The Fourth & Fifth Reform Acts

Question 1

What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-enfranchisement

Answer 1

• all men over the 21 can vote, provided they had been a resident for 6 months
• women over the age of 30 win the vote, provided they were householders, wives of householders, or rented property over £5 per annum

Question 2

What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-redistribution

Answer 2

• substantial redistribution - established 70,000 population as key unit for 1 member constituencies

Question 3

What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-salaries

Answer 3

• returning officers would be paid for from public funds, rather than by candidates

Question 4

What was the signficance on the Fourth Reform Act

Answer 4

• biggest extension of the franchise- 7.7 million to 21.4million
• elections less expensive -> public funding of returning officers
• plural voting remains

Question 5

When was the Fourth Reform Act - Redistribution of the People Act

Answer 5

1918

Question 6

What was the 4th Reform Act called

Answer 6

• Redistribution of the People Act

Question 7

What is significant about the timing of the 4th Reform Act

Answer 7

It was passed in Februrary 1918, prior to the war ending in November 1918

Question 8

Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act

Short term - Lloyd George

Answer 8

• Lloyd George (now PM) was supportive of votes for women, as were new MPs and cabinet ministers

Question 9

Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act

Short term - Asquith

Answer 9

• Asquith kept suffrage issues alive:
• opening a HofC debate praising war work of women and ‘the absence of that detestable campaign which disfigured …political agitation’
• meaning the absence of violence meant Parliament could now seriously consider the issue of female suffrage

Question 10

Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act

Short term - collective desires

Answer 10

• Wants this to be an all party decision –> everyone gets a little bit of what they want

Question 11

Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act

Women & WW1

Answer 11

• Efforts of women during the war won much praise, especially the ‘canaries’ in the munitions factories
• however irony is that the young women who worked in the munitions factories did not benefit from 1918 Act

Question 12

Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act

Long term - Suffrage Activity

Answer 12

• Suffrage campaign waged for over 50 years
• militancy campaign was suspended during the war
• -possibly govt did not want a retun to this in 1918-
• suffragists had recruited women for war work and very active in helping the Red Cross, refugees etc

Question 13

Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act

Political Activism

Answer 13

• Political Activism of workers during war:
• Red Clydeside increases fears of communism after the end of the war
• & explains why franchise extension was considered;
• there were fears that returning ex-servicemen could turn against the politicians who failed to enfranchise them

Question 14

What was the implication of Red Clydeside

Answer 14

• increase in communist sentiment

Question 15

Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act

Overall why was the 1918 Reform Act passed

Answer 15

• The Act passed and received almost no attention:
• it was not the result of any direct popular clamour, and owes more to the initiatives of politicians

Question 16

Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act

Long term - above pressure

Answer 16

• various backbenchers did introduce suffrage bills
• working class votes & the Labour Party, fears from the Liberals that they couldn’t continually satisfy the masses if w/c had the vote, resulting in ‘new Liberalism’ to counter the growth of Labour

Question 17

Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act

Long term - political climate

Answer 17

• 1910-14 - air of unreality about the concurrent international problems
• & a feeling of suprise when a war situation suddenly emerged
• & Ireland potential civil war

Question 18

Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties

Conservatives

Answer 18

• always benefitted from redistribution
• m/c vote increased, meaning elections more likely to swing in their favour - which it did, as they dominated the 1920s (partly in coalition govts)
• very successful in recruiting & involving women in part organisation, particularly at a local level & in electioneering

Question 19

Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties

Labour

Answer 19

• Significant boost for Labour:
• cheaper elections allows them to field more candiates, with all labour MPs of w/c orgin - over >80% sponsored by trade unions
• enfranchisement of millions of w/c men, payment of MPs
• 1911 - in Dec 1918 they won 60 seats, yet they were to form their first govt in 1924

Question 20

Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties

Liberals

Answer 20

• declining power
• split began in 1916 between Asquith & Lloyd George
• partly spoiled by their tory coalition in 1918, which prevented them from pursuing radical policies

Question 21

The complexities of registration meant that ..% of adult males could not vote

Answer 21

7%

Question 22

What was the 1928 Reform Act called

Answer 22

The Equal Franchise Act

Question 23

What was the content of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act

Answer 23

allows women over the age of 21 to vote in general elections

Question 24

What was the result of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act

Answer 24

5 million new voters added to the electorate register

Question 25

What was the origins of the 1928 Reform Act

Answer 25

• By thr mid-20s, it was agreed that it was ridiculous to allow men over 21 to vote but not women