What impact did the Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884 have on the political system up to 1885? Before the 1867 Reform Act the political situation might be described as one of working-class deference, middle-class complacency

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Q. What impact did the Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884 have on the political system up to 1885?

        Before the 1867 Reform Act the political situation might be described as one of working-class deference, middle-class complacency and aristocratic monopoly governed by a parliament and ruling party that clung to the idea that society existed for the sake of the landed classes.

        The Second Reform Act was perhaps a natural sequel to the First Reform Act despite being thirty-five years later. It probably went further than the majority of M.P.s wanted even though the parties realized that the time was right for further reform.

        Although Gladstone had introduced a Reform Bill in 1866, Disraeli attacked it using support from anti-reform rebels within the Liberal party. When the government resigned, Disraeli, as Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced his bill.

        The impact, although small in percentage terms, was that the  electorate doubled from about 1.1 million to over 2 million and a large number of working-class men received the vote for the first time. This was a sea-change in British political life.

Those rural workers with land having an annual value of £10 were now able to vote, like their urban counterparts.

 

        The distribution of M.Ps became somewhat more equitable with some counties losing one of their representatives so that vast urban areas could be represented.

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The parties wanted to capture votes from new electors and this resulted in the creation of local party structure. Local activists could identify and target potential voters. Although women were still unable to vote their work in constituencies and in helping to influence families was a new source of support. Both major parties began establishing local clubs and organizations. The Liberal founded Working Men’s Clubs and the Conservatives the constitutional Clubs (Working-class orientated) and Conservative Associations. These groups helped educate new voters and socialize them as well.

So to sum up, the impact of the 1867 and 1884-85 ...

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