Josiah C Wedgwood

In his day, "Josh" Wedgwood was one of Britain's best-known and most outspoken Radical politicians. He served in three wars, and, in a Parliamentary career lasting from 1906 to 1943, first with the Liberals, and then with Labour, he fought to uphold personal liberty and to limit the power of the state. Instead of the collectivism of socialists or social imperialists, Wedgwood advocated a Radical vision of Victorian Individualism as the solution to the problems of social inequality at home and growing threats abroad that Britain faced in the first half of the twentieth century. His support of individual freedom, a redistribution of landowner's wealth, and a voluntary and democratic British Empire received only limited support in his own lifetime, but he fought for them with vigour and passion throughout his career. This study of his life throws new light upon some of the defining ideological and policy issues of the most turbulent period of modern British history. Paul Mulvey teaches at the London School of Economics.

His public advocacy of resistance to this, not excluding the use of force, sparked cries of denunciation in press and Parliament. But Wedgwood never bowed to the critics, claiming always that it was he who was within the traditions of Britain, not those who turned a blind eye to the plight of the Jews. Ultimately despairing of Britain living up to its obligations to the Jews, Wedgwood made an amazing wartime radio broadcast to America advocating that the United States take over the mandate as Britain had lost the will and moral fortitude to handle the job herself. On the home front, Wedgwood was appalled with the policy of restricting refugee immigration into Britain. He consistently maintained that persecuted Jews should be allowed into the country - that their coming would secure their protection and also strengthen England.

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