‘Radical Joe’ distinguished himself in many ways – in campaigning for universal, free, secular education and, as Mayor of Birmingham setting up municipal control of gas and water supplies and clearing slums, in national politics the National Liberal Federation that he created helped win general elections and earned him a place in Gladstone’s cabinets, he also split two political parties – the Liberals over Irish Home Rule and the Conservatives over Imperial Preference. His activity prior to the Boer Wars led to contemporaries calling it ‘Joe’s War’. He was a controversial figure in his lifetime and thrived on opposition. His sons, Neville and Austen, followed him into politics.