The fracturing of the party left Lloyd George as Prime Minister dependent on the support of the Conservatives. However, Lloyd George's willingness to work with the Conservatives was not simply a matter of political expediency. By 1918 he had come to believe in the virtues of coalition consensus politics over those of party interest. Moreover, the way he conducted government, relying increasingly on outside experts rather than political colleagues and rarely visiting the House of Commons, detached him further from his Liberal base. The Party's Electoral Problems Divisions among the Liberal leaders tended to take the heart out of party workers at grass-roots level.
Historians now stress the importance of what was happening in the constituencies.
Liberal morale sank. It became increasingly difficult to recruit and motivate local party workers. Others gravitated to Conservatism or independence. Funds were depleted and we were short of workers all over the country. There was an utter lack of enthusiasm or even zeal.