Herbert Henry Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, generally known as H.H. Asquith, was a Liberal politician, member of the Parliament, and prime minister of the United Kingdom.
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History
Asquith was a London lawyer.
The Liberals were split by Gladstone's peoposals for Irish home rule. He called for snap elections in July 1886, and several MPs were deselected for their opposition. John Boyd Kinnear was one such deselected candidate, and Asquith received a last-minute nomination in his place. He narrowly won the seat and entered the Parliament.
The 1892 general election returned Gladstone to power and Asquith was immediately appointed to the cabinet. He remained a leading Liberal, and when the 1895 snap elections returned Gascoyne-Cecil to power, he emerged as a candidate for party leadership. He instead chose to focus on his private legal career.
He then served as chancellor under Campbell-Bannerman. When he resigned in April 1908, Asquith quickly succeeded him as PM.
His efforts toward reform bills were frustrated by the Lords, where the Unionist Liberal peers had vy now effectively joined with the Conservatives. His 1910 budget was rejected by the Lords, and he called snap elections seeking a refreshed mandate. The Liberals campaigned on reforming the upper house. Instead, he was reduced to a minority governent with supply and confidence from Irish nationalists and Labour.
When war broke out, he formed a unity government with the Conservatives,