1.2 Wider franchise and suffrage

Question 1

5

Who could vote before 1832?

Answer 1

• 400k men
• 4% of pop,
• property of £2
• rotten boroughs - no electors
• pocket boroughs - few electors controlled by single powerful patron

Question 2

3

1832 Great Reform Act

Answer 2

• abolished most property qualifications for middle class men, enfranchising most mc men
• electorate inc by 2/3 (though still less than 6% of total pop)
• abolished rotten/pocket boroughs

Question 3

5

1918 Representation of Peoples Act

Answer 3

• Widened suffrage by abolishing almost all property qualifications for men of age 21 (establishing universal manhood suffrage)
• Enfranchised all women over 30 who met a minimum property qualification
• ⅔ of women could now vote
• This saw the electorate triple in size, reaching 21m
• 43% of electorate were women (inflated by loss of men in ww1)

Question 4

3

1928 Representation of Peoples Act (Equal Franchise Act)

Answer 4

• abolished all property qualifications
• all men and women age 21 and over could vote
• established equal and universal suffrage

Question 5

1

1969 Representation of Peoples Act

Answer 5

Lowered voting eg from 21 to 18

Question 6

5

Who currently cannot vote?

Answer 6

• convicted people detained in prison
• members of HoL
• people detained under Mental Health Act
• anyone found guilty of corruption or illegal electoral practices in past 5 years
• anyone other than British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen residing in UK (so no EU citizens)

Question 7

7

Work of suffragists

Answer 7

• Founded in 1897
• Led by Millicent Fawcent
• peaceful
• raised debates in parliament
• pamphlets published
• Great Pilgrimage 1913
• laid groundwork

Question 8

6

Work of suffragettes

Answer 8

• Founded in 1903 due to lack of progress of suffragists
• frustrated by suffragists optimism of Liberal Govt granted universal suffrage
• led by Emmeline Pankhurst
• ‘deeds not words’ - direct action e.g. burning down politicians houses, destroying letterboxes, Epsom Derby 1913 - Emily Davison
• argued that return of militant action after WW1 led to women being granted suffrage
• however criticised as being counter-productive - showed that women couldn’t be trusted with vote

Question 9

5

Describe the Votes at 16 Coalition

Answer 9

• tactics include positive publicity, media campaigns, ‘adopt a peer’ (i.e. lobby HoL members)
• in Lab, LD, PC, SNP 2019 manifestos
• success in Scotland/Wales
• 2012 debate at Westminster Hall
• 2019: 7 Con MPs support

Question 10

3

Describe limits to the Votes at 16 Coalition

Answer 10

• Limited by 80-seat Con majority
• Could change with Labour victory
• Age remains most prominent division in voting and benefits conservatives

Question 11

What is the current majority of the Conservative party?

Answer 11

36