Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, collapsed and died on Sunday 2 April 1911 in 10 Downing Street. (1) The cause of death was hypertension caused by high alcohol consumption. He was 58 years old and was survived by his wife, Margaret, and their four sons and three daughters. He had been Prime Minister for three days short of three years, since 5 April 1908. It was known in political circles that Asquith was a heavy drinker, but not by the general public. He enjoyed brandy and wine.
The next day, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, led tributes to Asquith in the House of Commons. He was followed by the leaders of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and the Irish Parliamentary Party, Arthur Balfour and John Redmond respectively, and by the chairman of the Labour Party in the House of Commons, Ramsay MacDonald. Later that month a memorial service was held for him in Westminster Abbey.
The Liberal Party now needed to choose a new leader, and therefore Prime Minister. There was no heir apparent as there was when Asquith succeeded Henry Campbell-Bannerman three years earlier. There was not a set procedure for choosing the party leader. The new leader would be the man who had the backing of a consensus of the 269 Liberal MPs.
Lloyd George and the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, both wanted to be party leader and Prime Minister. Grey was backed by right wing MPs. Lloyd George had the support of not only radical MPs, but also the bulk of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons. On 8 April 1911 he became party leader and Prime Minister, at the age of forty-nine.
(1) In OTL he nearly collapsed on that date. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Henry_Asquith, reference (104).
The next day, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, led tributes to Asquith in the House of Commons. He was followed by the leaders of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and the Irish Parliamentary Party, Arthur Balfour and John Redmond respectively, and by the chairman of the Labour Party in the House of Commons, Ramsay MacDonald. Later that month a memorial service was held for him in Westminster Abbey.
The Liberal Party now needed to choose a new leader, and therefore Prime Minister. There was no heir apparent as there was when Asquith succeeded Henry Campbell-Bannerman three years earlier. There was not a set procedure for choosing the party leader. The new leader would be the man who had the backing of a consensus of the 269 Liberal MPs.
Lloyd George and the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, both wanted to be party leader and Prime Minister. Grey was backed by right wing MPs. Lloyd George had the support of not only radical MPs, but also the bulk of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons. On 8 April 1911 he became party leader and Prime Minister, at the age of forty-nine.
(1) In OTL he nearly collapsed on that date. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Henry_Asquith, reference (104).
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