composition of the commons

Question 1

composition of the Commons 1780?

Answer 1

• exclusively men from wealthy backgrounds
• 20% were sons of peers

Question 2

what was the qualifications to be an MP in 1780’s?

Answer 2

• £600 / year for county MP’s
  -£300 / year for borough MP’s

Question 3

how did the 1832 Reform Act change the composition of the Commons?

Answer 3

• didn’t necessarily change social composition
• increasing number of county seats ingrained power of the county gentry

Question 4

how did the 1867 Reform Act change the composition of the Commons?

Answer 4

• very slow change
• 2 miners supported by Liberals and Trade Unions were elected in 1874

Question 5

how did the 1884 Reform Act and 1885 Redistribution Act change the composition of the Commons?

Answer 5

• increase in urban constituencies
• MP’s of an industrial / commercial background outnumbered landed Mp’s
• Labour had 29 MP’s by 1906 (who were paid up to £200 / year

Question 6

how did the 1918 Reform Act change the composition of the Commons?

Answer 6

• Labour won 57 seats in 1918 for working class candidates &151 seats in 1924
• but by 1928 majority of MP’s were still from wealthy backgrounds

Question 7

when did Women play their first role in local politics?

Answer 7

in the 1894 Local Government Act

Question 8

who was the 1st Woman to sit in the House of Commons?

Answer 8

Viscountess Nancy Astor in 1919

Question 9

what was the problem with women in the Commons?

Answer 9

among the 12 women elected in the 1920’s
- 1 did not take her seat due in protest (to British policies towards Ireland)
- 5 had titles
- the first 3 women all were taking seats previously held by their husbands

Question 10

how did the Repeal of the Property Qualification Act affect the Composition of the Commons?

Answer 10

it made the Commons accessible to the Middle Classes
- but didn’t provide a salary so only those with private income could afford to be MP’s

Question 11

how did the 1911 Parliament Act affect the Composition of the Commons?

Answer 11

introduced salaries of £400 / annum for MP’s
- meant working class and middle class candidates could stand for MP

Question 12

what was the social composition of MP’s by 1928?

Answer 12

mostly from urban or commercial middle class and upper class backgrounds rather than landowners
- represented a more even geographical and demographical distribution