The Southern Rhodesian Liberal Party was a political party in

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

, founded in 1943 by Jacob Smit (1881–1959), the former United Party (UP)

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

. It was dissolved in the 1950s.

History

It is thought that Smit split from the UP largely because

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Sir Godfrey Martin Huggins had failed to include him in the exclusive

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Defence Committee. Smit then set up the Liberal Party to base their policy upon that of the recently dissolved Reform Party. In his ''A History of Rhodesia'',

Robert Blake Robert Blake (or variants) may refer to: Sports * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob 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. An English-born Member of the Southern Rhodesian House of Assembly noted that "The Liberal Party were not Liberal...". 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. The Liberal Party did well in the 1946 general election, winning 12 out of 30 seats in the

Legislative Assembly, which forced the United Party to govern as a

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...

. But in the 1948 general election it won only five seats and its support declined subsequently, despite the future Prime Minister

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 191920 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1979. He w ...

being elected as one of their members. It was to become one of the political precursors to the future

Rhodesian Front The Rhodesian Front (RF) was a conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. Formed in March 1962 by white Rhodesians opposed to decolonisation and majority rule, it won that December's general election and s ...

(RF) party.

References

;References ;Bibliography * {{Zimbabwean political parties 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

History

See also

References