Oliver Cromwell (pictured right) was born on 25 April 1599, and was an English military and political leader.
After the execution of King Charles I in 1649,Cromwell dominated the short-lived Commonwealth of England, conquered Ireland and Scotland, and ruled as Lord Protectorate from 1653 until his death in 1658.
Cromwell was elected Member of Parliament for Cambridge in the Short (1640) and Long (1640-49) Parliament and later entered the English Civil War on the side of the 'Roundheads' or Parliamentarians. An effective soldier nicknamed 'Old Ironside' he rose to command the whole British army. Always controversial Cromwell was a hero to some, hated by others.
Failure to resolve issues between King and Parliament eventually led to the outbreak of Civil War in 1648. In December of 1648 those MPs who wished to continue negotiations with the King were prevented from sitting which led to the remaining body of MPs agreeing that Charles should be tried on a charge of treason. Cromwell believed that killing Charles was the only way to bring the civil war to an end. The death warrant for Charles was signed by 59 of the trying courts members, including Cromwell. Charles was executed on 30 January 1649.
With the King gone factions in Parliament began to engage in infighting. Cromwell who had been away on campaigns, returned to England in 1651. He demanded Parliament establish a caretaker government consisting of both parliamentarians and the army. However, Parliament ignored his request and returned to debating its own bill for a new government.
Cromwell was so angered by this on 20 April 1653, supported by about forty musketeers, he cleared the chamber and dissolved the Parliament by force. (The picture above left shows Cromwell dissolving the Long Parliament).
This quote from Cromwell as he dissolved Parliament in 1653 is quite timely...........
"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a fractious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage... Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse, gold is your God; which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes?...Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; ye were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, and are youselves gone... In the name of God, go!"
Viewed against the background of today's political scandals, it would appear we have learned very little over the last 350 years.