Reform between 1832 and 1886
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Attempts at Reform 1832-1850

Of the two political parties of the day, the Whigs and the Tories, the Whigs were more sympathetic to the idea of very limited political reform. Thus, concerned by support groups and alarmed by so called “riot groups” in 1830, the Whig government, under the leadership of Lord Grey, introduced a Reform Bill to the House of Commons in March 1831. There was fierce opposition from the Tories as the Bill was debated in the House.

The 1832 Reform Act

The Act covered two main areas – the voters and the constituencies

Effects Of the Reform Act

à Some of the anomalies of the old system were corrected

à The size of the electorate increased to one in seven adult males entitled to vote (1 in 5 in England

à The trend of Urbanisation was recognised

à Although the government did not envisage further reform, the Act created an expectation, which led to agitation for more widespread reform.

The 1886 Reform Bill

This Bill aimed to add significant numbers of the working class to the electorate without threatening the establishment.

The Second Reform Act 1867

This Act increased the electorate by 1,120,000 voters to approximately 2.5 million.

Effects of the Second Reform Act

While it is clear that the Second Reform Act increased the number of electorate it did nothing to alter the balance of the political system.

Other Notes in this Category

1. 1885 Redistribution Act
2. Compare the attitude of the Liberal and Tory Parties to parliamentary reform before 1867
3. Explain how the Reform Union differed from the Reform League
4. How Democratic was Britain by 1914?
5. Overview of Growth of Democracy
6. Reform between 1832 and 1886
7. The Ballot Act 1872, The corrupt and Illegal Practices Act 1883, Representation of the People Act 18
8. To what extent was the Electoral system democratic in 1850?
9. Why did the demand for parliamentary reform grow between 1850 and 1867?

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