Reform in the 1880s

Wider electoral reformsHaving dealt with corruption, Gladstone

turned his attention to wider electoral reform

Liberal Party was now split about reformChamberlain introduced a franchise bill in

1884 to grant males in the counties equal voting rights to males in the boroughs

The lords blocked this, demanding that seats were redistributed at the same time

Protest marches in Birmingham and Glasgow took place demanding reform

Representation of the People Act 1884 WHY?

Power of land owning class declining (power resented)

Little difference between urban and rural workers therefore act removed distinction

Threat of socialismThe end of the mob!

This led to two separate actsRepresentation of the People Act 1884

Extended the voteIncreased electorate from 2.5

to 5 million2 out of 3 men in England

and Wales now had the voteMale householders and

lodgers of 12 months got the vote

Voting qualifications in boroughs and counties now the same (£10)

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Aimed to construct constituencies of approximately equal size

79 towns with a population of under 15,000 lost both of their seats

36 towns with a population between 15,000 and 50,000 lost one seat, and between 50,000 and 165,000 kept two seats

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Universities kept two seatsRemainder of the country was divided

into single member constituenciesTotal number of MPs increased from 652

to 670

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 Scotland

72 MPs now at Westminister7 additional seats went to

the countiesLanark county increased

MPs from 2 to 6Fife, Perth and Renfrew

increased representation to 2, Glasgow from 3 to 7, Edinburgh 2 to 4, Aberdeen 1 to 2

Third Reform Act-positives/negatives

Moved Britain closer to a democracyPut in place an electoral system which is

similar to the present system However far from being a democratic

society, women still excluded as were male domestic servants, sons who lived at home, paupers on poor relief, soldiers living in barracks and those who had failed to pay their rates

Other anomaliesPlural voting still

existed. This meant that a man could have many votes if he owned property in different constituencies

Universities still elected MPs Glasgow

University

1918, Representation of the People Act

Why was it introduced?Issue of residency ConscriptionLloyd George replaced AsquithPlans to change rules in 1917/18Women’s role in the war effort

Between 1885 and 1918 there were few attempts to widen the franchise1918 Representation of the People Act finally

removed the discrepancy of the male franchise and gave the vote to women aged 30 and over

Seemed to mark a reversal of attitudes Heralded the creation of a huge new electorate; from 8.4 million to 21.4

Scottish suffragettes

1918, Representation of the People Act

Based on residential qualification for men over 21 and more complex rules for women over 30

Provided they were either local government electors or wives of the latter

                   

     

1918, Representation of the People Act

Some historians have concluded this act was a result of the Great War . It would have been difficult to deny the vote to those who had sacrificed and worked for the war effort

‘the world must be made safe for democracy’ Wilson 1917

However Martin Pugh argues that it was in essence unfinished business which led to the reform, he contends that reform had only been delayed by the war

Liberals had been pushing for a wider franchise for years

Further reformsWomen eventually

equal voting rights in 1928

Further 20th century reforms in 1948 and 1969 abolished university representation in Parliament and reduced the voting age from 21 to 18

Evolution of democracyBritain’s low key path

towards democracy can be related to the fact that large numbers of ‘the people’ did not campaign for change

Chartists and suffragettes campaigned noisily but they were not mass movements

Emmeline Pankhurst

Evolution of democracyThere was no sudden

change of regime in Britain unlike other countries

Arguably British citizens were to remain ‘good subjects’ not ‘active citizens’

The disengagement with politics continues today