Parliamentary Reform - The Representation of the People Act 1884 Flashcards
What was the pressure to pass the Act - What did Gladstone believe
Gladstone (Lib PM after the election of 1880) believed that if urban working classes could vote, so too should rural working classes
What was the pressure to pass the Act - What was the attitude of Con leader Salisbury?
Salisbury, the Con leader, was anti-reform but saw that it was better to control the inevitable change rather than be left behind by it
What was the pressure to pass the Act - What was the role of extra-P?
Extra-P pressure was not a feature of this Act
What was the pressure to pass the Act - How was it seen by Derby?
Seen as a ‘leap in the dark’ by Con PM Lord Derby
What did the act do - What happened to the property qualification?
Property qualification was standardised between boroughs and counties so that poor labourers and tenant farmers had the £10 qualification
What was the impact of the act - Electorate numbers?
Added 2.5 million working class voters, so about 67% of the adult male pop could vote
What was the impact of the act - Residiuum and women?
Still excluded the ‘residuum’ working class and all women