Why did the British Conservative Party commit itself to Ulster Unionist resistance to home rule 1912-1914?

Answer 1

"the formal name of the concervative party was/is the "conservative and unionist party" - originally referring to the union with Scotland but also with Ireland so their support was totally to be expected - they would have seen any threat to the union as a threat to the whole british empire"

While this answer is perfectly correct, it is somewhat naive. Indeed the preservation of the Union and de facto the integrity of the British Empire was a major concern of the Conservative Party (particulalry Conservative Peers), it was by no means the only reason for the "Tories" to support Ulster resistance to Hom Rule. However it cannot be fully justified that Home Rule in Ireland would mean the break up of the Emprie given the devolved status of government for Dominions such as Canada, Australia and S. Africa.

It may be argued that the Tory leader, Bonar-Law had, given his heritage and childhood links to Ulster, was a genuine advocate of Union as he viewed Union as vital for the prosperity, both politically and economically for Ulster and to a lesser extent that of the rest of the less industrialised provinces of Ireland.

Opposition to Home Rule was also a unifying policy in the Tory party given their recent history of factions in support and oposition to Tariff Reform and the devestating defeats to the Liberals under the former leader Balfour.

Similarly support for Ulster and the defeat of the Home Rule Bill could have had a devestating affect on the Liberal Party and lead to a new general election in which the Tories belived that given a failure of Asquith and the liberals to deliver Home Rule would afford them the opportunity to return to power in the House of Commons.

Therefore support for Ulster between 1912 and 1914 on one hand was a genuine desire to preserve the Union and prospertiy of Ulster and the Empirew andon the other hand a cynical political ploy to derail the Liberal govt, irrespective of the will of the Irish majority opinion and the impact in would have on the already tentative situation in Ireland.

Alan Mahon