William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone, FRS, FSS (29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) is a British Liberal statesman.

In a career lasting over sixty years, he serves as Prime Minister four separate times (1868–1874, 1880–1885, February–July 1886 and 1892–1894), more than any other person.

Gladstone is also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigns for the last time.

He had also serves as Chancellor of the Exchequer four times (1853–1855, 1859–1866, 1873–1874, and 1880–1882).

Gladstone first enters Parliament in 1832.

Beginning as a High Tory, Gladstone serves in the Cabinet of Sir Robert Peel.

After the split of the Conservatives ,Gladstone is a Peelite – in 1859 the Peelites merge with the Whigs and the Radicals to form the Liberal Party.

As Chancellor, Gladstone becomes committed to low public spending and to electoral reform, earning him the sobriquet "The People's William".

Gladstone's first ministry sees many reforms including Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland and the introduction of secret voting.

After his electoral defeat in 1874, Gladstone resigns as leader of the Liberal Party, but from 1876 begins a comeback based on opposition to Turkey's Bulgarian atrocities.

Gladstone's Midlothian Campaign of 1879–1880 is an early example of many modern political campaigning techniques.

After the 1880 election, he forms his second ministry, which sees crises in Egypt (culminating in the death of General Gordon in 1885), and in Ireland, where the government passes repressive measures but also improves the legal rights of Irish tenant farmers.

The government also passes the Third Reform Act.

Back in office in early 1886, Gladstone proposes Irish Home rule but this is defeated in the House of Commons in July.

The resulting split in the Liberal Party helps keep them out of office, with one short break, for twenty years.

In 1892, Gladstone forms his last government at the age of 82.

The Second Irish Home Rule Bill passes the Commons but is defeated in the Lords in 1893.

Gladstone resigns in March 1894, in opposition to increased naval expenditure.

He leaves Parliament in 1895 and dies three years later aged 88.

Gladstone is famous for his oratory, for his rivalry with the Conservative Leader Benjamin Disraeli and his poor relations with Queen Victoria, who once complained, "He always addresses me as if I were a public meeting."

Gladstone is known affectionately by his supporters as "The People's William" or the "G.O.M."

("Grand Old Man", or, according to Disraeli, "God's Only Mistake").

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