The Manchester Guardian, C. P. Scott, and the Irish question 1919-1922

This thesis illuminates the connection between the Manchester Guardian, the Irish question, and British politics at the apex of Ireland’s revolution (1919-1922). This is achieved through analysis both of material published in the newspaper and of the extensive Guardian Archive at John Rylands Library in Manchester. It provides the first in-depth study of a connection neglected in previous historiography, despite the fact that the Guardian was a keystone of British liberalism in the early twentieth century which had a long-standing commitment to reporting on and discussing Anglo-Irish politics and conflict. Through analysis of the editorial commentary of C. P. Scott, this thesis sheds light on the Guardian’s stance on key themes in Anglo-Irish history including self-determination, violence, and the significance of Ireland’s relationship with Britain and its empire. Going beyond analysis of published material, it also unearths the influences on the newspaper’s editorial content on Ireland, including the multi-directional connections between Scott, Guardian readers, and influential figures in national and imperial politics, and the impact of propaganda and censorship. The study enhances understanding of the Guardian’s politics and editorial ideology, and highlights the important role played by Scott in British public discussion on Ireland at this time. The Irish question was central to the relationship between the Manchester Guardian’s liberal political stance and British national and imperial politics between 1919 and 1922, and this thesis reflects on how the newspaper’s liberal philosophy played out in practice in its coverage of the Irish question. Taken as a whole, the thesis offers new perspectives on the place of the Manchester Guardian within the British press and British politics, on the role of the press in the Irish revolution, and on the importance of the Irish question to British liberalism, the British nation, and the British Empire in the early twentieth century.