Reforms 1867 – 1928 which brought Britain closer to Democracy

SECOND REFORM ACT 1867 ELECTORATE CHANGES IN VOTING   Electorate doubled from 1,120,000 voters to 2.5 million 1 in 3 men could vote (instead of 1 in 7) Gave working class men in towns the vote for the first time Who could vote? Boroughs - All householders who paid and had lived in the (towns) property for at least 1 year - Lodgers paying £10 a year Counties - Owners of property valued at £5 for rates (rural) - Tenants of property valued at £12 for rates OTHER CHANGES (representation) Constituencies & boroughs less than 10,000 lost MP 45 seats redistributed to towns 

LIMITATIONS TO VOTING  No women Did not change the balance of political power (wealthy)  Right to vote still based on property  Electorate still remained mainly: middle classes, shopkeepers, skilled workers, landowners, tenant farmers, householder and local tradesmen Only relatively small number working class skilled men given vote OTHER LIMITATIONS MPs unevenly distributed - highly populated industrial areas seriously underrepresented STEPS TO DEMOCRACY Electorate increased (dramatically in newer towns) Parties had to organise – fewer independent MPs - party organisations set up in major towns to canvass voters ELECTORATE

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1884 ELECTORATE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1884 Terms Voting qualifications same in counties and boroughs Effect Electorate doubled from 2.5 million to 5 million England and Wales 2 out of 3 had the vote   Limitations Much of working class still did not have the vote Right to vote still linked to complex rules of property qualification 12% of adult male population could not vote - live in servants, sons living at home, soldiers, paupers Women did not have the vote 1913 only 63% males registered to vote Plural voting existed in 1911 this accounted for 7% of electorate

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1918 ELECTORATE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1918 Terms Vote give to all adult males who had 6 month residence qualification Vote give to women over 30 if they were householders, married to householder or University graduate Voting to take place on same day not over several weeks Constituencies reorganised to represent 70,000 people Effects Simplified voting qualifications Now 21 million voters instead of 7 8.5 million women given the vote Industrial working class were now the majority of the electorate This helped to increase support for Labour Party Distinction between county and borough ended All constituencies single member

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1918 ELECTORATE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1918 Limitations 22% of women over 30 excluded from vote Did not create system of 1 person 1 vote (7% of population had plural vote) REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1928 Terms All women over 21 given vote on same terms as men

Before 1872 BALLOT ACT 1872 CORRUPTION Voting in public   Bribery during elections was rife Political parties argued voting was a ‘privilege’ and ‘responsibility’ to be carried out in public

Terms (under Gladstone’s Liberal Govt) CORRUPTION BALLOT ACT 1872 Terms (under Gladstone’s Liberal Govt) Introduced a secret ballot (hustings replaced with polling booths)   Effect Intimidation of voters declined – made difference in areas were there were a lot of voters Corruption not completely wiped out

CORRUPT AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES ACT 1883 CORRUPTION Terms (Gladstone’s Liberal Govt) Candidates’ election expenses determined by size of constituency   Election expenses published Limit to what campaign money could be spent on Election agents had to account for their spending Involvement in corruption punished by a fine or imprisonment and disqualification as an MP for 7 years Effect of 2 Acts thorough and effective, corruption almost entirely wiped out

REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS ACT 1885 REPRESENTATION REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS ACT 1885  Aimed to make all constituencies equal Terms Total number of MPs increased from 652 to 670 (72 Scotland - increase)  Majority of constituencies now had only 1 MP  Boundaries redrawn so that most constituencies had an approximate population of 50,000 Effect Moved Britain closer to democracy - close to the ‘modern’ system used today Power of landlords reduced South England no longer over represented Industrial north gained more seats Limits some 2 member constituencies & university seats remained

CHANGING NATURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES REPRESENTATION - POLITICAL PARTIES Creation of Labour Party 1900 Liberals and Conservative not sympathetic to needs of working class rise due to decline of Liberals, IWW? increase in electorate = need for working class representation however, until 1911 there are too few working class MPs Changes in Parties campaigns (end of corruption) National and local organisation - HQs, full time paid staff Organised campaigns - manifestos - need to address needs of whole country

Before 1911 BALANCE OF POWER PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 Unelected House of Lords had considerable power Blocked legislation of House of Commons - esp Liberal legislation

BALANCE OF POWER PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 Terms / Effect Limited powers of the House of Lords No longer able to stop bills to do with taxation or government spending Power to amend or reject other bills (only for 2 parliamentary sessions) General election every 5 years Provided payment of MPs (see next slide)

BALANCE OR POWER PAYMENT OF MPs 1911 Terms Effect Established a salary of £400 a year for MPs Effect Gives everybody the right and equal chance to become a representative increase number of working class MPs

New printing technologies & libraries Development of railways ACCESS TO INFORMATION OTHER FACTORS Literacy important so people can understand and access information on which to base their choices. Important in this development were… Education Education Acts 1870/1872 Scotland, more people could understand and access information New printing technologies & libraries Development of railways Improved communication Meant campaigns had to be national National newspapers Spread news much easier Made it easier for common man to be aware of politics