HOW Democracy

How did Britain become more democratic between 1867

and 1928?

We are learning to…• Identify the ways in which Britain

became more democratic between 1867 and 1928

• Explain the consequences of significant reform during these years

I can…• Complete a 20 mark essay on HOW

Britain became more democratic

There are four major ways that Reforms made Britain a

democracy…1. By extending the franchise to more

people2. By introducing a secret ballot3. By making constituencies fair4. By having representation – a choice

of MPs and parties

So Four headings…

1.Extension of the Franchise

2.Secret Ballot3.Fair constituencies4.Representation

Britain today• Everyone aged eighteen or over can vote, except for “lunatics”, Lords and

some criminals.• Everyone’s vote is secret. Nobody has to tell anyone else how they have

voted.• Britain is divided into 630 constituencies. They vary in geographical size but

each constituency has roughly the same amount of voters. Each Constituency sends one MP (Member of Parliament) to Parliament in London.

• Each voter in a constituency votes for one person whom they want to be their MP, from the list of candidates. Most of these candidates are from a political party (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish Nationalist etc,).

• In each constituency the candidate who gets the most votes becomes MP and sits in the House of Commons.

• MPs are paid a salary.• The Party which has the most MPs forms the Government and its leader

becomes Prime Minister. • There must be a General Election at least every 5 years.• Parliament consists of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The

House of Commons has much more power than the House of Lords.

• We know why we became democratic – pressure groups, industrialisation, communications etc.

• But HOW did we get here? What laws were passed which made Britain become so democratic?

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STEPS ON THE ROAD TO DEMOCRACY

1832The Middle Class get the vote

The Skilled workers get the vote

1867The ballot is secret

1872

The unskilled male worker gets the vote

1884MPs to be paidPower of House of Lords reduced

1911All men over 21 and women over 30 get the vote

1918

All men and women over 21 get the vote

1928

2.5 million voters

1.43 million voters

1883The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act

5.5 million voters (18% of population)

1885Redistribution of seats

Before 1832 –The Electoral System Depended Upon Property/Land i.e. wealth

Before 1832 you Had To Be Male And Own Property to be allowed to vote.In Scotland, before 1832 only 6,000 men were allowed to vote.

1832 1st Great reform Bill.Middle Classes Received, The Vote (e.g. factory owners, businessmen, professional people like lawyers, doctors etc). Now 1 in 6 of the male population could vote but poorer men and all women were still not allowed - This Was Still Not Democracy.

•Granted the vote to merchants, professionals and manufacturers.•Only 1 in 6 adult males entitled to vote, no women• Demands for a secret ballot refused.•Some of worst burghs were abolished but most big cities under-represented.The right to vote only to those who owned property of a certain value – no working class.

So which laws helped democracy grow between 1832 and today?

Important vocabulary• The Franchise – The vote• Enfranchised – Given the vote• Reform – changes in the law• Legislation – a law

1. Extension of the Franchise

• In 1850, political power was in the hands of a few very wealthy men who owned property, especially land.

• Very few men,1 in 6 of the male population, and no women, could vote at this time.

• By 1928, almost all adults in Britain aged 21 or older could vote. By 1928, therefore, Britain seemed to have become more democratic.

• 1832 Electoral Reform Act – enfranchised (gives vote to) better off middle class men – eg. Doctors and Lawyers.

• Roughly 1 in 6 of the male population could vote. Number of voters in Scotland rises from 5,000 to 40,000.

• 1867 Representation of the People Act – enfranchised better off and better educated working class men – eg. tradesmen, skilled workers like carpenters.

• Roughly 1 in 3 of the male population could vote. Roughly 2.5 million voters.

• 1884 Representation of the People Act – enfranchised most working class men. Roughly 2 in 3 of the male population. BUT not poorer men, lodgers, sons living at home, women.

• Roughly 5 million of the adult male population could vote.

• 1918 Representation of the People Act – enfranchised nearly all adult males over 21 (19+ if had served in army)

• But only some women aged 30+ e.g. married or held university degrees.

• 1928 Representation of the People Act – enfranchised nearly all adult males and females over 21.

• Although Britain was not a true democracy as there were some voting anomalies – eg. plural voting as students and businessmen had 2 votes – one at home and one at University/business address.

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Activity – Widening the Franchise

Act of Parliament

How it made Britain more democratic

Analysis –

1867 Representation of the People Act

1884 Representation of the People Act

1918 Representation of the People Act

1928 Representation of the People Act

Widening the Franchise- AnalysisVery simple for a ‘How Democracy’ essay!

1. Explain how the piece of legislation made Britain more democratic

Example: The 1884 Representation of the People Act enfranchised most working class men and made Britain more democratic as now 2 in 3 of the male population in Britain could now vote.2. Explain the limitations of the legislation (what

it didn’t do).Example: However the Act did not give the vote to poorer men, lodgers, men who lived at home or any women therefore there was still a considerable way to go to make Britain democratic.

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Franchise – Overall AnalysisThe overall analysis is very simple when

discussing the franchise:• Look at the end date of the question e.g.

“How democratic was Britain by 1914?”• Explain what had been achieved by that point

i.e.• ‘On one hand, Britain had become more

democratic by 1914 because 2 in 3 men could vote and this was a vast improvement from 1 in 6 in 1832.’

• Explain what had not been achieved by this point i.e.

• ‘On the other hand, Britain was not fully democratic by 1914 because 1 in 3 men did not have the franchise and no women were able to vote.

2. Secret Ballot (Fairer Elections)• 1872 Secret Ballot Act – stress that this was viewed as one of

the most important steps towards democracy by many people at the time as it:

- Reduced likelihood of intimidation and bribery at open hustings

- Voting in secret meant breaking power of big landlords in rural areas.

• 1883 Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act – backed up the secret ballot by making it a criminal offence that was punishable by a fine, suspension from parliament or even imprisonment to try to bribe voters.

• Candidates now had to limit spending and account for spending during campaigning.

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Activity – Fairer Elections.Act of Parliament

How it made Britain more democratic

Analysis – was Britain democratic as a result?

1872 Secret Ballot Act

1883 Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act

Secret Ballot- AnalysisVery simple for a ‘How Democracy’

essay!1. Explain how the piece of legislation made

Britain more democraticExample: The 1872 Secret Ballot Act made Britain more democratic because….2. Explain the limitations of the legislation

(what it didn’t do).Example: However the Act did not….

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Secret Ballot – Overall AnalysisThe overall analysis is very simple when

discussing the franchise:• Look at the end date of the question e.g.

“How democratic was Britain by 1914?”• Explain what had been achieved by that

point i.e.• ‘On one hand, Britain had become more

democratic by 1914 because …..• Explain what had not been achieved by this

point i.e.• ‘On the other hand, Britain was not fully

democratic by 1914 because…..

3. Fair Constituencies• Aim – trying to make the number of voters

in each constituency roughly the same so that no constituency is more important than another.

• Corrupt constituencies known as ‘pocket’ or ‘rotten’ boroughs still existed where the local landowner nominated the MP.

• 1832 – tried to get rid of worst of “rotten” or “pocket” burghs like Old Sarum who elected two MPs

• 1867 – continued to get rid of pocket burghs. The 1867 Reform Act got rid of rotten burghs, but there were still big inconsistencies in the size of constituencies e.g. the under populated Highlands and Scottish Borders had 8 MPs each, yet a growing city like Glasgow had only 3 MPs.

• 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act – moved a lot of MPs from rural areas to the new industrial cities – eg. Glasgow increased to 7 MPs.

• Tried to make constituencies roughly 50,000 each – however, still a lot of overrepresentation in depopulated rural areas – eg. Highlands and Borders still had 8 MPs each.

• Truly equal constituencies really did not come until 1918 Representation of the People Act, which made all constituencies roughly equal with 70,000 people. At this time the number of MPs in Glasgow increased to 15.

• However plural voting still existed which allowed certain people more than one vote e.g. a businessman who lived in Motherwell and had his business in Glasgow could vote in both areas or students could vote in their home constituency and university constituency.

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Activity – Equal votes/constituencies.

Act of Parliament How it made Britain more democratic

Analysis – was Britain truly democratic as a result?

1867 Reform Act

1885 Redistribution of Seats Act

1918 Representation of the People Act

Fair constituencies - AnalysisVery simple for a ‘How Democracy’

essay!1. Explain how the piece of legislation made

Britain more democraticExample: The 1867 Reform Act made Britain more democratic as….2. Explain the limitations of the legislation

(what it didn’t do).Example: However the Act did not….

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Fair constituencies– Overall AnalysisThe overall analysis is very simple when

discussing the franchise:• Look at the end date of the question e.g.

“How democratic was Britain by 1914?”• Explain what had been achieved by that

point i.e.• ‘On one hand, Britain had become more

democratic by 1914 because …..• Explain what had not been achieved by this

point i.e.• ‘On the other hand, Britain was not fully

democratic by 1914 because…..

4. Representation• Aim – elected representatives should

be representative of the voters.

• Before 1867 voters were wealthy landowners or middle class in towns and so were most MPs. Half of all MPs were the children of the aristocracy.

• It was also thought that MPs should not be paid so that they would be the right type of person – eg. self-sufficient in and not in politics for the money.

• It was also felt that the landowners and upper classes in the House of Lords had a right to speak out or block new laws from the elected House of Commons.

• 1911 Parliament Acts- Tried to allow poorer men to become

MPs by paying them £400 per year, which allowed more of the working class to become MPs.

- Example – Keir Hardie was the illegitimate son of a Lanarkshire miner.

• 1911 Parliament Act also severely limited the powers of the unelected House of Lords.

• House of Lords could no longer outright reject a money bill (new law re. taxation/economy).

• Could only delay non-money bills 2 years (cut to one year in 1949).

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Activity – Representation/Participation.

Act of Parliament

How it made Britain more democratic

Analysis – was Britain truly democratic as a result?

1911 Parliament Acts

Fair constituencies - AnalysisVery simple for a ‘How Democracy’

essay!1. Explain how the piece of legislation made

Britain more democraticExample: The 1911 Parliament Acts made Britain more democratic as….2. Explain the limitations of the legislation

(what it didn’t do).Example: However the Act did not….

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Fair constituencies– Overall AnalysisThe overall analysis is very simple when

discussing the franchise:• Look at the end date of the question e.g.

“How democratic was Britain by 1914?”• Explain what had been achieved by that

point i.e.• ‘On one hand, Britain had become more

democratic by 1914 because …..• Explain what had not been achieved by this

point i.e.• ‘On the other hand, Britain was not fully

democratic by 1914 because…..