On This Day
January 6, 1916
The Military Service Bill, which introduces conscription, passes its first reading in the House of Commons
The proposals split the Liberal Party with Home Secretary
Sir John Simon resigning and a number of other Liberal ministers only reluctantly supporting the proposals. The bill allowed the government to call up single men and widowers without children or dependents between the ages of 18 and 41. Simon led the opposition but only 34 Liberals supported him, the bulk of the 105 MPs opposing the bill came from the Irish Nationalists who were united in their opposition to the bill. Although the vote was regarded as a victory for
Asquith it was a Pyrrhic one. A group of pro-conscription Liberal MPs known as the Liberal War Committee began to work for Asquith’s replacement by
Lloyd George. As for the majority of the parliamentary party, it was profoundly shaken by the year long conscription debate.
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