The Relugas Compact - Conclusion

Conclusion

The irony of the failure of the Relugas Compact is that Campbell-Bannerman did in fact entertain some doubts about becoming Prime Minister and becoming Liberal leader from the Lords might have made life more bearable for him. He had not been in the strongest of health and must have accepted the truth in Asquith’s comment to him that combining the roles of Leader of the Commons and Prime Minister represented an arduous burden. He might also have felt some desire to respond to the King’s plea to him to consider his personal health. In addition, he did apparently have some reservations about his own ability to face Balfour from the Treasury Benches. During his first year in office the health of his wife Charlotte deteriorated and she died on 30 August 1906. It is doubtful CB ever properly recovered from this shock mentally or physically. He suffered a series of heart attacks over the following months, the last one in late November 1907. It affected him badly and he was forced to resign on 4 April 1908 and died on 22 April at No. 10 Downing Street.

Asquith succeeded him as Prime Minister and retained the services of Grey as Foreign Secretary and Haldane as War Secretary. He went on to lead one of the most successful reforming governments of the 20th century.