Disraeli as PM

Question 1

What did D take advantage of in the lead up to the 1874 GE?

Answer 1

In the period leading up to the 1874 GE, D took advantage of G’s increasing discomfort and unpopularity with several sections of traditional L supporters

Question 2

What was the name of his political philosophy and what purpose did it serve?

Answer 2

He began to plant the seeds of the idea of ‘Tory Democracy’, a new brand of conservativism, in order to revive the fortunes of the C party

Question 3

Explain the idea of tory democracy

Answer 3

Tory Democracy is a term describing the policies advocated by D when he became PM in 1874, namely maintaining conservative support of established institutions – the constitutional monarchy, the British Empire and the CoE – while also supporting a degree of social reform

Question 4

Why was D’s support for democracy limited?

Answer 4

D was interested in the new trends towards democracy and the extension of the franchise, while also being keen to maintain tradition and privilege, knowing that the C party was not ready to abandon the old aristocratic hierarchy

Question 5

How did he attempt to appeal to the new working class voters?

Answer 5

He wanted to encourage working class voters to place their trust in the Cs and persuade them that they could share part of the benefits enjoyed by the more prosperous groups in society

Question 6

How old was he when he became PM?

Answer 6

D was 70 in 1874

Question 7

Why was the 1874 GE so important for the Cs?

Answer 7

1874 was the first time the Cs had had a clear majority in over 20 years

Question 8

Describe his interest in social reform

Answer 8

His government was responsible for a number of important social reforms and in a speech to the National Union at the Crystal Palace in 1872 before the election, he appeared to promote a Tory policy of social reform

Question 9

What are the different ideas about what the motivations behind his social reforms were?

Answer 9

It could have been a dig at G, who had introduced few measures for social reform. It could also have been a ploy to pull in working class voters. It could also have been the case that D was honestly outlining the principles of new conservativism

Question 10

Describe his cabinet

Answer 10

D’s cabinet contained a new generation of conservative leaders, although it remained socially exclusive in respect of its landed dominance, as only one of its 12 members was not either a peer or landed gentleman

Question 11

Why did the 1867 Reform Act backfire for D in 1868?

Answer 11

The loss of 1868 had disappointed D because it was his 1867 Reform Act that had extended the franchise to the artisan class in towns. D had expected thanks by way of support from these new voters, but quickly found out that parties needed to improve thier organisation to reach out to this new, expanding electorate

Question 12

How did D improve party organisation?

Answer 12

He appointed John Gorst to overhaul party organisation and set up a Conservative Central Office in London. The National Union of Conservative Associations was set up in 1867 to provide a central link to the constituencies and to act as a propaganda tool for the CCO. D used it as a sounding board in 1872 on which to outline his policies and ideas for Tory Democracy

Question 13

How did he win the 1874 GE?

Answer 13

Whatever the motives behind Ds brand of conservativism, it is a fact that in the 1874 GE, the newly enfranchised ‘respectable’ working class voters in the boroughs helped bring the Cs to power. The electorate was tired of G’s endless legislation and D was able to present his party as having a ‘broad based appeal’ (Blake) to the working class as well as the property owners – land owners in the country and middle class businessmen in the towns

Question 14

What is this ministry most renowned for?

Answer 14

This ministry has gained its reputation based on the strength of its social reforms. A broad spectrum of reforms were introduced in quick succession between 1875-6. These measures appear to be consistent with the idea of Tory Democracy

Question 15

Why can the case by made that D was not that passionate about despite his legislation

Answer 15

However, there is evidence to suggest that D had no coherent plan for reform and much of the legislation was introduced in response to pressure from reform groups and from recommendations made by the Royal Commission of Inquiry

Question 16

What did the 1875 Artisans’ Dwelling Act do?

Answer 16

The major innovation of the 1875 Atrisans’ Dwelling Act lies in the power it gave the local authority to purchase, clear and then redevelop slums

Question 17

Evaluate the impact of the Act

Answer 17

The absence of a complusory purchase order seriously weakened its effectiveness and many city councils chose to ignore it. However, it had the long term legacy of introducing the principle of state intervention with regard to private dwellings and marked the beginning of local authority housing

Question 18

What did the 1875 Public Health Act do?

Answer 18

The 1875 Public Health was introduced to pull together all existing sanitary legislation, which up until then had fallen short of tackling the health problems of the day. It laid down minimum standards of drainage, sewage disposal and refuse. A Medical Officer of health was charged with the reporting of all infectious diseases

Question 19

Describe the opposition to the act?

Answer 19

Opposition came from the laissez faire brigade, who saw the act as involving too much government intervention and interference with personal freedom

Question 20

What did the 1875 Employers and Workmens Act do?

Answer 20

The 1875 Employers and Workmens Act introduced a contract of service which gave employees terms on par with those of employers. This legislation was a major step in labour law reform and D was justly proud of his achievement when he said that he had ‘satisfactorily settled the position of labour for a generation’

Question 21

What did the 1874 and 1878 factory legislation do?

Answer 21

The factory legislation passed in 1874 and 1878 was a consolidation of the previous Factory Acts and set the code of regulations for conditions in factories, and with the reduction in hours for women and children, had the effect of indirectly reducing male working hours. The Acts brought other industries in line with the textile industry and all the factories came under the umbrella of a state inspectorate

Question 22

Why was the legislation symbolically important?

Answer 22

This was an important reform as it established the principle of the state interfering to protect industrial workers

Question 23

What did D arguably create through his social reforms?

Answer 23

It can be argued that D established the idea of a Tory Democracy through his social reforms

Question 24

Describe the positive impact the reforms had on workers

Answer 24

The reforms certainly indicate an awareness of the emergent needs of the working class. Their voice was heard more often as a result of the growing strength and influence of the TUs and through improved education provision - both areas encouraged by C reforms

Question 25

Why should the Public Health Act be seen as a success?

Answer 25

The provisions of the Public Health Act were so practical that they lasted for over 60 years

Question 26

Why were the reforms symbolically important?

Answer 26

The reforms gave credence to the idea of a Tory working class man and the principle of state intervention was cautiously extended in spite of reactionary interests within the C party

Question 27

What was his greatest achievement in terms of social reform?

Answer 27

D’s greatest social achievement was in TU legislation and labour laws. They did much to make TUs respectable and encourage their growth

Question 28

What was D’s motivation here?

Answer 28

D’s motive here was to ‘gain and retain for the Tories the lasting affection of the working classes’

Question 29

Why were the Ls able to return to power in 1880 despite this legislation?

Answer 29

However, the working class were fickle and by 1880 the excitement for what he had done for them was fading fast

There appeared to be an element of cynicism in D’s support of some measures and not others

The Ls returned to power in 1880

Question 30

Why were the social reforms not as significant as they could have been?

Answer 30

Much of the legislation was permissive rather than complusory, in that they faciliated change and improvement rather than insisting on it. It was an indication that the Victorian attitudes of laissez faire and self help prevailed among the upper and middle classes and there was still a reluctance to accept to rapid an extension of state responsibility for the welfare of its people, although the principle of limited state intervention was accepted

Question 31

What does Robert Blake say about D as PM?

Answer 31

Robert Blake in ‘The Conservative Party from Peel to Thatcher’ - D had a measure of luck, but the test of a political leader is to exploit such look and on this test D comes out well. He carried the Reform Act without splitting the party. His losing of the following election was because the cards were stacked so heavily against him. He had the good sense to keep calm after the defeat, wait on events and hit back at the right moment. The victory of 1874 owed as much to his prudence and patience as it did on his capacity to dazzle with new ideas and fresh proposals. The principle C measures did not differ that much from the kind of legislation that another L government might have carried. They amounted to a substantial installment of social reform, but not a major new departure. D took up the social cry in opposition mainly because it was bound to split the Ls. In office he was bound to do something about it. But here was no question of a Tory working class alliance. The working class were kept at an arms length