Theme 1 - Reform of Parliament Flashcards
What was the pressure to pass the 1832 Representation of the People Act?
The PM Wellington, was opposed to parliamentary reform, however there was growing support for limited change within his party. When the Tory party was ousted in 1830, Earl Grey, a whig, became PM and pledged to carry out parliamentary reform. Though two reform bills failed to be carried in parliament, the third was successful and recieved Royal Assesnt in 1832.
What changes did 1832 make to the borough and county franchises?
In the boroughs men owning or occupying properties valued at £10 or above and £50 leaseholders gained the vote. In the counties, those who had previously voted under the 40 shillings franchise kept their vote.
How many adult males could now vote in 1832? (Number & proportion)
800,000 OR 1/5
Give the details of the boroughs that were disenfranchised in 1832?
Disenfranchised 56 boroughs and reduced another 31 to only 1 MP
How many new constituencies were created in 1832?
67
Where did the 1832 redistribution of seats give greater representation to?
The industrial North and the Midlands
Give one example of inequality that continued to exist after 1832?
The rural areas and the South were massively over-represented
What changes did 1867 make to the borough and county franchises?
Granted the vote to all householders in the boroughs as well a lodgers who paid rent of £10 a year or more. Reduced the property threshold in the counties and gave the vote to agricultural landowners and tenants with very small amounts of land
How many adult males could now vote in 1867?
Almost 2.5 million OR 1/3
Give details of boroughs that were disenfranchised in 1867?
52 boroughs lost MPs - 45 because they were too small (>10,000 people) and 7 because they were corrupt.
Give details of the boroughs that gained seats in 1867?
London (6) and other major cities like Liverpool and Manchester gained seats due to the population. Also gave more seats to the counties.
Give one impact of 1867?
Forced political parties to campaign more effectively as they had a larger electorate to appeal to and could no longer rely so heavily on guaranteed support from certain areas or groups.
Explain what the 1872 Ballot Act was and why it was introduced?
Made people vote in private in an effort to reduce the corruption and bribary in elections.
Explain what the 1883 Corrupt Practices Act was and why it was introduced?
Improved the 1872 Ballot Act which had not worked as intended, making bribary/corruption illegal and punishable with fines or imprisonment as well as a 7 year ban from running in elections and a life-time ban from running in the same constituency.
What changes did 1884 make in the boroughs and county franchises?
No change in the boroughs, but brought the franchise in the counties into line with the 1867 householder and lodger franchise for boroughs.
How many adult males could now vote in 1884?
5.7 million OR 2/3
Give details of the boroughs that were disenfranchised in 1884?
Any borough with a population between 15,000 and 50,000 were to have their representation reduced from 2 MPs to 1.
Why was the creation of more single member constituencies significant?
Benefited the Tories because it stopped the Liberals and Radicals sharing towns between them. It gave the Tories a chance to win in the towns.
Outline the two changes that were made by the Parliament Act 1911?
House of Lords can be overturned by the House of Commons and MPs were now paid.
Which party was likely to benefit from the paymemt of MPs?
Labour
What changes did the 1918 Act make to the franchise?
Women over the age of 30 who met the property qualification could now vote and the same with all men over 21.
How many new voters did the 1918 Act create, and how does this compare to other acts?
It was the biggest ever increase - from 7.5 million to 21.4 million
What changes did 1918 make to the redistribution?
Established an average constituency size of 70,000 people
What other change did 1918 make?
Returning officers were now paid, alongside other people who ran in elections or counted votes
Which adults remained excluded from the franchise and why?
Women under the age of 30 and women who did not meet the property qualification because they were thought to be uneducated/ not educated enough to have the power to vote.
How many extra voters were added by 1928?
5 million
