... the party was divided; some were for Free Trade and others for Tariff Reform. People lost their confidence in the Conservatives as it was split into three categories: Tariff Reformers, Indecisive views (eg. Balfour), and Free Traders. The Liberals capitalised on this as it gave them strength and unity as they were all for free trade. Another key issue was the Taff Vale Case. The Taff Vale Railway Company sued the trade union concerned for loss of funds incurred through a workers strike (the strike caused by lack of union recognition and low wages). The main question was; 'Could a trade union be sued and forced to pay damages for wrongs done by its own members?' The answer was 'Yes'. The union had to pay £23,000 in costs and damages, in addition to its own legal costs. This legal decision was now being made in other cases where trade unions were ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now