1.1 Flashcards
What percentage of the population could take part in elections?
2%
Examples of unrepresented COUNTIES
Bedford had a population of 2000 whilst York had grown to a population 24,000 and did not receive anymore MPs-both received 2
The old political system was
outdated and unreflective of the modernising nation
House of Commons represented
ordinary citizens
House of Lords represented
the nobility
The political system was established by
a convention instead a codified model
Because of a conventional system
it was easy for corrupt practises to go virtually without censure
The king ruled with
hereditary power
To sit in the house of lords it required
a peerage
To sit in the house of commons it required the candidate
to win national election
what was the Eligibility for voting?
it depended on wealth. You had to own property worth at least £300 per year depending on the constituency.
The counties
were the rural shires in Britain
How many MPs did counties return to Westminster regardless of size?
2
What was the problem with the county vote?
it returned 2 MPs regardless of size
The boroughs
were the urban towns that over represented small boroughs
How many contested elections were there?
2 - as the leading families chose to divide representation among themselves rather than bribe voters in a contested election
What did the lack of secret ballot cause?
the opportunity for intimidation from landowners and employers
what did Pocket boroughs allow?
wealthy interests to ensure their political dominance as if they controlled the borough they could influence the political power and further their own ambitions
An example of a Pocket borough
The pocket borough of Gatton, Surrey was ‘bought’ in an auction for £90,000 so the owner didn’t have to stand for election against a rival
What was the consequence of the system?
the wealthy controlled the representation in the Commons, the vote did not adequately reflect the different interests in the country
What was the distribution of seats based upon?
the importance of the constituencies at the time of the creation
An example of a town that is over represented due to the old political structure
Old Sarum has mostly disappeared by the 1700 and despite having fewer residents still returned 2 MPS
Which cities had no representation?
Manchester - population of 182,000
Birmingham - population of 144,000,
not recognised as a parliamentary boroughs
Who created the London Based society for Constitutional Information and when?
This organisation was created by Major John Cartwright in 1780
What did the London Based Society for Constitutional information do?
The sought to promote public awareness of the need for reform by pamphleteering.
What was the impact of the London Based society for Constitutional Information?
Raised the issue for reform in a more public sphere and ensured that reform would not be forgotten
What did William Pitt propose in 1785?
to disfranchise 36 of the worst boroughs and redistribute their seats to larger counties but was defeated by 74 votes in the commons