當時,下議院的後座議員并不受薪,所以,劳合·乔治要继续担任事務律師。他在伦敦开了一间律师行,叫Lloyd George and Co.,而他亦继续经营在Criccieth的律师行。1897年,Arthur Rhys Roberts(后为Official Solicitor)入伙劳合·乔治的律师行,律师行改名为Lloyd George, Roberts and Co.。
入选国会后不久,劳合·乔治就在英格兰、威尔士等地发表演说。其主题有地方议题,也有全国议题,如宗教教育。在接下来的十年里,他致力于解散威尔士教会,没收教会财产。劳合·乔治为多份自由派报章(如卫报)撰寫文章。1894年,地方自治草案又一次未获通过,格莱斯顿从此退休,离开政坛。来自威尔士的自由党人选举劳合·乔治为代表,要求威廉·哈考特(William Harcourt)在特定的威尔士议题上作出保证。如果哈考特不作出保证,他们采取独立行动。他们又要求羅斯伯里勋爵作出类似保证,遭到后者拒绝,劳合·乔治、大衛·阿爾弗雷德·托馬斯(David Alfred Thomas,后为郎达子爵)、赫伯特·刘易斯(Herbert Lewis,后为爵士)和弗朗西斯·爱德华兹(Francis Edwards,后为从男爵)四人在1892年4月14日发起一次“叛乱”。次月29日,四人接受羅斯伯里勋爵的保证,重新加入自由党。重新加入自由党后,劳合·乔治加入自由党后座议员的一个团体,叫年轻威尔士(Cymru Fydd),还想把它发展为一个类似于爱尔兰国会党的政党。1895年大选后,自由党遭到对手击败,他本人也受到一份威尔士报纸批评,劳合·乔治因此打消组建威尔士民族党的念头。
甘貝爾-班納曼逝世后,阿斯奎斯继任为首相,而劳合·乔治则开始担任财政大臣,直到在1915年拜相。在担任财政大臣期间,他仍然处理贸易委员会的事务,比如立法建立公共信托(Public trust)伦敦港管理局(Port of London Authority),管理伦敦港(Port of London),进行酒牌法(Alcohol licensing law)改革。1908年,劳合·乔治首次发难,要求首相裁减海军,因为在两年前的大选中,自由党曾经向选民承诺,裁减军费。他向第一海军大臣雷金纳德·麦克纳写信,里面写道:“我们在大选期间承诺裁减由上一任政府制造出来的庞大军费。”
战争进行一年,劳合·乔治还在担任财政大臣。1915年5月,内阁重组,他获任为军需大臣,负责新成立的部门,解决弹药短缺的问题。劳合·乔治担任这个职位,十分成功,但他本人却对战争的进展非常不满,他主张进攻德国的盟友,除掉德国的支撑者。劳合·乔治要求派遣大量远征军到希腊作战,还要求以机枪装备罗马尼亚军队。他因此和“粗暴无礼”的陆军上将威廉·罗伯逊(General William Robertson)发生矛盾,后者“难以掩饰自己对劳合·乔治的军事意见的鄙视”,当他人作出建议时,他总是以“我已经听取不同意见”这句话打发他人。[7]1915年末,劳合·乔治成为全面征兵的坚定支持者,协助1916年征兵法令的通过。他说服陆军大臣基奇纳伯爵,让他组建一支威尔士部队,但不要区分军中的牧师。[8]
1916年6月,劳合·乔治接替在前往俄国途中遇溺身亡的基奇纳伯爵为陆军大臣。英军的战略,大部分都为罗伯逊将军所操纵,只有很小一部分为他所操纵。劳合·乔治靠任命艾瑞克·格迪斯爵士(Sir Eric Geddes)为少将,获得法国战线后方军用铁路的控制权。[9]首相H·H·阿斯奎斯计划不善,协调不力,不少高级官员都对他产生不满情绪,1916年12月,他被迫辞职,首相一职由劳合·乔治顶替。人们都希望新首相能以更进取的方式进行战争。[6]杂志笨拙(Punch)当时登出一幅讽刺漫画,画中他是一位管弦乐团指挥家,而乐团正在演奏的是“1917年序曲”。
大战过后,劳合·乔治又引入一批社会改革。1918年教育法令使得学生离校年龄提升至14岁,增加教育委员会(Board of Education)的权力和责任,同时增加委员会的资金。又为14岁至16岁青少年设立走读进修学校,他们“有可能每个星期都被迫到学校进修一天”。[15]1919年房屋及城镇规划法令(Housing and Town Planning Act 1919)资助地方政府兴建房屋,总共有170,000座房屋因此落成。这是一个标志性的举措,正如A·J·P·泰勒所言:“建立了原则,房屋是一项社会服务”。[16]私人企业在政府的资助下,兴建30,000座房屋。[17]
1920年失業者保險法令(Unemployment Insurance Act 1920)為一千一百萬勞工提供國家保險(National insurance)。這也是一個革命性的舉措,因為它把失業保險範圍擴展到幾乎每一個勞工身上。[18]法令使得四分之三英国劳工受惠。[19]在教育方面,教师的薪酬在1921年得到标准化。农业方面,政府坚持延续战时的农业劳工的最低工资,政府还承诺,维持农产品的价格不变。[18]1919年性別取消資格(移除)法令(The Sex Disqualification Removal Act of 1919)容许女性参选国会议员,而1920年租金法令(Rent Act of 1920)则禁止屋主大幅度加租,保障劳工权益。[20]
1920年盲人法令(1920 Blind Persons Act),补贴失业、薪酬低的盲人。[21]租金控制一直延续到战后,政府又为失业军人、平民设立“失业捐献”。[17]1920年国民健康保险法令(1920 National Health Insurance Act)增加保险赔偿金额,又进一步扩大受益人群。退休金的上限提升三分之二,外国人与其配偶只要在英国住满十年,即可获得退休金。过往对退休金领取者的一些资格限制,都被废除。[18]盲人更是达到五十岁就可以领取退休金。[22]
老人退休金被政府增加一倍。政府又促进退伍军人重新就业,建立委员会仲裁劳资纠纷。[18][23]1919年,政府建立卫生部,对公共卫生作出巨大贡献。[18]1920年农业法令(Agricultural Act of 1920)保障佃农在租金方面的权益,[16]而1921年失业工人家属法令(Unemployed Workers' Dependants Act of 1921)则向失业工人的家属提供资金援助。[24]女性、年轻人及儿童雇佣法令(Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act)禁止铁路、运输、建筑、制造、采矿行业雇佣还在接受强迫教育的年轻人。法令同时禁止船只雇佣儿童充当船员。[25]
战后联合政府在社会改革方面的成果不俗,根据历史学家肯尼斯·O·摩根(Kenneth O. Morgan)的说法,这届政府在这方面的成就,比起以往任何一届政府在这方面的成就,都要大。然而,不少改革后来都被取消了。在称为“格迪斯之斧”的事件中,政府裁减七千六百万的公共开支。[26]
1926年,劳合·乔治接替阿斯奎斯为自由党党魁。此时自由党已大不如前,沦为国会中的第三大党,但他还是拿出资金资助自由党国会议员候选人,鼓励人们提出减少失业率的意见。經濟學家梅納德·凱恩斯協助他寫成“我們能征服失業問題”(We can Conquer Unemployment)一書。他在書中提出用凱恩斯主義的經濟政策解決這一問題。然而,這無補於事,在1929年大選中,自由黨只取得60個席位,而工黨則成為下院內的最大黨派,其黨魁拉姆齊·麥克唐納上臺出任首相。同年,勞萊·喬治以55年的議員生涯成為下院之父(Father of the House)。
1931年,工党党魁麥克唐納组成第二次国民政府,但劳合·乔治因病没有加入政府。大选来临之前,他试图说服其他自由党人退出国民政府,但只有很少人听从,当中大部分都是与他有关联的人。大部分自由党人,在接下来的一年里,在赫伯特·塞缪尔爵士(Sir Herbert Samuel)的领导下,继续和工党合作。到了20世纪30年代,劳合·乔治已经淡出政坛,偶尔出现在公众视野内。在此期间,他出版他的战时回忆录。劳合·乔治在1934年至1935年间出任伦敦威尔士人信托会(London Welsh Trust)的主席。[27]
Adams, R.J.Q. Arms and the Wizard: Lloyd George and the Ministry of Munitions. 1978.
Adams, R.J.Q. "Andrew Bonar Law and the Fall of the Asquith Coalition: the December 1916 Cabinet Crisis." Canadian Journal of History 1997 32(2): 185–200. Issn: 0008-4107 Fulltext: in Ebsco
Adams, W.S. "Lloyd George and the Labour Movement," Past and Present No. 3 (Feb., 1953), pp. 55–64 in JSTOR
Lord Beaverbrook. The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George Collins, 1963
Bennett, G.H. "Lloyd George, Curzon and the Control of British Foreign Policy 1919–22," The Australian Journal of Politics and History, Vol. 45, 1999 online edition (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Cregier, Don M. "The Murder of the British Liberal Party," The History Teacher Vol. 3, No. 4 (May, 1970), pp. 27–36 online edition, blames Asquith, Lloyd George and the voters
Creiger, Don M. Bounder from Wales: Lloyd George's Career Before the First World War. U of Missouri Press, 1976.
Ehrman, John. "Lloyd George and Churchill as War Ministers," Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 5th Ser., Vol. 11 (1961), pp. 101–115 in JSTOR
Fair, John D. "Politicians, Historians, and the War: A Reassessment of the Political Crisis of December 1916," The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 49, No. 3, On Demand Supplement. (Sep., 1977), pp. D1329–D1343. in JSTOR
French, David. The Strategy of the Lloyd George Coalition, 1916–1918. Oxford University Press, 1995
Fry, Michael G. Lloyd George and Foreign Policy. Vol. 1: The Education of a Statesman: 1890–1916. Montreal, 1977.
Fry, Michael. "Political Change in Britain, August 1914 to December 1916: Lloyd George Replaces Asquith: The Issues Underlying the Drama," The Historical Journal Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1988), pp. 609–627 in JSTOR
Gilbert, Bentley B. "David Lloyd George: The Reform of British Landholding and the Budget of 1914," The Historical Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Mar., 1978), pp. 117–141 in JSTOR
Gilbert, Bentley Brinkerhoff. "David Lloyd George: Land, The Budget, and Social Reform," The American Historical Review Vol. 81, No. 5 (Dec., 1976), pp. 1058–1066 in JSTOR
Gilbert, Bentley Brinkerhoff. David Lloyd George: A Political Life: The Architect of Change 1863–1912 (1987); David Lloyd George: A Political Life: Organizer of Victory, 1912–1916 (1992)
Grigg, John. Lloyd George 4 vols. (1973–2002), Whitbread Award winner; the most detailed biography; ends Nov. 1918
Hankey, Lord. The Supreme Command, 1914–1918. 2 vols. 1961.
Havighurst, Alfred F. Twentieth-Century Britain. 1966.
Hazlehurst, Cameron. "Asquith as Prime Minister, 1908–1916," The English Historical Review Vol. 85, No. 336 (Jul., 1970), pp. 502–531 in JSTOR
Kernek, Sterling J. "Distractions of Peace during War: The Lloyd George Government's Reactions to Woodrow Wilson, December, 1916-November, 1918," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Ser., Vol. 65, No. 2 (1975), pp. 1–117 online edition
Jones, J Graham. entry in Dictionary of Liberal Thought Brack & Randall (eds.) Politico's Methuen, 2007
Jones; Thomas. Lloyd George 1951.
Keynes, John Maynard, The Economic Consequences of the Peace (1920) famous criticism by leading economist full text online (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Lentin, Antony. Lloyd George and the Lost Peace: From Versailles to Hitler, 1919–1940 (2004)
* Lentin, Antony. "Maynard Keynes and the ‘Bamboozlement’ of Woodrow Wilson: What Really Happened at Paris?" Diplomacy & Statecraft, Dec 2004, Vol. 15 Issue 4, pp. 725–763, (AN 15276003), why veterans pensions were included in reparations
MacMillan, Margaret. Peacemakers: The Paris Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War (2003)
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Millman, Brock. "The Lloyd George War Government, 1917–18" Totalitarian Movements & Political Religions Winter 2002, Vol. 3 Issue 3, pp. 99–127; sees proto-fascism
Morgan, Kenneth O. Lloyd George. 1974.
Morgan, Kenneth O. "Lloyd George's Premiership: A Study in 'Prime Ministerial Government.'" The Historical Journal 13 (March 1970). in JSTOR (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Morgan, Kenneth O. "Lloyd George and Germany." Historical Journal 1996 39(3): 755–766. in JSTOR (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Mowat, Sharles Loch. Britain between the Wars, 1918–1940 (1955) 694 pp; online edition (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Murray, Bruce K. "The Politics of the 'People's Budget'", The Historical Journal Vol. 16, No. 3 (Sep., 1973), pp. 555–570 in JSTOR
Owen, Frank. Tempestuous Journey: Lloyd George, His Life and Times 1955.
Powell, David. British Politics, 1910–1935: The Crisis of the Party System 2004
Price, Emyr. David Lloyd George in the series Celtic Radicals, (University of Wales Press, 2006)
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Taylor, A. J. P., ed., Lloyd George: twelve essays (1971). essays by scholars
Turner, John. British Politics and the Great War: Coalition and Conflict, 1915–1918 (1992)
Walsh, Ben. GCSE Modern World History. Hodder Murray, 2008
Wilson, Trevor. "The Coupon and the British General Election of 1918," The Journal of Modern History Vol. 36, No. 1 (Mar., 1964), pp. 28–42 in JSTOR (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Wilson, Trevor. The Downfall of the Liberal Party 1914–1935. Collins, 1966.
Creiger, Don M. Bounder from Wales: Lloyd George's Career Before the First World War. (1976).
Fry, Michael G. Lloyd George and Foreign Policy. Vol. 1: The Education of a Statesman: 1890–1916. (1977)
Gilbert, Bentley Brinkerhoff. David Lloyd George: A Political Life: The Architect of Change 1863–1912 (1987); David Lloyd George: A Political Life: Organizer of Victory, 1912–1916 (1992). a standard scholarly biography
Grigg, John. Lloyd George 4 vols. (1973–2002), Whitbread Award winner; the most detailed biography; ends Nov. 1918
The young Lloyd George (1973); Lloyd George: the people's champion, 1902–1911 (1978); Lloyd George: from peace to war, 1912–1916 (1985); Lloyd George: war leader, 1916–1918 (2002)
Hattersley, Roy David Lloyd George: The Great Outsider Little Brown (2010)
Hart, Peter. 1918: A Very British Victory, Phoenix Books, London. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7538-2689-8
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Lloyd George, David. War Memoirs of David Lloyd George 2 vols. (1933). An unusually detailed and candid record.
Morgan, Kenneth O. "George, David Lloyd, first Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (1863–1945)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online
Murray, B. K. The People's Budget, 1909–1910: Lloyd George and Liberal politics (Oxford University Press 1980)
Rowland, Peter. David Lloyd George: A Biography (1976), 872pp, detailed but lacking interpretation or synthesis
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Taylor, A. J. P. Lloyd George: rise and fall (1961)
主要来源
Cross, Colin, ed. Life with Lloyd George: The Diary of A.J. Sylvester 1975.
Jones, J Graham. The Lloyd George papers at the National Library of Wales & Other Repositories (National Library of Wales Aberystwyth 2001)
Lloyd George, David. The Truth About the Peace Treaties. 2 vols. (1938) vol 1 online (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
Lloyd George, David, War Memoirs of David Lloyd George. 2 vols. (1933). An unusually long, detailed and candid record.
Lloyd George, David. The Great Crusade: Extracts from Speeches Delivered During the War (1918) 307 pages online edition (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
George W. Egerton, "The Lloyd George War Memoirs: A Study in the Politics of Memory," The Journal of Modern History Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 1988), pp. 55–94 in JSTOR
Morgan, Kenneth O. ed. Lloyd George Family Letters, 1885–1936. 1973.
Taylor, A. J. P. ed. My Darling Pussy: The Letters of Lloyd George and Frances Stevenson. 1975.
Taylor, A. J. P. ed. Lloyd George: A Diary by Frances Stevenson. 1971.