Protest, Agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780-1928 (Tom Jewell)

The Great Reform Act

1832

Second Reform Act

1867

The Great Reform Act

1832

Second Reform Act

1867

Secret Ballot Act

1872

Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act

1883

Third Reform Act (Extension of the Franchise)

1884

Redistribution Act

1885

Parliament Act

1911

Representation of the People Act

1918

1928

Universal adult suffrage

William Pitt proposition fails to pass Parliament

1785

William Pitt proposition

Disenfranchise 36 rotten boroughs

Rutland population

19,000 (2 MPs)

Lancashire population

1,300,000 (2 MPs)

Cornwall population

192,000

Cornwall borough seats

21

Manchester population

180,000

Manchester borough seats

0

American War of Independence

1775-1783

French Revolution (increased demand for reform)

1789

War with France (decreased demand for reform)

1793-1815

Earl Grey in 1820 to son-in-law:

"I do not expect to see a Reform Act during my life, or even yours"

Act of Catholic Emancipation (split the Tories)

1829

Accession of King William IV

June 1830

Death of King George IV

26 June 1830

Earl Grey becomes PM

November 1830

Number of men on Earl Grey's reform committee

4

Plan for Great Reform Act (1)

"large enough to satisfy public opinion"

Plan for Great Reform Act (2)

"to afford sure ground for resistance to further innovation"

Plan for Great Reform Act (3)

"based on property, existing franchises and territorial divisions"

Plan for Great Reform Act (4)

"that would run no risk of overthrowing the existing form of government"

Plan for Great Reform Act (5)

"reform in order to preserve"

First Reform Bill introduced to Parliament

March 1831

First Reform Bill defeated

April 1831

King calls another general election

April 1831

Whig majority after 1831 election

130+ seats

Second Reform Bill introduced to Parliament

June 1831

Second Reform Bill passes Commons

September 1831

Lords reject Second Reform Bill, causing riots

October 1831

Third Reform Bill introduced to Parliament

December 1831

Third Reform Bill passes Commons with a 2:1 majority

March 1832

Third Reform Bill passes Lords pre-committee stage

15 April 1832

Whig leaders resign because the committee did not pass the Third Reform Bill unamended but sent it back to the Commons

7 May 1832

Tories form new government with Wellington as PM

May 1832

Union scheme to impede Tories

'To Stop the Duke, Go for Gold'

Days of May

Rumours of civil war + violent government reaction

King recalls the Whigs

May 1832

Third Reform Bill finally passes the Lords

June 1832

Anti-reform PM Lord Palmerston dies

18 October 1865

Lord Palmerston replaced by...

Earl Russell

Reform Union established

1864

Reform League established

1865

Gladstone introduces Reform Bill to Commons + bill is rejected

March 1866

Russell resigns, Conservatives form government

June 1866

Conservative Reform Bill safeguard (1)

2 year property qualification

Conservative Reform Bill safeguard (2)

2 votes for those with professional qualifications

Conservative Reform Bill safeguard (3)

Taxes had to be paid directly to local authorities and not through a landlord

Safeguard (3) abolished by...

Hodgkinson's Amendment

Number of voters added by Hodgkinson's Amendment

400,000

Total number of voters before 1867

1.2 million

Total number of voters after 1867

2 million

Winner of 1868 election

Liberals (despite Conservative Reform Bill)

Winner of 1874 election

Conservatives

National Liberal Federation founded

1877

Number of local associations affiliated to the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations by 1877

791

Primrose League founded

1883

Cost of 1880 election (most expensive ever)

£2 million

1880 bribery stat

38% of the 5670 electors had accepted bribes

Disraeli dies, replaced by Lord Salisbury

1881

Number of voters added by 1884 extension of the franchise

2.5 million

% men allowed to vote after 1884

80%

Population of London

3.5 million

Number of seats gained by London after Redistribution Act 1885

40 (22 to 62)

Number of London seats won by Conservatives at 1865 election

0

Lib-Lab MPs

MPs who were part of the Liberal Party but voted independently on working class and trade union issues

Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, introduces radical budget in order to pay for the expansion of the navy ('The People's Budget')

April 1909

Lords reject 'The People's Budget' by 350 votes to 75

November 1909

'The People's Budget' is passed after the Liberals win a close general election

January 1910

Bill introduced to limit the powers of the Lords

January 1910

Edward VII dies. George V takes to the throne and agrees to create enough new Liberal peers to ensure the passage of the bill

6 May 1910

Paid MPs introduced

July 1911 (Parliament Act)

Lloyd George quote about the 1918 Representation of the People Act:

"soldiers have a right to a voice in choosing the government that sends them to face peril and death"

% unregistered men at December 1918 election

5-7%

Age limit for female suffrage after 1918 Act

30

Asquith / Lloyd George Liberal split

1916

First labour government formed

1924

Ten Hour Movement launched

1830

Factory Act

1833

Municipal Corporations Act

1835

Whig government lowers stamp duty

1836

Sales per week of Henry Hetherington's 1p Poor Man's Guardian newspaper since 1831

15,000

Poor Law passed, abolishing 'outdoor relief'

1834

Anti-Poor Law campaign

1837-8

Sales per week of Feargus O'Connor's Northern Star newspaper in Leeds by 1839

50,000

Repeal of the Poor Law proposed by...

John Fielden (MP)

Repeal of the Poor Law rejected by the Commons (votes)

309 votes to 17

London Working Men's Association (LWMA) set up by William Lovett and Henry Hertherington

1836

6 members of the LWMA drew up the 6 points of the People's Charter

1837

First meeting of the National Convention in London

February 1839

Number of signatures on the first Chartist petition

1.25 million

Parliament rejects the first Chartist petition by 235 votes to 46

July 1839