Aiming to restore "Whiggery" to a position of significance in Liberal politics of the period, T.A. Jenkins reassesses the role of the aristocratic Whigs in the Liberal Party of the 1870s and 1880s. The leadership of Granville and Hartington is examined, as well as the leadership crisis of 1879-80, and the Whig strategies following Gladstone's return to power in 1880. Presenting an entirely new picture of the nature of Liberal politics, Jenkins asserts that the Irish Question was of central importance in the split of the Liberal Party.