A summary of the themes in Unit 36.1 - Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c. Includes:
- The influence of extra-parliamentary pressure
- How did the distribution of seats change ?
- Influence of the crown and aristocracy over elections
- To what extent did political partie...
The influence of extra-parliamentary pressure - Grey resigned - lords tried to postpone discussion of
redistribution but Days of May prevented this
Pressure for change and reasons for resistance 1780-1830 - Days of May was the most influential out of all the reform acts
Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role → demonstrates that pressure wasn’t a large influence
- Radical groups demanded reform following the French
Revolution, e.g. LCS Evidence suggesting otherwise
- Revolution inspired Whigs to form the Friends of the - Grey’s persistence and William IV’s agreement to create
People 1792 → promised modest amendments to the sufficient Whig peers was of greater significance in passing the
bill
electoral system to control the pace of change
- Bill only survived b/c Wellington failed to form a gov’t
- Economic distress in post-war period 1815-20
- Lords passed the bill to avoid being overwhelmed w/ Whig
- Catholic Association and County Clare by-election victory peers
of O’Connell brought fears of rebellion in Ireland → elicited
Catholic Relief Act 1829 Representation of the People Act 1867
- Success of Catholic Association inspired many political unions Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role
on the mainland - Reform Union proposed a modest extension of the franchise
and a secret ballot
Evidence suggesting otherwise - Reform League
- Pitt’s gov’t used the war w/ France to stifle British radicalism → strong trade unionist and skilled w/class following
- Authorities use repressive legislation, home office spies and → wanted universal male suffrage
military force to suppress radicalism → rioted in Hyde Park
- Radicalism neutralised by economic recovery in 1820s
→ held a meeting in trafalgar sq after the rejection of Gladstone and
- Lord John Russell proposed repeal of the Corporations Act
from w/in Parliament Russell’s Bill 1866
- Tory Ultras concerned about Catholic Emancipation → only
Evidence suggesting otherwise
embraced reform to dilute Catholic influence
- 2nd Reform Act was enacted by just Disraeli
- Disraeli’s motives for the reform act:
Representation of the People Act 1832
→ broaden Tory support base
Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role
→ keep Whig radicals split
- Violent rioting after the rejection of the 2nd reform bill Oct
1831 by the Lords → remain in office - defeat of the bill would bring another general
→ Bristol suffered 3 days of rioting election and allow Gladstone to assume position of PM
, - Impossible for Disraeli to give into extra-parliamentary - Millicent Fawcett’s Nat’l Union of Societies for Equal
pressure Citizenship (NUSEC)
Representation of the People Act 1884 Evidence suggesting otherwise
Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role - Baldwin’s calculation that female voters were keen
N/A Conservatives
- Women in Labour constituencies were also more likely to vote
Evidence suggesting otherwise Conservative
- Gladstone ironed out anomalies between borough and country
franchises How did the distribution of seats change 1780-1918?
- Attempted to break into Tory-held counties by enfranchising
rural m/class 1832 Reform Act
- Purely party political motives Redistribution
- 56 boroughs w/ pop = <2000 lost both seats
Representation of the People Act 1918 - 30 boroughs w/ pop = <2000 lost 1 MP
Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role - 44 new boroughs created - included new industrial towns and
- No direct extra-parliamentary pressure cities in the Midlands and the North
- Shadow of Russian Rev. raised concerns over w/class revolt - 65 extra seats granted to the counties
- Fears of a returning demobilised and disillusioned army
- Fears of a return of pre-war suffragette militancy Motives
- Wider range of interests represented
Evidence suggesting otherwise → were not concerned in creating uniformity
- Many of those in the army did not meet the residency - Manufacturing in the North and Midlands was gaining
qualification and were unable to vote recognition
- Sacrifices of the British w/class and women - Increased county representation attempted to balance out
- Lvl of state intrusion into peoples’ lives in pursuit of the war increase in borough seats
effort
- Growing climate of Wilsonianism 1867 Reform Act
Redistribution
Representation of the People Act 1928 - Boroughs w/ pop = <10,000 lost 1 or both MPs
Evidence suggesting pressure played a significant role - 11 new constituencies created
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