The most eloquent speeches were delivered by those who, like Lord Rosebery, Lord Cromer and the Archbishop of York, despised the Budget but realised that a far graver question would arise if the Lords exercised the veto now. Lord Balfour of Burleigh (not to be confused with Arthur Balfour) set out the risks in no uncertain terms. ‘My Lords,’ he pleaded, ‘if you win, the victory can be at most a temporary one. If you lose, you have altered and prejudiced the position, the power, the prestige, the usefulness of the House.’32
