“The most aristocratic and reactionary measure ever to pass this house.”
Rotten boroughs had generally been eliminated and the new industrialists enfranchised, however the process remained the same open vote, and there was a ten-pound property qualification, which meant that, the majority of the working classes, who owned nothing, could not vote. Also, it was still necessary to pay to stand for election, and so almost all people who stood for election were still aristocrats, landowners or businessmen. The act itself did not bring democracy any closer but because of the standard wealth qualification many put pressure for this limit to be lowered. The 1832 bill was the first step along the path to democracy.
However it was not until 1867 that democracy actually gained a foothold in Britain. The 1867 reform act lowered the standard wealth qualification in cities and counties. All male householders and lodgers paying ten pounds a year in burghs could vote as well as five-pound landowners and occupants who paid an annual rateable value of twelve-pound in the counties. Although this did enfranchise more people (the electorate stood at two point five million) county residents were still at a major disadvantage. There was still a property qualification for voting, which meant that two-thirds of the adult male population, the poorest male citizens, were left without a vote. There was no female suffrage at all which meant that there was still an inequality of the sexes. The 1867 act also redistributed the seats. Fifty-two seats were lost from areas sparsely populated, through the removal of the right to have an MP in certain areas, most of which were in southern England. The freed seats were redistributed to the more largely populated counties, large and growing urban areas, one seat was given to London university and two to Scottish universities, as well as five seats to larger constituencies. There was still unevenness in constituency size; the constituencies were still mainly based on geographical location rather than population size. Although the franchise was widened there was still the problem of the bribery and corruption-taking place in elections through the continuation of open voting. The lack of limitation placed on electioneering expenses meant that wealthier candidates had a distinct advantage if they were willing to spend to enter parliament. And lack of payment discouraged the working class would-be candidates. Although this act was the first that really pushed for a fairer society it was in reality no where near reaching democracy it still lacked major democratic ideas such as universal adult franchise and elections free of corruption. While the Second Reform Act gradually moved the nation closer to Democracy, the electoral system still had to free itself from bribery and corruption.
However the corruption in elections was to be stopped in the secret ballot act of 1872. After the passing of the working class males now formed the majority in most borough constituencies. However, employers were still able to use their influence in some constituencies because of the open system of voting. In parliamentary elections people still had to mount a platform and announce their choice of candidate to the officer who then recorded it in the poll book. Employers and local landlords therefore knew how people voted and could punish them if they did not support their preferred candidate. In 1872 removed this intimidation when his government brought in the Ballot Act, which introduced a secret system of voting. Although this bill stopped bribery and corruption there was still no limit on campaign funds or electoral expenses, which meant that richer candidates could use their wealth to enter parliament.
These problems were solved in 1883 with the corrupt and illegal practises act. This act practically eliminated corruption by various methods. It placed limits campaign funds and the electoral expenses of candidates. Election agents were made accountable for spending money and the forbidden corrupt and illegal practises were plainly outlined. Candidates who disregarded the laws were banned from participating in elections for seven years or fined and jailed. Due to these new terms it was much easier for working or middle class people to stand for elections because elections were no longer affected by usage of power or wealth. The corrupt and illegal practises act was a great advance towards democracy, but only for those who could actually vote. There were still property qualifications for the vote and women, no matter how wealthy, could still not vote and there was still inequality of franchise between rural and urban areas. True democracy, would not come until these factors were solved.
The unfairness of franchise between cities and counties was to be remedied in 1884 with the third parliamentary reform act. This equalised the burgh and county franchise qualifications, which almost doubled the total electorate, making it five million men had the vote. However this did not count plural voting, which had not yet been abolished, another sign of how democracy was almost, but not quite there. Two out of three men could vote and although it is a significant number compared to earlier years there was still a lot of change needed to be done, women would have to be able to vote and the property qualification eliminated before democracy could be achieved.
Another turning point on the way to democracy was the redistribution of seats act. This act made the representation system fairer, towns with a population under fifteen thousand lost both their MPs, towns with population sizes between fifteen and fifty thousand lost one MP and the country was then divided into single seat constituencies. The act increased the number of MPs in the House of Commons to six hundred and seventy (seventy two of which were Scottish). This allowed for fairer representation. It meant that industrial areas that had previously been unfairly represented were more fairly represented. Although this was another step towards democracy, this act also more firmly established plural voting. This meant that rich property owners and businessmen were given a greater degree of power where as the poorest people in society still had no political power. This shows that there was still a great need for change.
Part of this change came in 1918 with the representation of the people act. This act meant that women over the age of thirty who were householders or wives of householders or university graduates had the right to vote and all men over the age of twenty one, who had resided in their homes for over six months could vote. Plural voting was restricted to two votes, with only universities and business premises. However simply the fact that plural voting remained meant that democracy was not quite there yet. This act enlarged the size of the electorate to twenty million. Although this act gave women the vote they were still at a disadvantage. The franchise system between men and women was still unfair, and that needed to be resolved before there could be complete democracy.
The franchise qualifications between males and females were resolved in the 1928 representation of the people act. This meant that the franchise qualification was the same for both males and females. This meant that by 1928 nearly all the features of democracy had been achieved. However it was not until 1948 that plural voting was totally destroyed. The main principle of one-man one vote and fair elections free of corruption had been achieved. Nearly all the principles of democracy had been achieved by 1928. There was a fair representation system, universal adult suffrage and corruption free elections.