UK Franchise and Suffrage Reforms

Historical and modern movements regarding the expansion of the franchise in the UK, including key legislation and the suffragist/suffragette movements.

Franchise

The right to vote in public elections.

Great Reform Act (1832)

Legislation that extended the vote to middle-class men owning property worth $£10+$, raising the electorate to around $800,000$.

Reform Act (1867)

Legislation that extended the vote to urban working men, doubling the electorate to approximately $2,000,000$.

Reform Act (1884)

Legislation that extended the vote to rural working men, enfranchising $60\%$ of adult men and increasing the electorate to around $6,000,000$.

Representation of the People Act (1918)

Act that granted the vote to all men aged over $21$ and women over $30$ with property, increasing the electorate to around $21,000,000$.

Equal Franchise Act (1928)

Legislation that extended the vote to women on equal terms to men, bringing the electorate to approximately $26,000,000$ voters.

Representation of the People Act (1969)

Act that lowered the voting age to $18$, adding around $3,000,000$ new voters to the electorate.

Suffragists (NUWSS)

The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, led by Millicent Fawcett, which used peaceful, constitutional methods such as petitions and lobbying to campaign for women's suffrage.

Suffragettes (WSPU)

The Women’s Social and Political Union, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, which used militant and confrontational tactics including arson, window-smashing, and hunger strikes to gain attention for women's suffrage.

Votes at 16 Coalition

A modern movement coordinated by the British Youth Council and supported by the National Union of Students (NUS) to lower the voting age to $16$.

2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

The first major vote in which $16\text{–}17$-year-olds were allowed to participate, achieving a turnout of $75\%$ among that age group.

2021 Scottish Parliament election

An election that demonstrated high repeat participation from young people who had previously voted in the $2014$ referendum.

2024 King’s Speech

A legislative announcement that did not include proposals to extend the franchise to $16$-year-olds, indicating no immediate government action at Westminster.

Political Maturity Argument

A common argument against lowering the voting age, suggesting that $16$-year-olds may lack the experience or independent judgement necessary for voting.

Fairness and Responsibilities Argument

An argument for Votes at $16$ based on the fact that sixteen-year-olds can work, pay tax, and join the armed forces, and should therefore have political rights.