The reform movement was a fundamentally middle-class or landed group, who wanted increased political power and influence whilst their wealth was increasing. As a result the radicals were only looking at their own needs and not the needs of the whole nation. This was perhaps the main reason why there was such a delay is passing the First Reform Act. Between 1812 and 1820 the reformers’ strength outside parliament grew, but there was not a significant impact on the British system as the working and middle classes did not unite. The limited franchise meant the people had no understanding for the real need for parliamentary reform and were thus alienated from the system. The strength of the conservatives was also a reason for their failure of parliamentary reform. This is because they had a mass disliking to the concept of reform. Their power until then had been based upon their patronage, land or aristocratic backgrounds. The removal of this power to command the lower classes was not acceptable. As can be seen in 1785, when Pitt proposed the disfranchising of 36 small boroughs and transferring their 72 Parliament seats to larger counties. This was rejected by 248 votes to 174. The developments made in the structure of the British economy, with huge industrialisation and urbanisation occurring in Britain before most other nations led to the creation of jobs and Britain becoming the ‘Workshop of the world.’ With the population increasing the demand for equal sized constituencies with equal representation increased but as the alliance between the middle and working classes was too fragile and was disturbed by conflict between manufacturer and workforce over rates of pay or working conditions. Developments in the British economy led to a decreased call for reform because the developments separated the needs of sections of the workforce.
The year 1832 was a turning point in British Parliamentary history as the Great Reform Act was passed which made significant strides to a more democratic regime.
The main aim of the Reform Act of 1832 as far as the government were concerned was to reduce the calls by the British public for reform and to form a more legitimate and aristocratic government. The demands of Universal Suffrage, annual general elections and secret ballot were treated with distain by the government, as they believed it would involve devolving power away from them. The architects of the 1832 Reform Act were conservative in their aims, as they believed by passing this act, it would be the reform to end all reform. Earlier attempts for reform had failed because of the negative impact of the nearby French Revolution, the divided radical groups not uniting to form one front which would have been more efficient and effective when pushing for demand and the conservative nature of the British public. This meant that the government did not have to make any radical reforms that they were delighted about as sacrificing any power was seen as damaging to the credibility of the government. The years 1820-1827 saw little cry for reform mostly because of the economic prosperity of Britain with increased trade and a better harvest meaning the price of bread dropped. It was a prosperous time for the British economy as expenditure on poor relief in England and Wales increased and so to did expenditure on debt charges reaching £31, 800 from 1816-1820. Total income during this period also rose. The government’s tactics during this period were also impressive as Lord Liverpool’s claming leadership skills brought peace to a country which was previously threatened with the fear of revolution. The extensive use of spies also got rid of unrest within the country.
The election of July and August of 1830 brought about the return of the Whig party after the disastrous term in charge for the Tory party. This was because of the political situation flaring up again with the economic crisis of 1829-30 with wide spread harvest failure in 1828-29 pushing up prices for food which resulted in the demand for reform increasing. This alongside the rising unemployment figures in cities caused a reason for rebellion according to William Cobbett ho had defied anyone ‘ to agitate a fellow on a full stomach.’ The economic collapse that occurred, encouraged the radicals to rally around the issue of parliamentary reform with eventually almost became revolutionary. ‘Hunger Politics’ stimulated activists to perform marches, which had once been dealt harshly by the government, as they were keen to crush any marches. The ‘Swing Riots’ in 1830, led the Whigs to argue that a reform Bill was vital in order to avoid a revolution, on the basis of the activities in the large towns. The Whig intentions were to end the calls for Parliamentary Reform once and for all, “ the measure must be large enough to satisfy public opinion and to afford sure ground of resistance to further innovation.” A policy of appeasement towards the issue of reforming parliament was applied by the Whig party as one of the main reasons for implementing the 1832 Reform Act because they felt that the bill offered adequate reformists polices to satisfy demands, whilst still ensuring that parliament would not be a democratic body
The alliance between the middle and the lower classes from, 1830-31 allowed for reform to become a topic of real significance with those in Parliament as it meant Parliamentary Reform was looking more and more likely. Grey told the King’s private secretary, “It is undeniable…that the middle classes…are activated by an intense and almost unanimous feeling in favour of the measure of reform”. The formation of the Thomas Atwood’s Birmingham Political Union by in December 1929 illustrated how the middle and working classes united in an attempt to push forward Parliamentary Reform providing a much stronger foundation basis for reform. John Lambton argued, “The middle classes of the population, the very sinews of the population, are eager and desirous of Reform. The government believed they could introduce a bill that could satisfy the needs of the middle classes leaving only the fruitless lower class appealing for reform which they were unlikely to do as they had no real backing
The 1832 Reform Act was by no means the Great Reform that the masses of the population had desired as it left a gulf between what the population wanted, and what was actually passed as many of their initial demands were left un-addressed. The franchise was still extremely limited with only approximately 4% of the population being able to register their votes making voting extremely exclusive. The reform did not benefit the working class and brought about a feeling of betrayal as their demands had once again been un-fulfilled. The Poor Man’s Guardian (1832) stated, ‘the millions will not stop at shadows but proceed onwards to realities’. The National Union of Working Classes similarly added ‘the Bill is a mere trick to strengthen the towering exclusiveness of our blessed constitution’. Although the 1832 reform act did not achieve much in regards to the initial aims which were Universal Manhood Suffrage, Secret Ballot, Equal Representation, Annual Parliaments and the payment of the Members of Parliament. It did however, bring about optimism for future reform as it was evident to the radicals that if public pressure was large enough and with the backing of a few senior members of parliament, significant progress could be made with regards to reform. The 1867 reform act was passed after the Monarch and House of Lord officials agreed to the demand as popular support had dramatically increased during the time and with the introduction of the new Conservative government, they were keen to push it through it an attempt to gain popular support and get their party back on track after a turbulent few years with the Whig party in charge.
Popular pressure had played an important role in determining the progress of the campaign for parliamentary reform as it had positive and negative consequences. At times the pressure put on by the masses resulted in the government taking action, but at others only served to delay the reform movements. This was because of the way British society operated and some may argue still operates today. The government were often keen on crushing any radical movements which they thought might develop into revolutionary behaviour as encountered by the neighbouring French. However, as already stated there were the times where popular pressure was influential in governments passing legislation making the political and electoral system fairer. An example of this was the swing riots which led the Whigs to argue that a reform Bill was vital in order to avoid a revolution. The acts of 1832 and 1867 came about due a number of factors but the popular pressure was without doubt the most influential as it at times brought about a real fear of revolution. The acts however, were seen as conservative as they were “reform to preserve” or “reform to end all reform.” It was not until the 1884 Franchise Act was passed until the most dramatic developments were made in the attempt for political fairness with the franchise being extended by 30%. Remarkably, this came about with very little popular pressure being put on the government at the time. However, previous campaigning by the radicals meant the 1884 bill was passed as it was realised that there was a new middle class emerging. Therefore, the government passed the 1884 act to ensure that there were no fresh demands for reform which would damage their reputation In conclusion, popular pressure was an important factor in determining the progress of the campaign for parliamentary reform.
