Campaigns in Wales

When he entered Parliament he received a cool reception from many of his fellow-Liberal members from Wales, who were suspicious of his radicalism and nationalism. Even those who gave him a warmer welcome, such as T E Ellis and Samuel T Evans, had their doubts about him. During his first years in Parliament he busied himself with "Welsh" matters: his maiden speech was delivered to the House on 14 June 1890 on a government bill to compensate the holders of liquor licenses which were not renewed by the licensing authorities. By his second speech it was the expensive grandeur of monarchy that was being attacked by the new radical from Wales.

In April 1894 four Welsh Liberal MPs refused to take the party whip because of what they saw as the Government's lack of action on the question of disestablishment in Wales. In Wales the four: David Lloyd George, Frank Edwards, J Herbert Lewis and D A Thomas, received much support. But in parliament they came up against the Liberal chief whip, who was none other than Wales' most prominent "nationalist" MP, T E Ellis of Meirionnydd. This was the age of Cymru Fydd, but it was not to last long. In January 1896 a meeting of the South Wales Liberal Federation put an end to any dream of a Welsh politic by rejecting Lloyd George's proposal for union with Cymru Fydd. After these events he turned towards British "national" subjects for inspiration. Even though he kept a very active interest in "Welsh" matters such as disestablishment, education and the land problems, he now intended to win power in London and not just in Nefyn.