History Paper 3: Changing influences in Parliament: The Impact of Parliamentary Reform.

How extensive was aristocratic influence on elections and in Parliament in 1780?

Many constituencies were essentially controlled by an aristocrat. The open voting system, limited franchise and lack of legislation to prevent bribery meant there was strong pressure to support the local aristocratic patron.

Many voters saw their vote as a commodity and some sold their votes for as much as ten pounds (500 pounds today).

The aristocracy also dominated the House Of Lords, which was back then the most powerful of the two houses, as it had veto power.

How extensive was the influence of the Crown on elections and Parliament in 1780?

Pre-1832, the monarch decided who became the Prime Minister and selected the cabinet after elections. The Prime Minister did not have to be the candidate from the party that won the most seats.

George III (r. 1760-1820) took a very direct role in politics. As well as selecting the prime minister, he influenced Parliament through patronage by promising offices and peerages to MPs in return for their unquestionable loyalty to the Crown.

How did MPs reduce the influence of the Crown in the period 1780-1801?

In April 1780, Whig MP Dunning introduced a bill which stated that 'the power of the Crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished'. The bill was passed and reduced the number of offices that the crown could award.

William Pitt the Younger (PM 1783-1801) wanted to continue the process of reform but knew it would be difficult to tackle a wide range of vested interests head-on. He moved cautiously and waited until an office holder died and then allowed the position to lapse.

Although Pitt's reforms were small and pragmatic; they contributed to the steady decline of the influence of the crown. By 1800, it was increasingly difficult for the monarch to maintain his preferred candidate in office if he could not rely on the support of parliament.

The reform acts of the 1800s had a marked effect on the power of the Crown and aristocracy, why?

1) The process of removing the rotten and pocket boroughs and redistributing seats weakened the influence of patrons.
(2) The Crown lost control over the choice of PM after the Great Reform Act. Illustrated in 1834, 1855 and 1880 (Melbourne, Palmerston and Harrington).

What is a notable fact about the composition of MPs in 1885?

By 1885, the number of MPs from industrial and commercial backgrounds was larger than the number from the landowning elite.

What did the Parliament Act 1911 do?

The Parliament Act 1911 was the most important weakening of aristocratic power.

The Liberals got George V to agree that if the Lords did not pass the bill he would flood the House of Lords with 500 Liberal Peers.

In 1911, the Parliament Act passed both houses and removed the Lords veto. The Lords could now only delay legislation for two years and were unable to block financial bills. It also introduced salaries for MPs, making it possible for the working class to sit in Parliament.

Can the Tory and Whig 'parties' pre-1832 really be described as 'parties'?

No. They were loose alliances of politicians through family, friendship and shared voting.

From the Great Reform Act, party lines became more distinct.

What was the impact of The Great Reform Act on party organisation?

The Great Reform Act meant that parties needed to register voters; and so parties naturally became more organised. The Tory Carlton Club and Whig Reform Club emerged to administer registration. The need to contest elections, rather than being able to buy pocket boroughs made party politics essential.

In 1834, Sir Robert Peel issued a manifesto (Tamworth Manifesto), something unheard of before 1832. In the same year, the Lichfield House Compact, a deal to work together against Peel's Conservative government, was agreed upon at a meeting of Whig radicals and Irish MPs.

What was the impact of the 1867 Reform Act on Party organisation

The increased size of the electorate after 1867 meant further party organisation was required. The Conservatives formed the Conservative Central Office and by 1877 it had 791 local associations. The Liberals, who felt they had missed the boat after their massive defeat in the 1874 General Election, founded the National Liberal Federation in 1877. Both organisations paid local agents for voter recruitment, who had to keep accurate lists and records to ensure that voters turned up.

After 1867, parties began to actively promote themselves in order to win votes. Being able to publish public information and promises became essential in winning over voters.

Women's organisations, most famously The Primrose League (f.1883), were established in order to recruit women, who would, in turn, encourage their men to vote for that party.

How did the Secret Ballot Act impact party organisation?

Since patrons no longer knew whom voters would select, getting out a party message was increasingly important to win votes.

What was the impact of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act on party organisation?

After 1883, each candidate could only have one paid agent, and they had to keep a record of all expenses.

By 1910, the average spent on each vote was just 18% of what it had been in 1880. A clear party message became detrimental; we could therefore judge that after 1883 the time of persuading voters with cash and beer was officially over.

How did the Labour Party emerge?

In 1893, the Independent Labour Party was formed. In 1900, they formed the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) which unified over 100 trade unions to connect trade unionism with parliamentary reform.

In 1903, the Liberals agreed to a mutual agreement with the LRC, the 'Lib-Lab Pact'. The Liberals agreed not to contest a number of LRC strongpoints, and in return, the LRC would support a Liberal government. 29 LRC candidates won seats and they renamed themselves the Labour Party.

From 1911, with the Parliament Act introducing wages for MPs, the possibility of more working-class MPs became a reality.

Why did Labour's political strength grow after the end of WW1?

The increased working-class electorate after the 1918 Reform Act meant Labour was able to overtake the Liberals as the second party of the UK by 1924.

What was the social makeup of the House of Commons, c.1780?

The House of Commons was made up exclusively of men from wealthy backgrounds. About 20% were the sons of peers, and many more had a relative who was a peer.

Being an MP was an unpaid job and so a private income was essential. There was a property qualification of 600 pounds per year for county MPs and 300 pounds per year for borough MPs (30,000 and 15,000 pounds today). This meant working-class men could not get elected even if they tried.

How did the Great Reform Act change the social composition of the House of Commons?

The Great Reform Act did little to change the social makeup of the House of Commons. In 1833, 217 MPs were sons of peers and baronets and this number only fell to 180 by 1865.

In 1845, 41% of MPs were still listed as sons or close relatives of aristocrats.

How did the Repeal of the Property Qualification Act 1858 affect the social composition of the House of Commons?

The Repeal of the Property Qualification Act 1858 made the House of Commons more accessible to the middle classes. However, as being an MP was still an unpaid job; only those with a private income could afford to be MPs.

Nevertheless, there was a small increase in the number of MPs from less wealthy backgrounds.

How did the 1884 Reform Act and the 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act affect the social composition of the House of Commons?

After the 1884/85 Acts, for the first time, the number of MPs from industrial and commercial backgrounds was larger than the number from the landowning elite.

With the growth of the working-class vote, a small number of working-class MPs were elected. 13 working-class MPs were elected in 1885 and by 1906 this number had risen to 29. These MPs were funded by the unions and the Labour Party, who paid them 200 pounds a year.

What was the impact of The Parliament Act 1911 on the social composition of the House of Commons?

The 1911 Parliament Act introduced salaries of 400 pounds per annum for MPs, meaning that independent working-class candidates could stand for election.

What was the impact of the 1918 Reform Act on the social composition of the House of Commons?

The 1918 Reform Act led to an increased number of working-class MPs in Parliament. Labour won 57 seats in 1918 and 151 seats in 1924.

The enfranchisement of women also led to the emergence of the first female MPs. However, only 12 women were elected in the period 1918-1928.

In what ways had the social makeup of the House of Commons remained the same in the period c1780-1928?

(1) By 1928, the majority of MPs were still from wealthy backgrounds.
(2) By 1928, the House of Commons was still male-dominated. Only 12 women were elected in the period 1918-1928, and of these twelve women:
- The majority were wealthy. Five had aristocratic titles.
- Three women were elected in constituencies where their husbands had previously been an MP.

In what ways had the social makeup of the House of Commons changed in the period c1780-1928?

(1) MPs in 1928 were mainly from upper-middle-class rather than aristocratic backgrounds.
(2) MPs represented a more even distribution in a geographical sense.
(3) There were men of working-class background as MPs.
(4) There were a small number of female MPs.

What do Historians say about the Third Reform Act?

E. Feuchtwanger believes that 'together with the Corrupt Practices Act... the Third Reform Act moved the country almost all the way towards political democracy.

But others, such as Clive Behagg, point out that some 40% of the male working class was still disfranchised after 1885. The 1918 Reform Act tripled the size of the electorate, which is an indication of just how far short of democracy the pre-war system fell.

George 3 and 4 could appoint any Prime Minister they liked, this changed after the Great Reform Act, give two examples.

Victoria tried hard to avoid having to send for Palmerston in 1855 and in 1880 she was eager to appoint Lord Hartington, in preference to Gladstone. However, unfortunately for her, the Liberal Party wanted both these leaders and Victoria had to give way to its wishes.

Walter Bagehot in his classic work 'The English Constitution' (1867), argued that the Monarch had three rights, what are these rights?

'The right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn.