to the following people: *Everett Holland Jones Everett Holland Jones (June 9, 1902 - November 18, 1995) was the fourth bishop of West Texas in The Episcopal Church. Early life and education Jones was born on June 9, 190 ...

, while

Philip Fothergill Charles Philip Fothergill (23 February 1906 – 31 January 1959) was an English woollen manufacturer and Liberal Party politician. Family and education Fothergill was born in Dewsbury into a radical, nonconformist, Yorkshire family. He was educ ...

became treasurer and

Donald Johnson Donald James "Don" Johnson (born September 9, 1968) is an American former professional tennis player who reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 2002. Although born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, he was raised and learned the sport of tennis i ...

was the first chairman.Chris Cook, ''A Short History of the Liberal Party: 1900 - 2001'', pp.268-269Peter Barberis, ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations'', p.316 The group supported a wide range of policies; it was more

radical Radical may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics * Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change *Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe an ...

and less

libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

than much of the Liberal Party and accepted the need for government intervention. It strongly opposed the National Liberal Party and any possible merger with it, and called for more internal party democracy, new party structures to revitalise the party, and for the party to stand as many candidates as possible at the

next general election This is a list of the next general elections around the world in democratic polities. The general elections listed are for the government of each jurisdiction. These elections determine the Prime Minister and makeup of the legislature in a parli ...

. By 1943 the group had the support of 23 Liberal Prospective Parliamentary Candidates. Johnson resigned from the Liberal Party to stand unsuccessfully in the 1943 Chippenham by-election and was replaced by Spicer as chairman, then Balfour followed suit and only lost the 1943 Darwen by-election by 70 votes. The group endorsed

Margery Corbett Ashby Dame Margery Irene Corbett Ashby, ( Corbett; 19 April 1882 – 15 May 1981) was a British suffragist, Liberal politician, feminist and internationalist. Background She was born at Danehill, East Sussex, the daughter of Charles Corbett, a ba ...

as an independent Liberal at the 1944 Bury St Edmunds by-election. Support for the group only increased within the party, with five MPs joining, including

Megan Lloyd George Lady Megan Arvon Lloyd George, (22 April 1902 – 14 May 1966) was a Welsh politician and the first female Member of Parliament (MP) for a Welsh constituency. She also served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, before later becoming a La ...

Clement Davies Edward Clement Davies (19 February 1884 – 23 March 1962) was a Welsh politician and leader of the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1956. Early life and education Edward Clement Davies was born on 19 February 1884 in Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, ...

, and newly elected

William Beveridge William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal politician who was a progressive and social reformer who played a central role in designing the British welfare state. His 194 ...

. The group dissolved in 1945 after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

ended and the electoral pact was discontinued. Several former members assumed leading positions in the party; Davies became leader, Fothergill treasurer, and Lloyd George was later appointed as deputy leader.Jorgen Scott Rasmussen, ''The Liberal Party: a study of retrenchment and revival'', p.15

References

{{Liberal Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) Organizations established in 1941 Organizations disestablished in 1945 Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom