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History, Britain - Theme 2 > Social composition of the HoC > Flashcards

Social composition of the HoC Flashcards

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1
Q

Who dominated the HoC in 1780?

A

Wealthy landowners / aristocrats

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2
Q

What proportion of MPs were sons or brothers of peers (members of the HoL)?

A

1/5

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3
Q

How was aristocratic dominance sustained through the 1780s-90s?

A

By William Pitt’s widespread creation of new peers.

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4
Q

What evidence is there of non-aristocratic influence in the HoC in 1780?

A

110 MPs were wealthy merchants, bankers and industrialists. A handful were born into poverty e.g. Joseph Pitt who was born a carpenter and made his own fortune.

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5
Q

What proportion of MPs are connected to the gentry / aristocracy after 1832?

A

70%

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6
Q

What happened to county seats after 1832?

A

They increased by 64.

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7
Q

How many seats were controlled by landowners in 1832?

A

70

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8
Q

What proportion of MPs were landowners in 1832?

A

75%

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9
Q

In 1833 how many MPs were sons of peers / baronets?

A

217

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10
Q

In 1865 how many MPs were sons of peers / baronets?

A

180

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11
Q

Which clause helped to preserve the dominance of landowners in the HoC?

A

The Chandos Clause

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12
Q

What did the 1858 Property Qualification Act do?

A

Removed the restriction that MPs had to have property worth £600 in counties and £300 in boroughs.

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13
Q

What did the 1858 act allow for in theory?

A

In theory it opened up the HoC to anyone who could vote. Ownership of property was no longer a key requirement of right to vote or stand in parliament.

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14
Q

What did trade unions begin to do from the 1870s?

A

Began to subsidise a handful of MPs - but this had little impact on social composition.

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15
Q

How was 1858 meaningless?

A

Still no salaries for MPs meaning anyone who wasn’t a wealthy aristocrat could not stand for election.

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16
Q

In what way could it be argued that 1832 was a turning point?

A

The re-distribution of seats enabled the representation of the manufacturing class in the HoC. This could be seen as a key turning point in changing the HoC from what it was in 1780 to 1860.

17
Q

What is evidence of 1867 being a turning point?

A

2 miners were elected in 1874 - supported by TUs and Liberals

18
Q

What proportion of MPs in 1874 came from commerce or industry?

A

Only 25% despite being at the height of the industrial revolution.

19
Q

What evidence is there of 1872 and 1883 being a turning point?

A

Removed corruption through bribing and treating – diminished power of landowners in HoC over tenants in elections and reduced importance of wealth in political participation.

20
Q

What evidence is there of 1872 and 1883 not being a turning point?

A

The change on social composition was still very limited.

21
Q

What happened for the first time in 1884?

A

Manufacturers and commercial men now outnumbered landowners / aristocrats for the first time in the Commons.

22
Q

How was the legitimiacy of the HoL reducing in 1884?

A

By the expanding electorate.

23
Q

What remained until 1911?

A

The barrier of paying MPs

24
Q

How many w/c MPs were in the HoC by 1900?

A

Only 11

25
Q

How did aristocratic dominance continue after 1884?

A

Despite there being fewer aristocrats in the HoC, they still hold sway in the Cabinet – there were 10 peers in Salisbury’s Cabinet 1895. Furthermore, there were still an average of over 130 seats uncontested at every election until 1910.

26
Q

Who became the Conservative party leader in 1911?

A

Bonar Law - it was the first time the party was led by a man from the middle classes.

27
Q

How many Labour MPs were elected in 1918?

A

63, with 56 being from w/c backgrounds (although this was also influenced by 1911).

28
Q

How many of the labour MPs in 1918 had left school aged 13?

A

45 (clear evidence of social progress)

29
Q

Where did the money come from to pay for returning officers in elections by 1918?

A

Public money rather than the money coming from the candidates themselves.

30
Q

What evidence shows that the social composition of the HoC still did not change that much by 1928?

A

Irrespective of aristocratic connections, the majority of MPs in 1928 were still from wealthy backgrounds and male.

31
Q

Who was the first female MP to take her seat in the HoC?

A

Nancy Astor when her husband became a Lord - 1918.

32
Q

How many Lord’s did Baldwin’s conservative government have in 1924?

A

7

33
Q

What did the composition of the HoC in 1780 reflect?

A

The economic dominance of landowners with 1/5 of all men related to peers.

34
Q

What movement shifted the balance of wealth in this period?

A

The Industrial revolution - shifted wealth from the landowning elites to the newly emergency industrial / middle class.

35
Q

When were salaries for MPs first introduced?

A

1911

36
Q

Which was the most expensive election to date?

A

1880

History, Britain - Theme 2 (4 decks)

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