The Home Rule Question (1870-1914)

Home Rule became a leading issue from the 1870s across the British Isles.
Aspirations to limited legislative autonomy were notably strong in Ireland,
where a Home Rule party progressively emerged and came to play a major role on
the island and at Westminster. While the question of Irish Home Rule in
particular came to dominate discussions, the quest for self-government did not
limit itself to Ireland but soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom.
In Scotland and Wales, Home Rule movements also came to life with
specificities of their own, leading to exchanges on the idea of “home rule all
round”. On a broader scale, Home Rule spurred cross-imperial solidarities and
raised the question of the future of the British Empire and the possibility of
an “imperial federation”. Although it aroused keen interest and support across
Britain and the Empire, it also provoked intense opposition known as loyalism
or unionism. In doing so, Home Rule reshaped British politics along new lines.