Interesting review by Peter Lewis on Anne de Courcy's latest book about Margot Asquith... pity Anne did not read my book before she published!
The Mail's heading is :"The love triangle at Number 10 that could have cost us the war" .. Yes Asquith's philandering nearly did .. but no mention of sex other than the fact that Asquith was keen on it after Margot banned him from her bedroom (after many failed pregnancies).. Anne misses the point that Asquith was more than a groper and would take a lady's hand to his erect instrument if she dared sit beside him!! ..Poor Venetia she did stand a chance of repelling this awful man ... in my view he was another Jimmy savile.
Anne also wonders about his daughter Violet Asquith and her lesbian tendencies .. I also wonder why she was SO keen to defend her father .. ..
Friday 7 November 2014
Saturday 1 November 2014
A broken man
A good day's conference on Liberal History concerning WW1 held at Kings College London. I find it amazingly that the male political historians don't seem to understand that a politician's emotions are as important as their rhetoric. Surely it is important to know that Asquith was threatening suicide throughout many months of the war? If you are thinking of ending your life ..can you make good decisions?
Is it not important in our understanding of his handling of the war to know that his thoughts were often turning to illicit sex?
The historians consider that the fact Asquith looked "tired" during the early years of the war is significant but the fact that he was "a broken man", when Venetia sent her fateful letter telling him she was leaving to marry Montagu is irrelevant, in relation to Asquith's decision to form the coalition in May 1915! Strange people...
By the way there was a female professor of social history at the conference who agreed with me about the importance of emotions in relation to historical events ... surely its time female historians took a more active interest in political history .. or will we always get a one sided view of crucial events?
Is it not important in our understanding of his handling of the war to know that his thoughts were often turning to illicit sex?
The historians consider that the fact Asquith looked "tired" during the early years of the war is significant but the fact that he was "a broken man", when Venetia sent her fateful letter telling him she was leaving to marry Montagu is irrelevant, in relation to Asquith's decision to form the coalition in May 1915! Strange people...
By the way there was a female professor of social history at the conference who agreed with me about the importance of emotions in relation to historical events ... surely its time female historians took a more active interest in political history .. or will we always get a one sided view of crucial events?
Monday 27 October 2014
Asking demanding questions at the Liberal History Group's meeting
Liberal History Group ..will they discuss Asquith's love life in war time?
If not, why not? And why are the Liberals so keen to keep the story hidden after all these years? Are there still people alive and in high places today that need protecting? And why are the squeaky clean Liberals so squeamish about these very dusty skeletons in their closet?
(A one-day conference organised by the Journal of Liberal History and King’s College, London. Saturday 1 November 2014, Room K2.40, Strand Campus of KCL.)
Ah ha , I see the Liberal History Group is holding a conference this Saturday (November 1st 2014) on the Liberal Party's position in the First World War.
I am going and intend asking some difficult questions.
I want to find out whether they will be discussing Asquith's great passion for Venetia Stanley during those early years of the war. Will they discuss why Asquith was so depressed and why he agreed to the coalition so quickly in May 1915? Are they going to come clean that the prime minister who headed up the war cabinet during one of the bloodiest conflicts in history was suicidal and close to having a nervous breakdown whilst sending our boys to the trenches and in many cases certain death? He was by all accounts devastated when his young lady friend Venetia Stanley finally left HH Asquith for another cabinet member?
I am going and intend asking some difficult questions.
I want to find out whether they will be discussing Asquith's great passion for Venetia Stanley during those early years of the war. Will they discuss why Asquith was so depressed and why he agreed to the coalition so quickly in May 1915? Are they going to come clean that the prime minister who headed up the war cabinet during one of the bloodiest conflicts in history was suicidal and close to having a nervous breakdown whilst sending our boys to the trenches and in many cases certain death? He was by all accounts devastated when his young lady friend Venetia Stanley finally left HH Asquith for another cabinet member?
If not, why not? And why are the Liberals so keen to keep the story hidden after all these years? Are there still people alive and in high places today that need protecting? And why are the squeaky clean Liberals so squeamish about these very dusty skeletons in their closet?
And the big unanswered question is: would our early war effort - which is documented as being a shambles - have been more successful with someone other than Herbert Asquith in charge? Someone who was FULLY concentrating on saving the lives of the lads on the front. After all if he could write letters to his lover in war cabinet meetings was his mind fully on the job of managing the war?
HH Asquith's letters do not give an impression of a stable prime minister but one of an emotionally troubled one. I look forward to placing questions before the panel.
(A one-day conference organised by the Journal of Liberal History and King’s College, London. Saturday 1 November 2014, Room K2.40, Strand Campus of KCL.)
Sunday 26 October 2014
Asquith Adoration
Asquith adoration?
What about the newly elected (October 22nd 2014) Liberal Hereditary Peer Raymond Asquith? He has been elected a hereditary Life Peer ( after the death of Lord Methuen who had no issue) and becomes the 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith. He joins his cousin Jane Bonham Carter in the House of Lords..... the adoration of HH Asquith seems to be continuing!
I wonder why?
What about the newly elected (October 22nd 2014) Liberal Hereditary Peer Raymond Asquith? He has been elected a hereditary Life Peer ( after the death of Lord Methuen who had no issue) and becomes the 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith. He joins his cousin Jane Bonham Carter in the House of Lords..... the adoration of HH Asquith seems to be continuing!
I wonder why?
Liberal History Group ..will they discuss Asquith's love life in war time?
Interesting, I see the Liberal History Group is holding a conference this saturday (November 1st on the Liberal Party's position in the First World War.
I will be going.
I want to find out whether they will be discussing Asquith's great passion for Venetia Stanley during those early years of the war. Will they discuss why Asquith was so depressed and why he agreed to the coalition so quickly in May 1915? Are they going to come clean that our prime minister was suicidal when Venetia threatened (and finally did) leave HH Asquith for another cabinet member?
If not, why not? And why are the Liberals so keen to keep the story hidden after all these years? Are there still people alive and in high places today that need protecting? And why are the squeaky clean Liberals so squeamish about these very dusty skeletons in their closet?
(A one-day conference organised by the Journal of Liberal History and King’s College, London. Saturday 1 November 2014, Room K2.40, Strand Campus of KCL.)
I will be going.
I want to find out whether they will be discussing Asquith's great passion for Venetia Stanley during those early years of the war. Will they discuss why Asquith was so depressed and why he agreed to the coalition so quickly in May 1915? Are they going to come clean that our prime minister was suicidal when Venetia threatened (and finally did) leave HH Asquith for another cabinet member?
If not, why not? And why are the Liberals so keen to keep the story hidden after all these years? Are there still people alive and in high places today that need protecting? And why are the squeaky clean Liberals so squeamish about these very dusty skeletons in their closet?
(A one-day conference organised by the Journal of Liberal History and King’s College, London. Saturday 1 November 2014, Room K2.40, Strand Campus of KCL.)
Thursday 6 March 2014
Asquith wrote to Venetia on 26th July 1914
Asquith wrote to Venetia on 26th July 1914
Asquith informs Venetia about developments with Home Rule and then his worries about the build up of tensions in Europe…..
After this he writes ..
"What a screed about politics! Poor darling - but you are very patient, and, what is even more to the point, really interested - aren't you? "
In my view this shows that he knows Venetia is not really that interested in politics (even though he sends her state secrets in the normal post) ….He is trying to delude himself that she is .. I still find his delusions quite amazing.
Asquith informs Venetia about developments with Home Rule and then his worries about the build up of tensions in Europe…..
After this he writes ..
"What a screed about politics! Poor darling - but you are very patient, and, what is even more to the point, really interested - aren't you? "
In my view this shows that he knows Venetia is not really that interested in politics (even though he sends her state secrets in the normal post) ….He is trying to delude himself that she is .. I still find his delusions quite amazing.
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Started to reread letters about start of WW1
I have started to re read Asquith's letters to Venetia in the build up to the war… one thing I hadn't noticed before was that he appeared to include in his letters the actual telegrams that he had received and send them to Venetia .. quite extraordinary!
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