National Liberal Federation

The National Liberal Federation (1877–1936) was the union of all English and Welsh (but not Scottish) Liberal Associations. It held an annual conference which was regarded as being representative of the opinion of the party's rank and file and was broadly the equivalent of a present-day party conference.

The inaugural conference of the National Liberal Federation (NLF) was held in Bingley Hall, Birmingham, on 31 May 1877, with the objective of promoting Liberalism, encouraging the formation of new associations and the strengthening and democratising of existing local Liberal parties. The conference was chaired by Joseph Chamberlain and addressed by Liberal leader William Ewart Gladstone. New associations quickly formed throughout the country and affiliated to the NLF which was a coordinating body rather than one which operated a central control.

The task of the NLF was "to form new Liberal Associations based on popular representation". While the NLF always insisted the policies recommended by the members at its conferences were never intended to be binding on the Liberal leadership, it was obvious that the resolutions passed were a strong indication of thinking and feeling in the mass party which the leadership ignored at its peril. For example, in 1914 the NLF came out in support of women's suffrage, and H. H. Asquith (who was personally opposed to the measure) decided it should receive government support.

The NLF's early associations were with the city of Birmingham. Its structure – which became known as the "Caucus" – was modelled on that of the Birmingham Liberal Association, which had been so effective in building a mass membership and an efficient electioneering body in the city under the political leadership of Joseph Chamberlain, and drawing on the strategic and organisational skills of William Harris (secretary 1868–73) and Francis Schnadhorst (secretary 1873–84). At the establishment of the NLF, Chamberlain was elected its president (1877–80), Harris its chairman (1877–82), and Schnadhorst its salaried secretary (1877–93).

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