The Liverpool Standard was founded in late 1832 by local Tory grandees (acting covertly), who subscribed over £4,000. These included several members of the Gladstone family. Unlike its contemporaries, The Liverpool Standard was a purely political vehicle and had not been created as an extension of an existing printing or stationery business. In an era of weekly newspapers, it was also the first twice-weekly paper to appear in Liverpool after the demise of the short-lived Mercantile Gazette in 1804.

In the wake of the 1832 Reform Act, the Standard was established in order to counter the increasing support for Radicals and Reformers. Its immediate objective was to prevent the election of a leading local Radical in the forthcoming 1832 general election, and fiercely promoted the traditional Tory “Church and State” ideology. In its first issue, it used a famous poem by Liverpool-born Felicia Hemans, 'The (Stately) Homes of England', to exemplify its image of society.

In terms of content, the Standard was a typical provincial newspaper and outwardly similar to other papers in Liverpool. It provided good coverage of national, international and local issues, especially political and religious controversies, and included a regular diet of poetry. A rare example of innovative content is to be found in Thomas Croxton Archer’s Agricultural & Horticultural Column, which had originally been published in the Liverpool Chronicle but, when the latter changed ownership, moved to the Standard in 1849.

Compared to the high quality of its competitors, The Liverpool Standard ultimately fell short and it failed to attract sufficient readers from the Conservative majority in Liverpool. However, after the 1830s, support for Reform and Radicalism waned and Liverpool was once more a Tory-dominated town. Damningly, The Liverpool Standard also played a major role in aggravating and promoting extreme sectarian and racist tensions in a very diverse town.

Dr Nick Foggo - University of Liverpool