but the Liberals continued to support the National Government on all other policies. In February 1932, Harry Nathan the Liberal MP for Bethnal Green North East crossed the floor from the Liberal government benches to sit with the Lloyd George Liberal group, in opposition to the National government. He resigned the Liberal Whip in February 1933 to formally sit as an Independent Liberal but a year later joined the Labour Party. In the East Fife by-election of February 1933, the local Conservatives supported the Liberal National candidate. David Keir was nominated as an unofficial Liberal candidate in support of free trade and against the National Government; Keir lost his deposit. At a by-election in Ashford the following month, the official Liberal candidate Rev Roderick Kedward (who had defended and lost the same seat in 1931 as a Liberal National) declared that he was fighting as an Independent Liberal and would oppose the National Government if elected (which he was not). Various Liberal Party meetings and conferences during 1933 pressed the party to go into opposition; on 14 November 1933, the majority of Liberal MPs voted to do so. Reunion When the new Parliamentary session opened on 21 November 1933, the Liberals were sitting on the opposition benches. However the Lloyd George group were still termed 'Independent Liberals' and remained apart from the other Liberals. In the 1935 General Election, the two groups fought separately with Lloyd George more interested in promoting a cross party alliance opposed to the National Government. The Independent Liberals stood again for the four seats they held after the 1931 General Election and won them all. In comparison, the Liberal party lost half its seats including the one held by their leader Herbert Samuel. With Samuel gone, the Independent Liberals rejoined the main Liberal group and took part in the decision to nominate Archibald Sinclair as party leader. References See also Liberalism Contributions to liberal theory Liberalism worldwide List of liberal parties Liberal democracy Liberalism in the United Kingdom Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom United Kingdom 1931 Liberal Party (UK) Political parties established in 1931 Liberal parties in the United Kingdom 1931 establishments in the United Kingdom