There are snippets of both Baldwin's and (remarkably) Asquith's voices (which should be distinguished carefully from reenactors reading the speeches that weren't recorded or preserved) at this BBC 4 web site, a series of 15-minute profiles of the Prime Ministers by the BBC's political correspondent, Nick Robinson: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01083zj/episodes/player . (Unlike many such programmes, this one is available for listening in the U.S.)
Before there was any kind of radio network, or much wireless telephony at all, Asquith fought for his People's Budget of 1909 by making a gramophone record which was sent around the country with presenters and loudspeakers, and the BBC profile has a couple of snippets from that. Of course that's far from saying that his voice was a familiar sound (like Churchill's or FDR's) to those who'd never heard him speak in person. There are more snippets in the profile of Stanley Baldwin, although unfortunately his speeches on the General Strike of 1926 weren't preserved and have to be reenacted (and, since Parliament didn't allow recording or broadcasting of its proceedings at the time, a reenactor also reads his "appalling frankness" speech to the House of Commons about rearmament after the East Fulham bye-election). However there are a couple of good clips from his radio talk(s?) about "The English Character". |
Prime Ministers of the UK
The King Is Dead!
Nicknames Kings and Queens
