1. Standard Grade Britain 1830-1930
Growth of Democracy

3. 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

4. 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!

6. 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

7. 1858
Property qualification for MPs abolished

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

12. '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)

13. The Secret Ballot Act 1872

14. 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.

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

16. Third Reform Act
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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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).

22. In your revision:
Think about the changes between 1832 & 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.