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Summary Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c, Edexcel, Paper 3
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REFORM OF PARLIAMENT, c1780-1928INTRODUCTION
1780, Britain didn’t have written const – system of gov + its electoral system were governed by haphazard collection of laws
+ customs grown up since 15th + early yrs of reign of Henry VI
Neither right to vote nor national distribution of seats was organized in rational way
Over 150yrs, reforms carried out = intended to make electoral system reflect changing distribution of pop + new econ force
growing through industrialization
By 1928, despite retention of monarchy + unelected HOL = Britain transformed into parliamentary democracy based on
universal suffrage
1832, First Reform Act passed into law = Great Reform Act – many disappointed by provisions, which excluded bulk of w/c
men from franchise
1867, Second Reform Act, enfranchised large no. of urban w/c
1884, 3rd Act, extending vote to many agricultural labourers
Despite changes = 40% adult males not received vote = franchise given only to men who had stake in country through
ownership/tenancy of property
WW1 undermined ^ = by 1916, pol parties agreed it was indefensible that young men could be sent to fight + die at war but
not vote = Reform Act 1918, universal male suffrage, enfranchised women over 30
1928 Act conceded universal suffrage for all men + women over 21
1430, 2-member constituencies established, but in 1885 Redistribution Act, most of these swept away with creation of
single-member seats = beneficial to Cons Party through creation of suburban areas around large cities
HOW EFFECTIVE WERE PRESSURES FOR CHANGE TO THE FRANCHISE IN c1780-1928?
FRANCHISE c1780 + IT’S SIGNIFICANCE FOR REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE
COUNTRY FRANCHISE
In English + Welsh countries, right to vote established during reign of Henry VI 1430 giving vote to all freeholders of
property worth 40 shillings (£2) per year
Simple qualification established uniform country franchise that remained unchanged for 400yrs
Inflation + rising price of land increased no. of men qualified for franchise
BOROUGH FRANCHISE
Eric Evans described pre-reform elections as ‘haphazard business’ = applied to voting rights in boroughs
Right to vote not uniform, with wide variations form 1 seat to another
Open boroughs = vote exercised by men who met various qualifications, like direct payment of local poor rates – Preston 1
of most open boroughs: vote given to all men who were in constituency at time of election
Electorate in open boroughs run into thousands = 20 boroughs had large elections of > 1,000 men, Westminster had 11,000
= noted for their independence, not susceptible to influence
Scot + lot boroughs = vote to males who paid local tax, or scot; while in potwalloper boroughs vote could only be exercised
by those who had possessed hearth where they could boil/wallop their pots
Burgage boroughs = right to vote belonged to men who owned various properties + ownership of these votes protected
Corporation boroughs = towns where voters were only members of town council = self-perpetuating cliques who filled
vacant seats on council by nomination, not election = corrupt + electors of towns were content to sell votes to highest
bidder
- Suffolk Town of Sudbury corrupt = 1761, town advertised its 2 seats for sale to highest bidder
- Sudbury so corrupt = disenfranchised 1844
Treasury boroughs = parliamentary seats under control of gov departments, which were chief employers in town – ports
along S coast of England under influence of Admiralty + returned MPs who would give unswerving support to gov of day
Pocket/rotten boroughs – property owned by 1 person who was able to nominate chosen candidate for election to parl
- Once areas of econ activity, but over time became depopulated, but retained parl representation
- Late Middle Ages = Dunwich, Suffolk, international port with trade to + from EUR – heavy storms + coastal erosion =
port claimed by sea, but tiny village remained + retained 2 MPs
- Old Sarum, Hampshire, thriving community in Middle Ages, but inhabitants moved to Salisbury – by 1780, it was heap
of stones visited by people curious to see 1 of most corrupted boroughs in country
SIZE OF ELECTORATE
Impossible to assess size in 1780 because registration of electors not established until Reform Act 1832
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