Home Rule Bill Passes in the House of Commons

The Home Rule bill, also known as the Government of Ireland Bill 1912, but passed in the House of Commons in 1913. The bill was a significant piece of legislation that aimed to grant self-governing powers to Ireland within the United Kingdom. It was part of a broader movement toward Irish Home Rule, which sought to address the political and constitutional relationship between Ireland and Britain.

The bill’s passage in the House of Commons marked a crucial step in the legislative process. However, it faced considerable opposition in the House of Lords, which delayed its implementation. Ultimately, the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the suspension of normal political activities in Britain and Ireland led to a temporary postponement of the Home Rule bill.

Home Rule would eventually be enacted as the Government of Ireland Act 1920, leading to the establishment of two separate Home Rule parliaments in Ireland (one for Northern Ireland and one for Southern Ireland), although the implementation was further delayed due to the turmoil of the time, including the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921.