Reasons For The Rotpas Flashcards
1832
Political Gain
The LIBERAL WILDERNESS:
- Tories had dominated 1820s: change in franchise = further Whig support, reestablished
LACK of POLITICAL INCENTIVE:
About maintaining the domination of the landowners by both parties (not enfranchising certain sections who vote certain ways)
1832
External pressure checklist
Ideas (long term) Organisation (middle) The rejection of the second reform bill The days of may (immediate) To stop the duke, go for gold Wellington’s threats
Throughout 1820-32: growing pressure for reform-
Without external pressure- RA watered down/withdrawn
Reaction to failed reform bill = agitation would persist: consistent factor led to ROTPA pass
1832
External pressure
Ideas
1) Since FRENCH REVOLUTION: external pressure - ‘The Rights of Man’
2) Reformist ideals (liberty, equality) widespread
3) Working people becoming rapidly politicised
Long term
1832
Organisation
External pressure
Increasingly organised groups began to grow-
• 1830: BPU, Atwood (SKILLED WORKING classes joined to MIDDLE CLASSES)
^ organisation = fear in parliament (FR)
• formed in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, many other towns and cities
Middle
1832
External pressure
The rejection of the second reform bill
RIOTS: Nottingham, Derby, Bristol (had to be suppressed by troops)
Bishop of Bristol’s palace burned down
Many gov buildings destroyed (B)
Hindered movement > encouraging reform
1832
External pressure
The Days of May
Rejection by HOL: protests in favour of bill and against Lords
Atwood and BPU prominent in protests; prevent wellington returning as PM after Whigs resigned
William IV concerned about revolution / unstable government + threats made by grey regarding creation of peers = lords backed down
Grey not confident enough to request this without DoM external pressure
Immediate
1832
External pressure
To Stop the Duke, Go for Gold!
FRANCIS PLACE:
Withdraw all gold they’re entitled to by swapping paper money, grind economy to halt
Leading banks stocks falling rapidly: Rothschild warned the only way to prevent full collapse was to reinstate Whigs and agree with reform
1832
External pressure
Wellington’s threats
October 1831
“The people of England are very quiet if they are left alone; and if they won’t [be quiet], there is a way to make them”
Severe tension due to external pressure
Alex Somerville: ordered to start “rough-sharpening” their swords
1832
External pressure
Summary
Throughout 1820-32 there was a growing pressure for reform
Without this pressure highly likely the reform act watered down or even withdrawn
Reaction to the failed bills demonstrated that, violent or peaceful, external agitation would persist= the consistent factor that led to ROTPA 1832 getting through Parliament
1832
Poor economic factors = agitation
Country facing economic crises in late 1820s-
Harvests of 1828 to 1830 were poor SO higher food prices in towns SO further agitation
1832
Other factors?
The passing of catholic emancipation
Without this, the Duke of Wellington may not have been as unpopular with the Tories & May have been able to hold together a fragmented party
Act of Catholic Emancipation 1829; many Tories never forgave Wellington or peel
1867
Political gain:
The Liberal desire
By early 1860s, some party leaders (esp in governing Liberal Party) wished to increase the number of voters to gain political advantage to their party
Enfranchise the “respectable” working classes who they believed would side with Liberal ideas
Earl Russel (replaced Lord Palmerston 1865) believed skilled workers, craftsmen, artisans in urban boroughs would vote liberal- he was the person that pushed this to the top of the agenda
1867
The Conservative approach
Disraeli and Derby saw that, with growing support of some form of reform across the benches, it would be politically expedient to put their own bill forward.
1866 Conservatives formed government; opportunity; had been in opposition for majority of past 20 years, reform bill could win support from new voters
Disraeli persuaded many Conservative to support bill on basis of a rejection leading to further dominance of Liberal Party
1867
Political gain
Summary
Unlike the 1832 act, this was primarily passed due to political circumstances and desires
Whilst external pressure ensured that an act was created, from beginning to end of the creation of this ROTPA, political opportunism was crucial
1867
External pressure
Long term (since early 1860s)
Early 1860s— issue simmering away at a low level BUT no great demand for it, internally or externally
Britain increasingly affluent and comfortable without parliamentary reform
1867
External pressure
Significance in the medium term? That is, mid 1860s?
Increasing external pressure began to grow—
1864, Reform Union founded in Manchester by a group of wealthy merchants, manufacturers and businessmen
1865, Reform League created by skilled workers
Both favoured widening the franchise, worked together
1867
External pressure
The rejection of the first bill
Once bill proposed and rejected, external pressure BURST into life
Demonstrations in Hyde Park in response to the rejection led to violence, tearing down some park railings
Street demonstrations and protests in cities across the country
(Threat nothing compared to 1831-2, but suddenly reform became a necessity as this pressure might grow)
Did economic factors play a role in passing the 1867 bill?
No real economic cause
During this period, Britain was increasingly affluent: little call for reform !
1867
Other factors
SKILFUL MANOEUVRING BY DISRAELI AND DERBY
The cause of the proposal of the bill may not have been due to this, but it’s acceptance most certainly was.
Disraeli operated skilfully to convince those in the conservatives (and some of the Liberals) that this would be advantageous to them for differing reasons
In the House of Lords, Derby faced a group with no widespread support for reform
1884
Political gain
Liberals
They were convinced county voters/farmers would vote liberal
Would weaken Tories hold in counties
Great to increase the electorate
1884
Political gain
Tories
Salisbury was wary of diluting county seats but realised it wouldn’t be disastrous to the Tories if they could shape redistribution
New, distinctly suburban constituencies out of cities: ie. in London, they won the most
Shoes importance of political parties; both thought they had the better deal
1884
External prsssure
Coal miners (NE) excluded from county vote (many mining villages situated within county seats) wanted it Less than in 67, less heated debate
1884
Other factors
Logical to continue
Giving the vote to respectable urban workers in 1867 had not been disastrous; they had proved themselves
Only logical to extend to countryside: Gladstone believed if urban working classes respectable enough to have vote so too were rural
+ better education
+ Victorian mood to allow them more/assist them/help
1884
Other factors
The queen
1884
Urged the parties to compromise and negotiate, so they met in Salisbury’s home
1884
Other factors
Compromise
Gladstone decided to go for in with cross party support
Tories accept because redistribution
Cross Party support: liberals and Tories worked together, both thought the were had a better deal (Arlington street compact)
Smooth
Radical liberal MP Charles Dilke and Lord Salisbury
1918
Political gain
Conservatives
Redistribution of seats helped conservatives More suburban interests More middle class constituencies (48 to 200 seats)
1918
Political gain
Labour
Redistribution helped Labour
More coal mining constituencies
Number of seats in which miners made up at least 30% of electorate rose from 35 to 55
1918
External pressure
Soldiers
Soldiers should have the right to vote
Lloyd George believed this
1918
External pressure
Women
Case for women’s suffrage agreed on by many in parliament before war; now fully justified - millions of women shown enough patriotism as men in their war effort: nurses, munitions factories, offices, farms
MPs feared resurgence of suffragette militancy
1928
Political gain
General election 1918-24: little change in voting habits; political leaders knew it wouldn’t be dangerous
Conservatives: Stanley Baldwin wanted to attract female voters (women’s org was the fastest growing inside party, 1m+ female Party members)
1928: more likely to vote conservative than men
BUT back benches opposed
1928
External pressure
Feminist societies: NUSEC continued to point out inequalities between men and women
(Only 1 in 15 employed women could vote!!)
- Working women disenfranchised
- kept issue open in parliament
Public pressure and labour efforts
1918
Why was the franchise extended to all men and most women?
A patriotic consensus, not a popular campaign in the country or a struggle between parties in Parliament
Recognition of wartime sacrafice made by “our soldiers”
1916: Lloyd George: soldiers “have a right to a voice in choosing the government that sends them to face peril and death”
Ideas about respectability that had excluded 40% of males after 1884 seemed petty
