Past Present Future Now & Then with Robert Saunders: Home Rule for Ireland! - The Kite
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Jan 7, 2026 
Join historian Robert Saunders, an expert in modern British and Irish history, as he unpacks the tumultuous politics of Irish Home Rule in the mid-1880s. Discover how the Hawarden Kite ignited a crisis, splitting the Liberal party and threatening civil war. Saunders explores Gladstone's moral mission, the ambiguous meaning of 'Home Rule', and the underestimated Ulster problem. Fascinating parallels to Brexit are drawn, showcasing how both issues redefined political identities and alliances in Britain.
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Union's Failures Created A British Crisis
- The UK–Ireland union was a "shotgun marriage" that had not delivered peace or prosperity to Ireland by the 1880s.
- That failure turned Irish governance into a core British crisis threatening constitutional freedoms and imperial stability.
Irish MPs Could Paralyse Westminster
- The Irish Parliamentary Party's discipline made the Commons potentially unworkable by blocking legislation.
- Westminster risked coercing MPs and eroding parliamentary freedoms to maintain control over Ireland.
Gladstone As Moral Crusader Not Party Boss
- Gladstone was a moral politician who returned to lead as a crusader, not a party manager.
- That temperament made him focused on a final mission—pacifying Ireland—rather than succession or compromise.