suffrage

what percentage of the population had voting rights in 1832?

2.7%

how has suffrage developed in Britain?

gradually through evolutionary rather than revolutionary means

what is suffrage?

the right to vote

what is universal suffrage?

everyone has the right to vote, such as in a democracy

what is an oligarchy?

a political system where power lies in the hands of a few privileged elite

what is enfranchisement?

being given the right to vote

what was the great reform act 1832?

passed by Lord Grey's government, meaning 1 in 5 male adults could now vote

what were the rotten boroughs abolished by the great reform act 1832?

constituencies with few voters that still returned MP's to parliament

what was the second reform act 1867?

passed by conservatives allowing many working-class men in cities to vote

how many men could vote after the second reform act 1867?

one-third

what was the third reform act 1884?

passed by Gladstone's liberal government so all working men who met a property qualification could now vote

what was the representation of the people act 1918?

following WWI, all men over 21 could now vote as well as women over 30 who met a property qualification

what was the representation of the people act 1928?

passed by conservatives allowing men and women to vote on the equal terms of being over 21 with property qualifications removed

what was the representation of the people act 1969?

labour government lowered the voting age to 18 reflecting broader social changes

who were the chartists?

an early pressure group demanding political reform after the great reform act 1832 did little to extend the vote to working classes

what was the main tactic used by the chartists?

submitting monster petitions to parliament in 1839 containing up to 6 million signatures, though parliament rejected all of them

why was the chartists legacy seen as significant?

5 of their 6 demands were achieved and they went on to influence political movements such as the reform league

why did the working class demand reform?

poor living conditions such as housing and there was no existing provision for the poor beyond the workhouse

why did the wealthy elite oppose extending the vote to the working class?

believed they were poorly educated and feared radical change would lose their grip on power and threaten Britain's global wealth

what was the demand of the women's suffrage movement?

women should be treated equally to men in politics and other areas of life

when did the suffragists form?

in 1897 from merging several suffrage groups

who was the leader of the suffragists?

Millicent Fawcett

how did the suffragists campaign?

through peaceful and constitutional methods such as petitions and marches

how many members did the suffragists have by 1914?

100,000

when did the suffragettes form?

1903

who was the leader of the suffragettes?

Emmeline Pankhurst

how did the suffragettes campaign?

through militant tactics such as chaining themselves to railings, criminal damage and hunger strikes

what was the cat and mouse act 1913?

an act to enable force-feeding to prevent suffragette deaths

who became the highest profile example of suffragette methods?

Emily Davison when she was trampled to death by the king's horse in 1913

when did the suffragists and suffragettes suspend their campaigns?

in 1914 at the outbreak of WWI

what arguments did campaigners have for women's suffrage?

they were intellectual equals who could bring additional experience such as on childcare and social reform

what arguments did opponents have against women's suffrage?

women were too emotional to cope with the tough world of politics which would distract them from their roles as a wife and mother

why was the women's suffrage movement seen as significant?

most women gained the vote in 1918 with the rest in 1928

when were the first people of colour elected as MP's

1987

which parliament has been considered the most diverse?

2019 with 10% of MP's from minority ethnic backgrounds

what do pressure groups such as Operation Black Vote focus on?

ensuring minority ethnic groups register and turn out to vote alongside promoting racial justice and equality

why has the issue of voting age gained prominence recently?

since Scotland and Wales lowered the voting age to 16 for local and devolved elections

what do arguments for lowering the voting age focus on?

existing right and responsibilities of the age group such as the ability to join the armed forced and obtain tax credits

what does the ECHR establish voting as?

a fundamental human right rather than a privilege

what campaign did convicted prisoner John Hirst begin?

a legal campaign supported by penal reform pressure groups such as the Prison Reform Trust

what was ruled in the Hirst v UK case?

the ban on prisoner voting was unlawful and violated article 3 of the first protocol of the ECHR

what did justice secretary David Lidington propose in 2017?

granting the vote to prisoners on temporary license