The Their collection includes Edison’s 1889 recording of Gladstone’s voice which you can hear in MP3 format here
The following Liberal recordings are also held by the Archive. We hope to add further Liberal recordings to the website in the future:
Paddy Ashdown
Proportional representation and its consequences for British politics. (RSA lecture)
1999.2.3
NSA reference: C494/586 S1-2
Party election broadcast. Liberal Democrats.
1997
NSA reference: V3943/2 0:0924″
Herbert Asquith
Excerpts from Budget speech
1909
NSA references:C263/27
1LP0118734
1CDR0002314
2CDR0002814
William Beveridge
The Welfare Society Lecture on the relative functions of state and citizens in the Beveridge Report
NSA reference:1CDR0003970 BD2 NSA
Violet Bonham Carter
Lady Violet remembers. Interview in which Lady Violet recalls her fathers return to Parliament in 1920. Also refers to her own involvement in politics, Churchill and Munich.
1965
NSA reference:1CDR0002314
Winston Churchill as I know him. Interview with Asa Briggs
NSA reference:M365W
Lady Violet remembers [4]. People and politics. Recalls leading political figures of her time inc Lord Grey
1965
NSA reference:M517W BD 1
Winston Churchill
Election Speech 1918
1918.11.22
NSA reference:1CD0076305 D1 S1 BD3 OPAL
Is This The End? speech 1918.11
NSA reference:1CA0006419 D1 S1 BD1 ARGO
Excerpts from budget speech 1909
NSA references:1CDR0002314 S1 BD21 NSA
1LP0118734 S 1 BD 4
William Ewart Gladstone
“The request that you have done me the honour to make…” speech
1889
NSA reference:1LP0215219 S 1 C 3 ARGO
Congratulating Edison
1889
NSA reference:NP10753W BD9
David Lloyd George
Speech at the Eisteddfod
1942
NSA reference:M4430R BD 1
Twenty-three years ago. Talking about conditions when he was Prime Minister
1939.12.06.
NSA reference:M4523R BD 1
Speech at the Eisteddfod, 1939.
1939.08.10
NSA reference:NP1992R BD 1
The free churches and the world situation.
Extract from speech at luncheon in City Temple 1938.10.26
NSA reference:M4425R BD 1
Extract from speech at Calvinistic Methodist Bi-Centenary meeting, Caenarvon.
1935.09.10
NSA reference:M4574W BD 1
1935 Election speech
1935.01.11
NSA reference:4446R BD 1
Excerpt from “Why should we not sing…” speech, 1915
NSA reference:1CDR0002315 S1 BD13 NSA
Speech at the Eisteddfod, 1934
1934.07.12
NSA reference:M4574R BD 1
Whitefield commemoration Extract from a talk on George Whitefield included in an Exchange programme with America on the Bicentenary of his first landing in N. America on 1738.05.07.
1933.05.08
NSA reference:M4433R
1931 Election speech 1931.10.21
NSA reference:CD0076305 D1 S1 BD13 OPAL
1931 Election Speech
NSA reference:M4572W BD 1
1929 Election speech
NSA reference:3609-3611BW R1 C16
Speech on the 1909 budget. Edited extract of a recording made by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer (Liberal Government) to encourage public support for his Peoples’ budget
1909.7.23
NSA reference:1CD0166570 BD4
Jo Grimond
Party Political Broadcast
1981
NSA reference:NP5582R BD 1
Time for action programme. Grimond draws out common lessons and argues for radical rethink of attitudes to democracy, people and planning
1977
NSA reference:P1157R BD 1
Of the people, by the people programme. Jo Grimond, former leader of the Liberal Party, discusses with Peter Jenkins the role of the leader in contemporary politics.
1968
NSA reference:M1515R
Election broadcast on behalf of the Liberal Party
1966
NSA reference:M792W BD 1
Whitehall and beyond, conversation on critical thought being given to proposals to reform Civil Service, revise system of cabinet government, for drawing technocrats to centre of government and improving Parliament’s ability to check executive with Norman Hunt.
1964
NSA reference:NP440R BD 1
Liberal Party Conference. Extract from closing speech at Brighton
1963.9.14
NSA reference:B3024 C6
Liberal Party Conference, 1960 An extract from the opening address by the leader of the Liberal Party, Jo Grimond.
1960.9.29
B3023 C1
Liberal Party Conference, 1960. Speech extract
1960.10.1
B3023 C6
Interview with Godfrey Talbot
1959.10.16
B3024 C2
Interview with Keith Kyle. Grimond talks to Kyle about: early childhood in St. Andrew’s; the influences of family life; education at Eton and Balliol; events of 1920s and 1930s and how these shaped his political ideas
NP8406R C1
Interview with Keith Kyle. Grimond reflects on problems he faced in becoming leader of Liberal Party in 1956
NP8492R C1
Charles Kennedy
How European am I? Discussion with Charles Kennedy MP, Green politician Sara Parkin, journalist Marc Roche, and three sixth form students
1994.04.07
C494/265-266 T1-2
David Owen
Interview with Michael Charlton
1985
1CDR0012876 BD2-24 NSA
Interview with John Humphreys about the SDP
1989
V1406/01 0:0309″
Herbert Samuel
General Election and its issues
1929.03.27
1CD0076305 D1 S1 BD9 OPAL
David Steel
Party Political Broadcast – Great Britain – Liberal/Social Democratic Party Alliance with Roy Jenkins: Consists mainly of recording of Steel and Jenkins answering questions at an election meeting.
1983
NP6935W TR 1
Party Political Broadcast
1981
NP4653W BD 1
Liberal Party Assembly 1980.9.12
T3254R BD 1
Bow Dialogues: Rector of St Mary-le-Bow in dialogue with leader of Liberal Party. They compare liberalism in 19th and 20th century
1977.7.19
1CDR0003268 S1 BD3 NSA
Liberal Party Assembly, 1979
T2527W&R BD 1
Party Political Broadcast
Speech on theme of Britain seen as “one nation”
NP7755R C1
Sound only. Broadcast BBC 2 on 7th December 1983
Interview with Michael Charlton
B435/1 0:0016″
BBC recording, broadcast Radio 3 on 3rd December 1985
Jeremy Thorpe
Thorpe’s last stand. Excerpt from debate on Rhodesia. HOC
1978.08.02
1CD0089253 D1 S1 BD5 EMI
Bow Dialogues: Rector of St Mary-le-Bow in dialogue with leader of Liberal Party. Based around issues raised by referendum on Common Market: nationalism; patriotism; sovereignty; Common Market
1975.6.3
1CDR0003235 S1 BD2 NSA
Bow Dialogues: Archdeacon of Westminster, in dialogue with leader of the Liberal Party. They discuss practical politics
1971.11.16
1CDR0003162 S1 BD3 NSA
Bow Dialogues: McCulloch, Rector of St Mary-le-Bow, in conversation with Thorpe. They discuss role of government with reference to individual and economic freedoms
1968.7.16
1CDR0003105 S1 BD3 NSA
Discussion of Leyton by-election with Tom Driberg and Sir Charles Curran
1965
M234W C1
Jim Wallace
Millennium Memory Bank. Wallace speaks about his political memories
1998.4.17
C900/21173 C1
Shirley Williams
Woman in the house [2]. An unsuitable job for a woman? Look at different routes female Members of Parliament have taken to become MPs
H9382/5 2:4213″
Real Radio and Television production, broadcast BBC Radio 4 on 3rd November 1997
Snakes and ladders, a political diary
1996
1CA0026711
A very social democrat: a portrait of Roy Jenkins. Inc contribution from Shirley Williams
1996
V3718/1 0:0001″
The agony of transition. From communism to democracy: Edward Boyle Memorial Lecture
1992.01.22
C494/145-146 T1-2
Party election broadcast SDP/Lib Alliance
1983
T5609W/2 C1
Shirley Williams and Norman St. John-Stevas talk about the influences that made their politics.
1984
NP8632BW
Women in Parliament. David Marquand, Professor of Contemporary History and Politics at the University of Salford, reflects on the practical considerations that deter women from becoming MPs. Incs contributions from Williams and Nancy Seear
T2994W C1
For further details on the above recordings, contact the National Sound Archive at:
The British Library
Sound Archive
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7440
Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7441
Email: sound-archive@bl.uk