Standard Grade Britain 1830-1930 Growth of Democracy

Before 1932 Most people could not vote Rotten & pocket boroughs Different methods of voting in each area No secret ballot – voters had to publicly declare vote at hustings Bribery & corruption New industrial towns had no representation in Parliament, (e.g. Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham) MP had to own land & was unpaid

5/6 men still could not vote & no women! Great Reform Act of 1932 Before 1832 After 1832 435,000 people had right to vote 652,000 people could vote MP had to own land & was unpaid No secret voting Cities had no MP Some larger cities had two MPs 5/6 men still could not vote & no women!

The Chartists Chartist movement founded in 1838 1839, 1842 & 1848 – petitions signed by hundreds of thousands of ordinary people & presented to Parliament – REJECTED 1848 petition – thousands of forged signatures (eg Queen Victoria) Movement failed because of in-fighting People’s Charter: Vote for all men over 21 Payment for MPs No property qualification for MPs Equal sized constituencies Annual elections Secret Ballot

1858 Property qualification for MPs abolished

Date Reform What it did 1867 Second Reform Act Adult male householders in boroughs could now vote. Most middle-class people in towns & some workers gained the franchise. 1872 Secret Ballot Act Secret ballot introduced 1883 Corrupt Practices Act Candidates could only spend so much on their campaigns 1884 Third Reform Act Vote extended to males in the counties & some better-off workers could now vote 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act Constituencies were re-organised. Towns between 50,000 & 165,000 had 2 MPs. Scotland given another 12 seats. 1911 Parliament Act Power of House of Lords was limited – no longer prevent bills becoming laws. Salaries for MPs MPs were now paid a salary.

Franchise = the right to vote Second Reform Act 1867 In towns the franchise was granted to: Male house owners over 21 Male lodgers who paid £10 rent a year **************** In the countryside the franchise was given to: Males who owned property worth £5 a year In England & Wales – males renting property of over £12 a year. In Scotland - males renting property of over £15 a year. Franchise = the right to vote

Second Reform Act 1867 Impact Over 1,200,000 new voters 35 boroughs lost one MP, 17 lost 2. Some counties gained MPs, Many large cities were given a third MP Gave the vote to some of the urban working class Attempt to equalise the size of constuituencies 7 more MPs to Scotland to represent cities In Glasgow electorate rose from 18,000 to 47,000 “Leap in the dark” No one was sure how the new voters would react.

'A leap in the dark' (Punch cartoon) This political cartoon refers to Lord Derby's comment that Disraeli was taking a 'leap in the dark' when he sponsored the second Reform Act. By using popular support for reform to introduce a Bill extending the vote to urban working-class electors, he believed the Tories would stand to gain in subsequent elections. Punch, p. 47 (3 August 1867)

The Secret Ballot Act 1872

The Secret Ballot Act 1872 The Act made sure local landowners or employers could not put pressure on voters who may have depended on them for a home or living. Before this Act voters were often victimised if they did not vote a certain way. IMPACT: Elections more civilised with some control over the proceedings and people being allowed to vote as the wished.

Corrupt Practices Act 1883 Bribery outlawed Candidates could only spend so much on their campaigns

Third Reform Act 1884-85 Extended voting rights to more working class men All adult male householders Removed difference between voting rights between the burghs & the counties Further redistribution of seats – number of Scottish seats increased to 72. In Scotland 60% of all adult males could now vote

Date Reform What it did 1867 Second Reform Act Adult male householders in boroughs could now vote. Most middle-class people in towns & some workers gained the franchise. 1872 Secret Ballot Act Secret ballot introduced 1883 Corrupt Practices Act Candidates could only spend so much on their campaigns 1884 Third Reform Act Vote extended to males in the counties & some better-off workers could now vote 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act Constituencies were re-organised. Towns between 50,000 & 165,000 had 2 MPs. Scotland given another 12 seats. 1911 Parliament Act Power of House of Lords was limited – no longer prevent bills becoming laws. Salaries for MPs MPs were now paid a salary.

Payment of MPs 1911 MPs given a salary Working class people could stand for Parliament Helped growth of new Labour Party Life of Parliament limited to 5 years

Labour Party founded 1888 Scottish Labour Party founded by James Keir Hardie He failed to be elected in Scotland but elected as first Labour MP in London 1892 1893 – Founding of Independent Labour Party of Great Britain 1906 General election – 29 seats including 2 in Scotland 1924 – Ramsey MacDonald first Labour Prime Minister

Representation of the People Act 1918 All men over the age of 21 the right to vote (and aged 19 if the men had been on active service in the armed forces). Women of property over the age of 30 gained the right to vote – (Notice: not all women, could vote – but it was a start). The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons (385 for to 55 against)

Summary By the early 1800s the parliamentary system was out of date. The new towns had no representation in the Commons, while sparsely populated places in the countryside still sent two MPs to the Commons. 1832 was a key year for introducing reform. 1867 took the “leap in the dark” further. The years from 1832 up to 1911 saw a dramatic change in the franchise qualifications, voting conditions, and qualifications for MPs. 1918 – all men over 21, women over 30 (who held property).

In your revision: Think about the changes between 1832 & 1928. Take account factors such as: The number of people who could vote The kind of people who could vote The places that were represented in Parliament How voting took place The qualifications to become an MP.