The Impact of parliamentary reform, c. 1780-1928 (BREADTH TOPIC 2/2)

George III (1760-1820) - Evidence of power and influence

Dunning’s motion 1780 ‘The power of the monarchy has increased is increasing, and ought to be diminished’

Increasingly used patronage to get his way during the War of American Independence (1775-83). Granted contracts to MPs in return for their support.

= Pitt the Younger = King’s PM. but only with the support of parliament.

= Blocked Catholic Emancipation 1800.

= Growth in loyalism 1790s.

Pitt the Younger failed to introduce reform in 1785, partly due to the Kings opposing it.

George III (1760-1820) - Evidence of decline in power and influence

Civil Service Acts, 1782 = abolish 130 sinecures.

Periods of mental illness = 1788 and 1810-20 (regency)

1790s = growth in republicanism and radicalism linked to Tom Paine's ‘Rights of Man’.

By the end of his reign, he still influenced the PM's appointments and decisions. But the king had lost his freedom of action over expenditure and patronage.

George IV and William IV (1830-37) - Evidence of power and influence

During the Reform Crisis of 1832, only he, arguably, had the power to break the stalemate between the Commons and Lords.

The last monarch to appoint a PM without parliamentary approval; in 1834 - sacked Lord Melbourne and replaced him with Peel.

The last monarch whose death required an election.

George IV and William IV (1830-37) - Evidence of decline in power and influence

George IV

= Unable to stop Catholic Emancipation in 1829; opposed it but gave in when Wellington threatened to resign.

= Coronation Crisis in 1820

William IV (1830-37)

He was pressured to consider creating new Whig peers, 1831-2, against his will.

Peel as PM only lasted for 100 days

= Whigs, Radicals and Irish MPs drew up the Lichfield House Compact (1835) to resist Peel.

1830s is the decade when the monarchy has the steepest decline.

Victoria (1837-1901) - Evidence of power and influence

Bed Chamber Crisis (1839) - Victoria refused to dismiss her Whig ladies-in-waiting and so Peel did not become MP.

1851 - Great Exhibition - Symbolic height of Victorian power.

1877 - Empress of India

Victoria (1837-1901) - Evidence of decline in power and influence

1832, 1867, 1884 ROPA - diminished the monarchy’s authority.

1841 Election - public opinion changing government.

Albert died 1861 - Victoria went into prolonged mourning and did not perform public duties for six years. (rise in repubicanism)

1867 Bagehot The English Constitution - the monarchy has 3 rights:

= To be consulted

= To be warned

= To encourage

1880 - Victoria wanted Lord Hartington to become PM, not Gladstone, but Gladstone did.

Edward VIII (1901-10) and George V (1910-36) Evidence of power and influence

Edward VIII

= Helped to bring about the entente cordiale (1904)

George V (1910-36)

Constitutional Crisis 1910-11 = He was the only one who could break the stalemate by creating new Liberal Peers.

= WW1 - Changes monarchy’s name to Windsor

= Helps Rmasay Mcdoanld, first Labour PM (1924)

Edward VIII (1901-10) and George V (1910-36) Evidence of decine in power and influence

Edward VIII = Bad reputation as a prince.

George V

= Being pressured to create 500 new Liberal peers - he did not do it, but agreed to it.

= 1912 - Third Irish Home Rule bill introduced; King decided against using royal veto.

How did the unreformed Parliament, 1780-32 change the compostion of the House of Commons?

Both government (the ministers) and parliament as a whole were dominated by the landowning class.

Over 50 constituencies had fewer than 50 voters. The large number of rotten and pocket boroughs enabled landlords to get themselves or their nominees elected

E.g.

Change = 1831 shows how elections can happen against the aristocracy if they felt strong enough.

Continuity = Over 200 seats were controlled by aristocrats.

How did the 1832 Reform Act change the composition of the House of Commons?

Due to the abolition of 142 small borough seats, members of the House of Lords controlled fewer parliamentary seats in the Commons.

Landlords continued to exert influence in the remaining 70 pocket boroughs and county elections. The £50 tenant farmers voted the same way as their landlords.

Most cabinet ministers and all prime ministers in the next 30 years, except for Sir Robert Peel, were members of the aristocracy.

75% of MPs elected in the first election after the reforms were landowners, whilst fewer than 100 came from industrial or commercial backgrounds.

E.g.

Change = 142 seats removed, number of seats controlled by the lords was reduced.

Continuity = 70 pocket boroughs remained, 75% of MPs were still aristocrats.

How did the 1858 abolition of MPs’ property qualification change the composition of the House of Commons?

In the past one had to own property worth £600 or £300 to stand as a parliamentary candidate

Now one didn’t need to own property at all but lack of salaries meant that only the wealthy tended to serve as MPs.

E.g.

Change = People could become MPs without owning property.

Continuity = Uneven seat distribution, MPs still did not have salaries.

How did the 1867 Reform Act change the composition of the House of Commons?

The social composition of the Commons slightly changed.

Less than 114 of those elected in 1874 came from commercial or industrial backgrounds.

Landowners continued to dominate parliament holding nearly all county seats.

Rural South-Western seats still predominated over seats in more than urban areas. The S-W returned 45 MPs to the N-E’s 32, despite having a 1/3 of the

E.g.

Change = Got rid of MPs in seats with less than 10,000 living in them.

Continuity = Overrepresentation of rural areas instead of urban, less than ¼ MPs elected from industrial and commercial backgrounds.

How did the First Trade Union (TUC) in 1868 change the composition of the House of Commons?

1874 - Two trade union elected

1885 - 13 elected

How did the Secret Ballot Act of 1872 change the composition of the House of Commons?

No longer intimidation and no corruption

E.g.

Change = Reduced influence by landowners and employers (bribery & intimidation)

Continuity = The most expensive election in 1880 due to bribery.

How did the 1883 Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act (CIPPA) change the composition of the House of Commons?

The setting of max expenditure limits for candidates and inclusion of penalties for corrupt practices made it easier for w/c and m/c candidates to compete with the wealthiest candidates.

E.g.

Change = Cost of election campaigns was capped and limited, you're only allowed one paid.

How did the 1884-5 Reform Act change the composition of the House of Commons?

Reduction in the number of rural seats and an increase in the size of the county electorate severely reduced the influence of landowning patrons.

1885, MPs from industrial and commercial backgrounds outnumbered the landowners in the House of Commons for the first time.

1885, 13 salaried trade union officials were elected to parliament. First significant intake of w/c MPs.

E.g.

Change = Fewer landowning cabinet ministers, MPs from industrial and commercial backgrounds outnumbered land-owning MPs for the 1st time.

Continuity = Respectability and propertied to vote, democracy was not seen as a good thing still.

How did the 1911 Parliament Act change the composition of the House of Commons?

The introduction of salaries for MPs meant that w/c men could give up their jobs and become MPs

Even if they were not salaried trade union officials.

E.g.

Change = Salaries for MPs.

How did the 1918 Reform Act change the composition of the House of Commons?

The extension of the franchise to increase all men over 21 facilitated the election of 57 labour MPs, all of whom were w/c origins.

E.g.

Change = 57 labour MPs (working-class MPs)

How was the Labour Party formated c.1900?

Formation of the Trades Union Congress 1868 (TUC)

= w/c voters 1867,1884.

= the first-ever labour government is formed under Ramsay Mcdonald (1924)

The newly named Labour Party (1906) has 57 MPs elected under the new franchise (1918, 22% of the vote)

= 1910, 40 MPs

= 1906, 29 MPs

Liberals and LRC (Labour Representation Committee) from the ‘Lib-Lab Pact’ to prevent the w/c vote from being split (1903)

Taff Vale Case (1901) leads to an increase in union membership and greater Labour solidarity.

Two union leaders were elected as Liberal MPs in 1874; 13 were elected as Liberal MPs in 1885.

= Keir Hardie (1892)

Establishment of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1893.

Formation of the Labor Representation Committee in 1900 (LRC) = ILP, TUC and Socialist groups.

Sir Robert Peel - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• PM twice (1834-5, 1841-6)

• 1846, Repeal of the Corn Laws

• 1834-5, Lichfield Compact

Benjamin Disraeli - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• PM twice (1868,1874-80)

• 1867 - ROPA

• One nation communism

Lord Salisbury - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• PM (1886,1886-92,1895-1902)

• 1885 - Redistribution Act (Not PM at this time)

Earl of Derby - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• PM three times

• PM 1867 - ROPA

• Longest serving leader of Conservative Party

John Gorst - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• Organised Conservative Party

• Sets up NUCA 1867 and CCO 1871

Stanley Baldwin - Key Party Personnel of the Conservative Party

• Prime Minister

• 1928 = PM of equal franchise Act

Conservative Party Milstones -

The Carlton Club

= established in 1832 in order to increase party organisation and to ensure the registration of votes.

The Tamworth Manifesto

= Issued in 1834 to acknowledge the Reform Act and show a willingness to correct abuses.

1867 ROPA

‘Leap in the Dark’

Leads to one-nation conservatism

Conservative Central Office 1871

= Provide guidance to a network of local party associations

= Set up by John Gorst

= Reaction to defeat of 1868 election

The National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations 1877.

= Had 791 local affiliated to it

= John Gorst set it up

The Primrose League established in 1883 in order to increase grassroots support for the party

= Volunteer organisation