The Unreformed political system Flashcards
What were the 2 main types of constituencies?
Counties (188 MPs) - Every county had 2 MPs regardless of size/population
Boroughs (465 MPs) - Historically had been ports/markets, over 85% of these seats were in England, mostly in the South
In the counties, how was someone eligible to vote?
Had to own freehold land/property worth 40 Shillings a year. Rule dated back to 1430, inflation meant 40S of land varied significantly, by 1800, across the country
Give 4 examples of the qualification systems used in boroughs
Potwalloper Boroughs - All men who occupied a house could vote (large electorate)
Freeman Boroughs - All men granted the title of ‘freeman’ could vote
Freeholder Boroughs - Similar to counties, freehold land had to be owned
Corporation Boroughs - Only members of local council could vote
What was plural voting and who did it benefit most?
Constituencies that elected 2 MPs (most of them) gave eligible voters 2 votes, one for each MP
Wealthier people benefitted most - Could meet eligibility criteria for borough and county election (4 votes), wealthy landowners that had property in several places secured votes across the country
What were the discrepancies in representation?
Over-representation of smaller - Small towns within boroughs continued to return MPs, while new towns such as Manchester and Leeds returned none
Counties - Rural southern areas over-represented, smaller counties but equal number of MPs
What were Rotten Boroughs?
Boroughs with fewer than 50 voters, borough could be bought and sold as the ‘property’ of powerful patrons
What were Pocket Boroughs?
Boroughs where a landowner had a huge influence, could get himself of his nominee elected. Over 200 MPs elected to the Commons on this basis
What were the electoral procedures of the unreformed system?
Elections legally had to take place every 7 years, or following death of monarch
No secret ballot, electors had to provide evidence of their eligibility, treating (bribing with food, drink etc.) took place, some voters were kept ‘cooped’ (away from the election) until voting was over
Elections associated with rowdiness and violence
What similarities were there between the Tories and the Whigs?
Neither was organised, like modern parties are. loose groupings, dominated by large landowning families
How did the Tories and Whigs differ ideologically?
Tories - Keen to defend power of the monarch, non-reformist
Whigs - More likely to question power of monarch, defend power of Parliament, had support of non-conformists, increasing number of Whig MPs from commercial/industrial backgrounds
