Parliamentary Reform - The Representation of the People Act 1918 Flashcards
What was the pressure to pass the Act - Significance of the Suffragettes?
Fear of suffragette militancy that had stopped during the war could resurge
What was the pressure to pass the Act - What was the problem with soldiers?
The problem that millions of soldiers would not qualify in the 1918 election as they had been away from England too long to meet residency qualifications despite fighting for their country
What was the pressure to pass the Act - The role of women and working class men?
The contribution of women and working class men in the war meant that it was unreasonable to not grant them the vote
What was the pressure the Act - What was the attitude of Lloyd George?
The act had strong support from Lloyd George as PM
What did the Act do - Who did the Act grant the vote to?
The Act gave the vote to all adult males over 21 or 18 for war veterans
What did the Act do - Residence qualification?
Six months residence qualification instead of 12
What did the act do - Women?
Women aged 30 or over could vote if they voted in local elections, were householders, or had husbands who could vote
What was the impact of the Act - What did it do to the size of the electorate?
Tripled the electorate from 7 million to 21 million
What was the impact of the Act - How many men and women could vote?
All adult males and 8 million women could vote
What was the impact of the Act - What % of the electorate was made up of women?
Women made up 43% of the electorate
What was the impact of the Act - How many voters in 1918 had never voted before?
75% of voters in 1918 had never voted before
