The Club is very much in need of a new written history. The last such published book was by Robert Steven a century ago. Since then all we have is Seth Thevoz’ contribution on Wikipedia. Most of the necessary documentation is easily available in the Club’s archives. In particular we are fortunate in having a complete archive of membership applications which Charles Gillett, the Club’s Hon Archivist, rightly regards as the priority for digitisation. In addition to the forms themselves we also possess the letters of recommendation from existing members that were required for all new members after the initial applications which by definition had to stand or fall on the applicant’s merits.

The Club has never been a Liberal Party club but rather a club for Liberals and even the definition of “Liberal” was interpreted on the inclusive rather than the exclusive side. Splits in Liberal party ranks inevitably caused difficulties, such the defection of the Liberal Unionists in 1886 over Gladstone’s Home Rule for Ireland policy, Lloyd George’s Coalition Liberal party in 1918, and the defection of the Liberal Nationals in 1930 to form alliances with the Conservatives, but there were few requests from the club for resignations though many of the relevant members resigned of their own volition, presumably finding continued membership uncomfortable. One of the few members asked to resign was Sir John Simon, latterly a Liberal National MP, after he spoke at a meeting in favour of the Conservative candidate at the Croydon North by-election in March 1948.

Until 1932 all members were “Political” and as such their Liberal credentials had to be vouched for. The non-political category was particularly introduced to permit those unable to proclaim their politics, such as judges, diplomats and military personnel, to continue. However, since then the non-political members have outnumbered their political colleagues but the latter have entrenched rights should there be threats to the Liberal heritage of the club. More recently, particularly since Gordon Lishman became Chair of the club, there has been a specific policy of explaining the importance of political membership and suggesting to appropriate members that they should transfer to the political category.

From the inception of the club there have been ethnic minority members at a time in the 1880s when they would have found it difficult to achieve membership of other London clubs. A number of Asian and Jewish members served on the Management Committee and some served as officers of the club. However its failure to admit women members before 1976 is a stain on its radical credentials.

In addition to ethnic minority members the club always welcomed working class members, including eleven Lib-Lab Members of parliament: Thomas Burt, John Burns, Sam Woods, Richard Bell, Charles Fenwick, William Johnson, Fred Maddison, William Steadman, Henry Vivian, John Ward and John Wilson. Also the club welcomed many Irish Nationalist MPs, particularly in 1910 when the Liberal government of 1906 depended on these MPs to sustain the government after the two elections of 1910 and the constitutional battle with the House of Lords. The history of the club, and its significant political meetings over the years, should point to it providing a home and a base for Liberal responses to the illiberalism and disillusion which is debilitating our politics today.