Living in a Democracy

Living in a DemocracyAdult suffrage for all men

and women aged 18 and over

Secret ballotFree from bribery,

corruption, intimidationRight to join a TU or

pressure groupElections every 5 years Free pressGovernment with

majority support in HOC

Living in a DemocracyThe term ‘democracy’

has always been contestable and changeable

Regarded in the Greek period as the ‘rule of the mob’ A. Arblaster

Best known definition: ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people’ Lincoln, 1863

                                                    

Living in a Democracyin Britain

movement towards giving people power was protracted and uneven

Between 1832 and 1928 Britain’s political identity was changed gradually

An Election: The Polling (1754)

 

The 1832 Reform ActWhy was it

introduced?To give a greater

political voice to the middle classes

The 1832 Reform ActGranted the vote to merchants and

manufacturers political recognition for professional and

trades peopleVoters: marginally increased to 652,000

voters from 435,000Every man owning or renting property

worth more than £10 per year got the vote in the boroughs and £2 or more in the counties

The 1832 Reform ActVote was given to

tenants who either rented land paying more than £50 per year or held land lease of more than £10

However 5 out of 6 males still had no vote

Only 18% of malesThe Knight Errant in Quest of Votes, 1832

The 1832 Reform ActConstituencies: before

act 658 MPs, counties and boroughs

Boroughs and English counties sent 2 MP’s back but Scotland counties had only one

After Act, Scotland returned 53 and populations with less than 2,000 lost their MP

Effects of Reform ActSome anomalies correctedSize of electorate increased to 1 in 7 malesTrend of urbanisation recognisedHowever MPs still mainly came from South

and continued to be dominated by landed classes

Still no secret ballotPower of wealth had been safeguarded as

linked with property valuesLed to further agitation and reform

The 1866 Reform BillAimed to increase the electorate by

lowering property values and including people with £50 savings

Led to split in liberal party and resignation of Russell. The main group of dissenters were known as the ‘Adullamites’, led by John Lowe – worked in tandem with the Tories to stop the Bill

Tories invited to form minority government, against reform but due to demand had to propose further reform were sometimes accused of ‘dishing the Whigs and ‘taking a leap in the dark’ (merely taking the Gladstone’s ideas and adapting them for their own ends – in fact they expanded the original proposals put forward by the Liberals)

The second Reform Act, 1867This act increased the electorate by

1,120,000 voters to 2.5 millionAll householders with one years residence

paying rates got the voteLodgers in accommodation valued at £10 and

Occupiers of premises worth £12 got the voteOne male in three now had the vote

The second Reform Act, 1867

Constituencies: many disenfranchised

52 seats redistributed, 25 went to counties, 19 to the boroughs, one to London university and 2 to Scottish universities, 5 to Scotland

The second Reform Act, 1867

Did not alter the balance of political powerElectorate still largely remained the sameParties had to develop national

organisations as boroughs increased voters therefore less independent MPs

The Ballot Act, 1872System still had to free itself

from bribery, corruption and intimidation

In 1865, £14,000 was spent on bribing the 1408 voters in Lancaster

Parties argued voting was a privilege which should be carried out in public. Voting took place at the husting where each man had to cast his vote. However, others believed that this meant that men were not voting out of conviction but rather as a means of maintaining their own position

                      

   

The Ballot Act, 1872

Enquiry in 1865 election revealed large scale malpractice

Gladstone brought in a bill, rejected by the lords in 1871, however it was eventually passed and became law in 1872

Voting to be carried out in secret, intimidation declined

The Ballot Act, 1872:Corruption not completely wiped out.

Between 1867/ 1885 4 towns were disenfranchised due to corrupt practices.

This was dealt with in 1883

Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act 1883

Plugged the gaps in the Ballot Act,1872

Candidates election expenses were determined by size of constituency and limited by law

Election agents had to account for their spending

Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act 1883

Breach of the law disqualified a candidate for 7 years

Active involvement in corruption was punishable by fine or imprisonment

How effectively did the Ballot Act of 1872 and the 1883 Act deal with the problems of bribery? Certainly it had a major impact making elections much more democratic in terms of electoral procedures