Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Reform of Parliament 1780-1928 - Coggle Diagram
Reform of Parliament 1780-1928
Who had the franchise in 1780?
Britain was divided into constituencies, each had one or two MPs who sat in the House of Commons to represent them,
In the Counties, anyone freeholder of property worth 40 shillings could vote. This was often very few people.
In the Boroughs there was no uniform franchise. Seats varied widely between boroughs.
'Scot and lot' - where people could vote if they made a payment into a local poor tax fund
'Potwalloper'- where you could vote if a resident owned their own hearth to boil a pot to feed themselves
'Burgage'- where the right to vote was only given to people who owned specific pieces of land. Often, a wealthy man would buy all this land and then choose his own MPs.
'Pocket/Rotten'- where the electorate was very small and the town was used as a patron to gain unrepresentative influence in parliament.
'Freeman'- anyone who had the status of being a freeman could vote
'Corporation'- where the local corporation that ran the town appointed the MP without holding an election
University seats- Oxford and Cambridge each given two MPs.
Problems with the franchise
The arrangement of the franchise ensured that there was no way for the working classes to be represented within parliament.
The elections themselves, whilst colourful affairs, where incredibly corrupt. Seats were rarely contested and those with wealth and a high social status often influenced the seats.
Why was there growing demand for Parliamentary Reform?
The Industrial Revolution meant that there was a changing demographic in the country. Much of the country was composed of the skilled working class, especially in the Industrial North. However, the system of 'Virtual Representation' did not allow their influence to manifest in parliament.
The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 sparked a serious and widespread interest in change. The ideas of 'liberty, fraternity, egality' began to dominate the political climate.Groups which were incredibly radical, such as the LCS and SCI, developed. Meanwhile less radical groups such as Whig Friends of the People were established. People were now aware of the need for parliamentary reform and what it would mean for their role in the political climate.
The increased access to media through liberal newspapers such as Cobbett's
'Political Register'
and networks to share ideas such as the Hampden Clubs. Also Tom Paine and his
'Rights of Man'.
Post war unrest from 1915-30. There was a spirit of change and improvement which spurred unrest. Spa Fields (1816), Pentridge (1817), Peterloo (1819). It was no longer seen as unpatriotic to protest for reform.
From 1817-29 there was a decreased interest in Parliamentary Reform due to the leadership of Lord Liverpool. He held together a government of reformers and conservatives. Further, economic recovery which lessened the demand for reform-
'I defy you to agitate any fellow with a full stomach' (William Cobbett)
After Liverpool's death in 1827, demand for reform revitalised. The strength of this demand was made more apparent by the divided Tory party- split by Catholic emancipation.
Daniel O'Connell, leader of the Catholic Association in Ireland, won his seat but would not swear an oath of allegiance to the crown so could not take his seat. Wellington was a long standing opponent of relief but realised to deny O'Connell his seat would cause insurrection in Ireland. His decision to support Catholic Relief entirely split the Tory party.
Changes to the Franchise
1867 Representation of the People Act
What pressure was there for it to pass?
In 1864 the Reform Union was formed which was middle class.
In 1865 the Reform League was formed which was working class.
External pressure such as demonstrations in Hyde Park which lead to vandalism and violence.
Disraeli saw the act as a chance to gain political advantage. He wanted to restore the dignity and trust of the Conservative Party and establish their position within the political climate once again.
He did not accept proposals from Liberals on the front bench as he wanted the bill to be seen as a conservative bill only.
He called this a 'leap in the dark', and said that passing reform would help the Tory Party.
What did it do?
Hodgkinson's Amendment abolished the distinction between those who paid their poor rates directly and those who didn't. This meant more working class people were enfranchised. However, it only abolished this system of 'compounding' for those who rented a home, and not a room or an apartment, meaning that the scope was limited.
Extended the vote in the boroughs to householders and lodgers who had been a resident for 12 months.
In the counties, more landowners and tenant farmers were registered to vote.
What was the impact?
Plural voting continued
Virtually doubled the national electorate to 2 million voters
Did not concede the vote to the 'residuum', only the working class
Electorate rose to 30% of the adult male population
1832 Great Reform Act
What pressure caused it to pass?
Catholic Emancipation
The growth of political unions such as the Birmingham Political Union (BPU), which led the Days of May Protest when the Lords blocked the passage of the act. There were 100,000 in attendance, led by Thomas Attwood.
Severe economic crises
Cobbett and the 'Political Register'
End of Napoleonic Wars
What did it do?
It made uniform rules for voting in the Boroughs. Men occupying property valued at £10 or above could gain the vote.
Historic 40 shilling county franchise was retained.
Chandos Amendment enfranchised tenant farmers in the counties, strengthening the political influence of the landowners.
What was the impact?
Increased electorate in the boroughs by 40%
20% of all adults could now vote, compared to just 4% before
Plural voting continued
Many working class were not enfranchised and were bitterly disappointed with the act because it was hedged around qualifications.
Poor rates had to be paid directly. For many who rented property (mostly the working classes) their landlords paid their poor rates so they were not placed onto the electoral register.
Had to have been a resident in their home for at least 1 year. This was deliberate to not enfranchise the working classes who moved around a lot looking for employment.
It was supposed to be 'Reform to end all reform' Earl Grey believed that by passing the act he would appease the country and that the demand for reform would decrease. However, this was not the case and the 1832 Great Reform Act was the first turning point in the development of a more equal franchise by 1928.
1884 Representation of the People Act
What was the pressure for it to pass?
Gladstone believed that if the urban working classes could vote, the rural working classes should be able to as well.
NO EXTRA PARLIAMENTARY PRESSURE
Salisbury was anti-reform but believed it was better to control the inevitable change rather than be left behind.
Arlington Street Compact- Salisbury agreed to pass the reform act if Gladstone would agree to redistribute the seats.
What did it do?
Property qualification was standardised between the boroughs and the counties. This meant that poor labourers and farmers both had a £10 qualification.
What was the impact?
Added 2.5million working class voters to the franchise.
67% of the adult male population could now vote
1918 Representation of the People Act
What pressure was there for it to pass?
Fear of suffragette militarism resurging after the war
Wanted to give the vote to returning war veterans who had suffered for the country but would not be included in the franchise
The contribution of women and working class men during the war effort
What did it do?
Enfranchised women who were householders, or had a husband who could vote, and were above 30. The qualification was strict so 20% of women over 30 did not qualify.
Gave the vote to all adult males over 21, and 18 for war veterans, with six months resident qualification instead of 12.
What was the impact?
Women received the vote for the first time. Nancy Astor was the first woman to take her seat in parliament. She was rich.
75% of voters in 1918 had never voted before
The Representation of the People Act, 1928
What was the pressure for it to pass?
The increased role of the labour party and their manifesto of social equality
1919 Sex Disqualification Act which had allowed women to access more professional jobs by making inequality in employment illegal
NUWSS became NUSEC and campaigned for female equality.
What did it do and what was the impact?
Removed the distinction between female and male voters.
Number of women who could vote rose from 8m to 14.5m, and they now composed the majority of the electorate.
Changes in Representation
What were the problems with representation in 1780?
There was no standardisation of the size and type of constituency. Counties, for example, had two MPs regardless of the population.
There was significant over representation in places known as rotten boroughs, whilst the large industrial cities such as Manchester and Birmingham had no representation in Parliament.
Geographical imbalance to the distribution of seats. 40% of MPs came from ten counties south of London and Bristol.
Pitt's proposals
To remove corrupt boroughs and transfer their seats to county and city constituencies.
To use £1million to compensate borough property owners who would lose their political influence
The bill was defeated in Parliament due to borough property owners and Pitt's rival, Fox.
1832 Great Reform Act
56 areas which had been over represented lost their seats
22 new constituencies created with 2 new MPs- Manchester, Stockport, Leeds
More constituencies now had contested elections.
30 boroughs were reduced to having only 1MP.
1867 Reform Act
38 boroughs lost one of their two MPs
4 boroughs lost 2MPs
45 seats given to under-represented constituencies
25 seats given to counties to strengthen the landed interest
5 more seats in Scotland
1872 Ballot Act established a secret ballot to address the issue of landowner influence in elections.
1883 Corrupt Practices Act addressed the immense corruption of the 1880 election due to treating, bribery, etc. Included rules on electoral spending, detailed record keeping of costs spent, and imposed heavy penalties on people who broke the regulations.
1885 Redistribution Act established single member constituencies. Most constituencies now had one MP, and boundaries were moved to make constituencies with similar population sizes.
A boundary commission was set up to redraw boundaries in case of population changes.
Constituencies became distinctly rural or urban, protecting and strengthening Conservative voting patterns. Growth of 'Villa Toryism'- suburban constituencies where the conservatives exerted uncontested influence.
1918 Representation of the People Act further equalised the size of the constituencies by removing the smallest ones.
By 1928, the population of Britain was equally represented and had proportionally the same number of MPs as other areas. When cities grew, the boundary commission ensured that boundaries shifted to balance out the areas and keep elections representative.