Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party
The Southern Rhodesian Liberal Party was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, founded in 1939 by Jacob Smit (1881–1959), the former United Party (UP) Minister of Finance. 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.
Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Dissolved | 1950s |
| Merged into | Rhodesian Front |
| Headquarters | Salisbury |
| Ideology | Conservatism White interests |
| Political position | Right-wing |
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|---|
| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Rhodesia |
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. The Liberal Party did well in the 1946 general election, winning 12 out of 30 seats in the Southern Rhodesia Legislative Assembly, but in the 1948 general election it won only five seats and its support declined subsequently. It was to become one of the political precursors to the future Rhodesian Front (RF) party.[1]
See also
References
- References
- Bibliography
- Blake, Robert (1978). A History of Rhodesia. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-48068-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
