Famous Lloyd George speech made in Wolverhampton read out 100 years later
The words of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George were read out at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre 100 years after his famous post-war address to the people of the Black Country.
On November 23, 1918, David Lloyd George delivered a speech in front of a packed crowd just days after the end of the First World War.
The Prime Minister, basking in the glory of being hailed ‘the leader who won the war’, chose Wolverhampton as the place to kick off his victorious general election campaign.
Wolverhampton Mayor Phil Page hosted the event on Friday morning and discussed why the speech is still relevant today.
He said: "This is a really special occasion for Wolverhampton. I want to pay tribute to historian Tom Larkin because he raised the anniversary with me and explained the significance for Wolverhampton.
"David Lloyd George said we want to build a land fit for heroes and where we are today, we're still campaigning to help homelessness people and ex-service people who are homeless - we're still fighting to achieve these aims.
"It's important to me that we remember it for future generations."
Councillor Page said the event should be marked yearly and a plaque has been suggested to remember the occasion.
Historian Jefny Ashcroft started by discussing the events surrounding the speech.
She said: "An election was called for December that year and he went all over the country talking to people in an effort to win.
"On July 8 that year the council decided to give Lloyd George Freedom of the Borough and invite him to Wolverhampton at a time convenient to him.
"He came here because the council was sensible enough to ask him.
"His speech is a very famous speech, if only what he wanted actually happened.
"He wanted 500,000 new houses and by the time he left in 1922 they had built 180,000."
Ottis Pickard, 22, from Wolverhampton Central Youth Theatre then read an extract from the speech dressed in clothing similar to what Lloyd George was pictured in on the day.
Part of the speech included the famous line "What is our task? To make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in.”
Lloyd George's bold vision never came to fruition, and years of low wages, poor housing conditions and unemployment followed.
He resigned as Prime Minister in 1922, but remained active in politics. He devoted his energies to social reforms and also played a key role in propelling Winston Churchill to power during the Second World War.
MP Emma Reynolds for Wolverhampton North East said it was 'really interesting' that Lloyd George chose to make the speech in Wolverhampton.
She said: "The theatre was rammed with people, they were queueing out the door to hear what he had to say.
"For me, having been shadow housing minister, I think that even though it was 100 years ago some of the priorities in his speech are still the same."
Lloyd George had gained a sterling reputation during his time as the Coalition Government’s Minister of Munitions from 1915-16, industrialising arms manufacture in places such as Dudley – where a National Projectile Munitions Factory was built – and boosting Britain’s war effort.
Historian Tom Larkin said: "He came to make that speech and he was here for 48 hours. He moved in the afternoon to the Wolverhampton Council chamber where he received the Freedom of the Borough and it was there he made tribute to all the people of the Black Country and to the contributions they made to winning the war."
