The Fourth & Fifth Reform Acts Flashcards
What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-enfranchisement
- 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
What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-redistribution
- substantial redistribution - established 70,000 population as key unit for 1 member constituencies
What were the contents of the 1918 Redistribution of the People Act
-salaries
- returning officers would be paid for from public funds, rather than by candidates
What was the signficance on the Fourth Reform Act
- biggest extension of the franchise- 7.7 million to 21.4million
- elections less expensive -> public funding of returning officers
- plural voting remains
When was the Fourth Reform Act - Redistribution of the People Act
1918
What was the 4th Reform Act called
- Redistribution of the People Act
What is significant about the timing of the 4th Reform Act
It was passed in Februrary 1918, prior to the war ending in November 1918
Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act
Short term - Lloyd George
- Lloyd George (now PM) was supportive of votes for women, as were new MPs and cabinet ministers
Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act
Short term - Asquith
- 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
Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act
Short term - collective desires
- Wants this to be an all party decision –> everyone gets a little bit of what they want
Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act
Women & WW1
- 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
Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act
Long term - Suffrage Activity
- 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
Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act
Political Activism
- 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
What was the implication of Red Clydeside
- increase in communist sentiment
Evidence of pressure from below for the 4th Reform Act
Overall why was the 1918 Reform Act passed
- 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
Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act
Long term - above pressure
- 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
Evidence of pressure from above for the 4th Reform Act
Long term - political climate
- 1910-14 - air of unreality about the concurrent international problems
- & a feeling of suprise when a war situation suddenly emerged
- & Ireland potential civil war
Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties
Conservatives
- 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
Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties
Labour
- 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
Impact of the 4th Reform Act on the parties
Liberals
- 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
The complexities of registration meant that ..% of adult males could not vote
7%
What was the 1928 Reform Act called
The Equal Franchise Act
What was the content of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act
allows women over the age of 21 to vote in general elections
What was the result of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act
5 million new voters added to the electorate register
What was the origins of the 1928 Reform Act
- By thr mid-20s, it was agreed that it was ridiculous to allow men over 21 to vote but not women
