All Electoral Reform in the 19th Century was based on pressure from outside parliament?

1
All Electoral Reform in the 19th Century was
based on pressure from outside parliament?
Grey Disraeli Gladstone Asquith Lloyd George
2
Introduction
Throughout the 19th Century there were number of
electoral reforms but were all of these due to
pressure from outside parliament? Electoral
Reform usually occurs as a result of changes in
society, politicians actually desiring reform or
mounting agitation from the people outside
parliament Sometimes they all effect the reform
of the electoral system equally and on some
occasions one factor may dominate the need for
electoral reform. We will now look at the
electoral reform which took place during the 19th
century and see for ourselves the reasons why
they took place.
3
The 1832 Reform Act

• Arguments to suggest it was due to pressure
  outside of parliament
• Catholic Emancipation
• Swing Riots
• Increase of radical influence - Cobett, Place,
  Hunt, Attwood
• From 1828 the British economy was in decline and
  bad harvests were not helping.
• Arguments to suggest that the electoral reform of
  1832 came about due to other factors
• The Whigs wanted some reform - Not democracy but
  the vote for property owning members of society

4
The 1867 Reform Act

• Arguments to suggest it was due to pressure
  outside of parliament
• There was mass agitation for reform
• Peoples anger was mounting due to trade
  depression and a cholera epidemic
• Their feeling were expressed in The Hyde Park
  Riots 23rd-25th July 1867.
• The Reform League also defied the government in
  Hyde Park on 6th May 1866
• Disraeli feared that if there wasnt any reform
  of the electoral system there would be a
  revolution.

5

• Arguments to suggest that the electoral reform of
  1867 came about due to other factors
• Principle Reasons
• Disraeli wanted to carry out his long held dream
  of Tory Democracy - generally believed the
  working class had the right to vote
• and One Nation Toryism - aristocracy had to use
  their power for the good of society and to
  further some kind of alliance between the rich
  and the poor.
• Pragmatic Reasons
• Disraeli wanted to become the party of reform
• By giving the vote to the working class he hoped
  to win more support in the 1868 election.
• To Dish the Whigs - Damage the Liberals
  prospects as they had planed to do to the Tories
  in 1866.

6
The Electoral Reform of 1883,1884 and 1885

• Arguments to suggest it was due to pressure
  outside of parliament
• The radicals were gaining more political support
• The government wanted to avoid full blown radical
  discontent due to domestic issues failing to be
  tackled.
• Arguments to suggest that electoral reform came
  about due to other factors
• After 1884 there was little demand for further
  change from those who remained excluded from the
  franchise as most working class males had been
  given the vote
• The Liberal politicians actually wanted the
  1883,.1884 and 1885 to be passed so the people
  werent going to be angry with them.

7
The 1911 Peoples Budget

• Although the House of Lords were extremely
  unpopular with the British people there was not
  immense pressure from outside parliament as there
  had been when other electoral reform has been
  passed.
• The people were not angry at those in power, as
  they wanted the bill passed as well.

8

• Electoral reform in 1911 was more to do with
  those inside parliament wanting change than those
  outside parliament
• Principle reasons -
• Lloyd George genuinely wanted his financial bill
  to benefit The people
• the government needed the money and they were
  determined to make the wealthy pay for it
• It would make the passing of bills more
  democratic, the elected House of Commons would
  control government policy not the heredity House
  of Lords
• Pragmatic reasons-
• Lloyd George deliberately drew up a controversial
  budget which he knew the Lords would reject so
  that he could then have a cast iron case for
  restricting their powers.
• Get one up on the conservatives

9
The Enfranchisement of women

• Arguments to suggest women got the vote due to
  pressure outside parliament.

• Burnt down Churches
• Vandalised Golf Courses
• Physically harassed prominent Liberals.
• Refused to Pay Taxes
• Emily Davison killing herself

10

• Arguments that suggest women got the vote due to
  other factors
• Whig Interpretation - Progression from men
  getting the vote
• Womens Campaigns delayed them getting the vote.
  (Martin Pugh)
• Pressure outside of parliament did not worry the
  government
• World War One
• Changing opinions of MPS
• Peaceful Protests, Meetings,
• Pamphlets and Petitions

11
Conclusion

• There is no definite factor which determines why
  electoral reform is passed
• Throughout the 19th Century, on many occasions
  the pressure from outside parliament was a major
  factor in passing reform.
• However it was not always the main reason and
  sometimes other factors played more of a part in
  the passing of electoral reform.
• To summarise we could put the electoral reforms
  of the 19th Century under three headings
• .