Liberal Party (Imagua)
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Liberal Party of Imagua and the Assimas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Dissolved | 5 January, 1948 |
| Merged into | Democratic Labour Party, Imaguan Party of Democrats |
| Ideology | Liberalism |
| Political position | Centre to Centre-left |
| Colors | Yellow |
| Legislative Council | 0 / 60
|
| Chamber of Commons | 0 / 70
|
The Liberal Party of Imagua (Vespasian: Partito Democratico d'Imagua) was a political party of Imagua and the Assimas that existed from 1924 until its merger with the Labour Party to establish the Democratic Labour Party of Imagua in 1948 prior to the 1948 general elections.
Established by Cornelius Suthmeer, it was one of the two major political parties of Imagua from 1892 to 1920, when the Labour Party formed government in an upset result. Despite their efforts, the Democratic Party began to decline in strength, resulting in a merger with the Labour Party in 1948. A group of members opposed to the merger established the Imaguan Party of Democrats, which continue to field candidates to this day.
History
Origins
The origins of the Imaguan Liberal Party date back to 1892, when Cornelius Suthmeer, former managing director of the Bank of the Orient from 1885 to 1891, created a faction comprising of small landowners and middle class people who were opposed to Harmon Lambourne's faction that was dominated by the large landowners. Suthmeer's faction would be informally known as the Suthmeerites, after Suthmeer, who led the faction from 1892 until his retirement from Imaguan politics in 1904.
Suthemer was succeeded as the leader of the faction by Edmund Bollen. During his leadership, the Suthmeerites became firmly liberal, while the Lambournites became firmly conservative. However, after Bollen lost his seat in the 1909 elections, he was succeeded by Peter Hansson as the leader of the faction.
Under Hansson's leadership, the Suthmeerites were able to form government in 1917, ending a quarter-century rule by the Lambournites, with Hansson becoming Chief Minister. However, after Hansson died in 1920, he was succeeded as leader of the faction by Nelson Egnell, who automatically assumed the role of Chief Minister.
By the early 1920s, seeing the rise of the Labour Party, Peter Hansson realised that having a "socialist organisation" could help benefit the Suthmeerites. Thus, in 1923, Hansson pushed through a proposal within the faction to "consolidate itself" into a party with a set of rules and regulations so it can "promote and present itself to all the Imaguans." After it was approved, Hansson and his cabinet began focusing on creating a political party.
Formation and government
In January 1924, Peter Hansson officially established the Liberal Party. As the Liberal Party, (TBC).
Decline
Political positions
The Liberal Party's ideology was liberalism. For much of its history, it was a classical liberal party, which advocated for freedom of speech, trade, conscience, and choice. It advocated for reduced regulations, as they believed that a freer economy would benefit Imagua and the Assimas.
Socially, they were also liberal, advocating for women's suffrage in the 1890s, and advocated social liberal policies, especially from the end of the Great War onward.
Election results
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | Cornelius Suthmeer | 36/36 | 10 / 36
|
new | 15,968 | 25.25% | Official Opposition |
| 1896 | 36/36 | 11 / 36
|
 1
|
17,911 | 31.18% | Official Opposition | |
| 1900 | 36/36 | 13 / 36
|
2
|
21,916 | 33.30% | Official Opposition | |
| 1904 | 37/37 | 11 / 37
|
 2
|
15,330 | 27.80% | Official Opposition | |
| 1908 | Edmund Bollen | 37/37 | 11 / 37
|
|
19,117 | 27.21% | Official Opposition |
| 1909 | 37/37 | 12 / 37
|
1
|
27,665 | 31.15% | Official Opposition | |
| 1913 | Peter Hansson | 38/38 | 16 / 38
|
4
|
32,944 | 33.88% | Official Opposition |
| 1917 | 38/38 | 20 / 38
|
4
|
54,134 | 44.20% | Democratic-Labour coalition | |
| 1920 | Nelson Egnell | 38/38 | 11 / 38
|
9
|
60,332 | 24.79% | Official Opposition |
| 1924 | 39/39 | 5 / 39
|
6
|
62,915 | 21.51% | Third party | |
| 1936 | 39/39 | 9 / 39
|
4
|
74,051 | 23.30% | Official Opposition | |
| 1940 | Nelson Pakenas | 39/39 | 5 / 39
|
4
|
76,993 | 23.10% | Official Opposition |
| 1944 | Abraham Halfacre | 40/40 | 3 / 40
|
2
|
59,814 | 19.54% | Third party |