P1 - Democracy and growth of parties c1851-1867

Whigs (6)

-Party of individual reform

-believed in representative gov (ruled by elected parliament)

-Don’t mind change

-Were Non-conformists tolerant, and had their support in votes as wanted to reduce the privilege of the Church of England e.g. education

-leaders were mostly great landowners

-Committed to Free trade

Tories (6)

-Party of traditional Monarchy + party of the Church of England in the 1830s

-Protected the Established order

-Willing to accept moderate change after 1834

-Protect farmers, especially the landed aristocracy

-Leaders also great landowners

Changed to Conservatives in 1834 after Peel’s Tamworth Manifesto

landed aristocracy

The social class of wealthy landowners who held significant political power and influence.

Reform Act 1832

introduced by the Whig PM Earl Grey:

-extended the vote to middle class men

-removed rotten boroughs

-1.2/30 million men had the right to vote

issues with the second reform act (5)

• No secret ballots + no MP salary so bribery occurred

• women + working class can’t vote

• North + Midlands underrepresented and small towns over

• No limit on HOL power

Principle of owning land seen essential for political power (landed aristocracy) to maintain social order. They lost some monopoly on political power as middle class merchants, manufactures, professional classed grew, due to industrialisation

Sir Robert Peel - Conservatives (3)

-leader of the Conservatives in 1834

-Had opposed the reform act 1832 but when passes, recognised the need for the party to adapt

-Tamworth Manifesto - accepted the spirit of the reform act, and changed the name to the Conservatives. Were now committed to moderate reforms

Constitutional Monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a type of government where a king or queen's powers are limited by a constitution and laws, sharing the power with a parliament or elected officials.

-Power of the monarchy limited

-Br now a constitutional monarchy in 19th century

Repeal of the Corn Laws (5)

tariffs on corn in place to protect BR farmers

- Peel repealed these in 1846 during the Irish famine, to allow them to buy cheap grain - Free trade

-Anti-Corn League formed in 1838 long campaigned for this also

-BR also in an economic crisis

-Caused the split of the Conservative party, and formed the liberal party in 1859

Peelites - 1846 (3)

-Want free trade, so left the Conservative party in 1846

-followed Lord Peel when he left

• included Gladstone, Graham, Cardwell

Protectionists (3)

Think Peel is a traitor, so will stick with Lord Derby in the HOL and Disraeli in HOC

-Believe that we need to protect the interests of the landowners, by keeping price of corn high

-many supporters are landowners, so aid them to make good profit

Formation of the Liberal Party 1859 (3)

involved 3 groups, all wanting Free trade:

Whigs - wealthy, aristocratic land owners, not enthusiastic reforms, forming the conservative wing of the party. Backed the 1832 reform act + believed in constitutional monarchy

Radicals - non-conformist middle class, wanting more parliamentary reform to reduce privileges. Utilitarianism

Peelites - wealthy industrials and commercial backgrounds. left the Conservatives

1859(3)

Conservatives formed 2 govs, in 1852 and 1858-1859

Whig, Peelite, radical MPs unite and took office 5 days later under:

• Lord Palmerston - leader

• Gladstone - Chancellor of Exchequer

• Lord Russell - Foreign Sec

Russel and Palmerstone didn’t get along

Liberal Appeal (4)

-middle class - further parliamentary reform + reduction of privilege

-Non-conformists

-artisans - still couldn’t vote + loved Gladstones balanced budget (made savings, taxes low and open over gov expenditure)

-newspapers e.g. daily Telegraph, Leeds Mercury, Sheffield Independent - were well distributed

Liberal issues (3)

1867 - Liberals were loosely organized and didn’t enter office with a clear program

-altering ideas - Palmerstone was a conservative that generally opposed reform, Cobden + Bright were reformers originally from the Whigs

-no mass membership or no national party structure meaning no organized upward pressure on the gov

Cycle of govs (5) + keysfacts (3)

• coalition in power

• break down and dissolves

• Tories form a minority

• general election

• non-tory groups resolve their differences

-Conservatives lost 6 elections in a row but formed 3 minority govs

landed aristocrats continued to dominate senior ranks in gov

-1 coalition gov elected made up of various liberal groups initial broke down, so went out of office and replaced by Tories with a minority gov. Liberals resolve their issues and defeat the Tories and force a dissolution, winning a general election and resume their power.