Social composition of the HoC Flashcards
Who dominated the HoC in 1780?
Wealthy landowners / aristocrats
What proportion of MPs were sons or brothers of peers (members of the HoL)?
1/5
How was aristocratic dominance sustained through the 1780s-90s?
By William Pitt’s widespread creation of new peers.
What evidence is there of non-aristocratic influence in the HoC in 1780?
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.
What proportion of MPs are connected to the gentry / aristocracy after 1832?
70%
What happened to county seats after 1832?
They increased by 64.
How many seats were controlled by landowners in 1832?
70
What proportion of MPs were landowners in 1832?
75%
In 1833 how many MPs were sons of peers / baronets?
217
In 1865 how many MPs were sons of peers / baronets?
180
Which clause helped to preserve the dominance of landowners in the HoC?
The Chandos Clause
What did the 1858 Property Qualification Act do?
Removed the restriction that MPs had to have property worth £600 in counties and £300 in boroughs.
What did the 1858 act allow for in theory?
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.
What did trade unions begin to do from the 1870s?
Began to subsidise a handful of MPs - but this had little impact on social composition.
How was 1858 meaningless?
Still no salaries for MPs meaning anyone who wasn’t a wealthy aristocrat could not stand for election.
In what way could it be argued that 1832 was a turning point?
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.
What is evidence of 1867 being a turning point?
2 miners were elected in 1874 - supported by TUs and Liberals
What proportion of MPs in 1874 came from commerce or industry?
Only 25% despite being at the height of the industrial revolution.
What evidence is there of 1872 and 1883 being a turning point?
Removed corruption through bribing and treating – diminished power of landowners in HoC over tenants in elections and reduced importance of wealth in political participation.
What evidence is there of 1872 and 1883 not being a turning point?
The change on social composition was still very limited.
What happened for the first time in 1884?
Manufacturers and commercial men now outnumbered landowners / aristocrats for the first time in the Commons.
How was the legitimiacy of the HoL reducing in 1884?
By the expanding electorate.
What remained until 1911?
The barrier of paying MPs
How many w/c MPs were in the HoC by 1900?
Only 11
How did aristocratic dominance continue after 1884?
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.
Who became the Conservative party leader in 1911?
Bonar Law - it was the first time the party was led by a man from the middle classes.
How many Labour MPs were elected in 1918?
63, with 56 being from w/c backgrounds (although this was also influenced by 1911).
How many of the labour MPs in 1918 had left school aged 13?
45 (clear evidence of social progress)
Where did the money come from to pay for returning officers in elections by 1918?
Public money rather than the money coming from the candidates themselves.
What evidence shows that the social composition of the HoC still did not change that much by 1928?
Irrespective of aristocratic connections, the majority of MPs in 1928 were still from wealthy backgrounds and male.
Who was the first female MP to take her seat in the HoC?
Nancy Astor when her husband became a Lord - 1918.
How many Lord’s did Baldwin’s conservative government have in 1924?
7
What did the composition of the HoC in 1780 reflect?
The economic dominance of landowners with 1/5 of all men related to peers.
What movement shifted the balance of wealth in this period?
The Industrial revolution - shifted wealth from the landowning elites to the newly emergency industrial / middle class.
When were salaries for MPs first introduced?
1911
Which was the most expensive election to date?
1880
