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How far do you agree that changes in the franchise had the most influence on making the British parliamentary system more representative of the British population in the period 1830 - 1931?
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How far do you agree that changes in the franchise had the most influence on making the British parliamentary system more representative of the British population in the period 1830 - 1931? During the lead up to the First Reform Act, the Whig government had no intention of accepting proposals for universal male suffrage, nor did they want a transference of power to the lower classes via an extension of the franchise - They wanted to preserve as much as possible the social and political status quo. The 1832 Act extended the franchise to propertied middle classes with the total electorate increasing by 49%; however this meant that only 1 man in 5 had the vote and still only represented less than 8% of the total population of the country. The Act even took the vote away from some, especially those who lived in such boroughs as Scot and Lot, which were...
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