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During the Edwardian period (1901-1914), British political parties drew support from a number of different leagues, which helped manage and finance their electoral campaigns. When a change in election law was passed in 1918 to prevent sensationalist forms of campaigning and extravagant expenditures, it forced parties to establish their own mass organisations to mobilise the new electorate. The Conservative party proved highly successful in doing this, partially as a result of its ability to forge close connections with civil society, whose importance had grown significantly during the First World War and its aftermath. In contrast, the Liberal party struggled to gain popular support and fared particularly poorly in adapting to the new rules and mobilising the new influx of women voters.