P1b: Democracy and Growth of Parties

1846-52: John Russell - WHIG - election 1 (3)

pm for 6 years

• repeal of the corn laws(1846) + conservative split - had Peelite support in HOC

• believed in progressive ideas of social and political reform

• wanted vote extended and wanted religious tolerance for Jews, Catholics + non-conformists

regarded as a weak PM

acts Russel passed (2)

-1847 legal protection for workers (only women + children)

-1850 Factory act - reduced work hours and established a uniform day

1852: Lord Derby - Conservative (2)

changed gov without an election due to a vote of no confidence in Russel

-minority gov, lasting only months

-party still divided between traditional Conservatives and Peelites

1852-55: Lord Aberdeen - WHIGS + Peelites - election 2 (4)

coalition gov, which had a strong cabinet e.g. Gladstone as Exchequer, Palmerstone and Russel

-wanted educational, penal and parliamentary reform + religious tolerance

-Gladstone produced a free trade budget and lowered income tax threshold

Aberdeen’s proposes were halted due to the Crimean war

• gov fell due to news reports of soldiers dying from disease in war + terrible injuries

Aberdeen passed (4)

-1853 Factory act - made 10,5 hours max to women and kids

-Penal servitude act - improved prison conditions

-1854 reformatory school acts - improved prison conditions for the young

1853 compulsory for baby vaccinations for small pox

improved sanitary engineering of London 1948-55

1855-58: Palmerstone - WHIG - election 3 (3)

election 3 won by the Whigs in 1857

replaced Aberdeen after a scandal of more dying on infection compared to war

Had Russel as second to him + gladstone was emerging as a key individual

Lord Palmerstone (6)

-was a conservative turned WHIG

-smart as went to Oxford, Edinburgh, Harrow uni

-was home sec in 1852 and was popular for his policies

compassionate + opposed slave trade

didn’t believe in state intervention, so opposed the idea of mass voting, believing they weren’t educated enough: “We can’t be forever adding to the statue book”

-forced to resign when a bill he proposed was not voted through

Divorce law (2)

passed in 1857

-originally to divorce, it required to go to parliament, but was changed, with a special court would hear divorce petitions

1858-59: Lord Derby - Conservatives (5)

formed without an election

was a minority gov, meaning it was weak, and it fell in 15 months over a political reform bill

-had Disraeli as leader of HOC and spokesman for PM

-allowed Jews to sit in Parliament and in 1858 said a man can become a MP without a property qualification

Liberals formed during this ministry

1859-65: Lord Palmerstone - election 4 (3)

election 4 won by Palmerstone. Russel came out of retirement to serve under him, and sat in the HOL, with Gladstone leader of the party in the HOC

-Gladstone put up income tax, maintaining a standard of living for ppl

-Gladstone also encouraged Free trade in 1861, and helped by creating a Post office savings account - 2.5% interests, with 600,000 savers within 2 years

National Reform union 1864 (2)

wanted cooperation between upper + middle classes

also wanted vote extension to the working class, as the believed they would vote liberal

reform League 1865 (2)

formed by working class men

more radical and wanted the vote for all working class men

1865-66: Liberal - election 5 (4)

Palmerstone PM, but died suddenly, so Lord Russel replaced him in October 1865

-majority gov

-wanted extension of the vote, which Gladstone agreed with, however the right side of the Liberals disagreed on the new Reform Bill, so resigned

when he retired, was replaced by Gladstone as leader of Liberals

Sanitary act 1866

forced local authorises to appoint sanitary inspectors

1866-68: Lord Derby (3)

Conservative gov formed without an election

-1866, reform league and national reform union worked together to pressure for 1867 reform act

derby ill and resigned, recommending Disraeli as successor

Acts passed (2)

-Second reform act introduced by Disraeli “Dishing the Whigs”

-1868 Torrens housing act - said landlords had to keep homes in good repair, or local authority Could use its power to ensure so

1868-1874: Gladstone - Liberal - election 6

Dec 1868, Disraeli called an election but lost