English suffrage in the 20th century. Development of the British political system in the 19th century

The political system of Great Britain in the 20th century. changed both as a result of some reforms of a constitutional nature, and mainly through modification of the previous conventions of the unwritten constitution.

Great Britain, as we know, is characterized by greater stability of political institutions and institutions than in other countries, which is the result not only of a consensus of leading political forces, but also of a preference for the evolutionary path of development over sharp “historical turns” and more flexible changes in the relationships of government bodies. The British political elite also managed to preserve and take advantage of institutions of feudal origin - the monarchy and the House of Lords.

Changes made directly to the constitutional legislation of Great Britain were, in most cases, democratic in nature. Among them, the next series of electoral law reforms, as well as parliamentary reform, should be highlighted.

The electoral reform of 1918 gave women the right to vote for the first time, but only women at least 30 years of age could vote if they or their husbands had an annual income of £5. Art. The 1928 reform extended the right to vote to all women and men over 21, establishing universal suffrage for the first time in Britain. After the Second World War, the process of democratization of voting rights reached its logical conclusion. In 1948, the Representation of the People Act eliminated the "double vote" and in 1969 the voting age was lowered to 18 years.

IN late XIX-beginning of the 20th century The English Parliament became an instrument of the government, which had a majority in the House of Commons. Organizational structure and party discipline, developed by the main parties in relation to the British system of parliamentarism, predetermined the subordination of the deputies of each party to their leader. The so-called parliamentary “whips” monitored the maintenance of party discipline and ensuring the outcome of the vote needed by the government.

The restriction of freedom of debate also contributed to the diminishment of the role of parliament. In 1882, after Irish MPs used freedom of debate to thwart emergency legislation, the House of Commons passed the Closure Rules Bill. This innovation made it possible for the government to raise the question of terminating the debate at any time if it was moving in a direction it did not like. Thus, the government, which had a majority in the House of Commons, using the right of legislative initiative, the system of “whips” and the rules of cessation of debate, determined the direction of the work of the House of Commons and subordinated the activities of the legislative body to its interests.

In this regard, the parliamentary reform of 1911, which strengthened the role of the cabinet-controlled House of Commons to the detriment of the unelected upper house, is quite easily explained. The Parliament Act 1911 limited the legislative powers of the House of Lords. The reason for its adoption was the rejection of the government budget bill by the upper house. Under the 1911 Act, a financial bill passed by the House of Commons, but not approved within a month by the House of Lords, was presented to the king for his signature and became law. With regard to non-financial bills, the following procedure was established: if such a bill was adopted by the House of Commons in three subsequent sessions and each time rejected by the House of Lords, then it was submitted to the king for approval. But at least two years had to pass between the readings of the bill in the first and third sessions, which retained the ability of the House of Lords to sabotage the adoption of non-financial bills for a long time. At the same time, the act reduced the term of office of the House of Commons from 7 to 5 years.

In 1949 the Parliament Amendment Act 1911 was passed, reducing the period of possible veto of the House of Lords on non-financial bills to one year. In addition, in the first post-war years, the Strike Law of 1927, which significantly limited the right to strike, was repealed, and reforms in education and social services were carried out.

Internal, profound changes in the political system and political system of Great Britain in the 20th century. primarily affected the relationship between the highest executive and legislative bodies. The strengthening of the role of the cabinet of ministers was accompanied by a relative decline in the role of parliament in the field of legislation and control over government activities. First of all, special legislative power delegated to it by parliament was concentrated in the hands of the government. In the previous period, acts of the executive authorities, issued with the permission of parliament (delegated legislation), concerned only secondary issues. Now parliament has delegated to the executive bodies the right to issue acts on issues that previously constituted the exclusive prerogative of the House of Commons.

Moreover, since the First World War, the British Cabinet of Ministers has also received emergency powers. In 1920, the Emergency Powers Act was passed, which gave the government the power to issue an emergency decree on behalf of the king. Such a decree could be issued if there was a “direct threat from a person or group of persons” to the supply of life support to society (food, transport, energy, etc.), and provided for the possibility of using emergency measures to maintain the “normal life of society” , providing the country with important resources and basic necessities. Parliament had to approve the decree introducing emergency powers within seven days, without considering specific ways for the government to implement them. The 1920 law was aimed primarily at strikes. In 1964, its wording was changed and it now provides for the granting of exceptional powers to the government in any emergency.

During the period between the two world wars, the British cabinet finally became the central link in the British political system. The Ministers of the Crown Act 1937, which determined the salaries of senior officials state, for the first time the existence of a prime minister and his opponent, the leader of the opposition, was legislatively (albeit indirectly) recognized. The leader of the opposition, along with the prime minister and other ministers, began to receive salaries from the state treasury.

After the Second World War, the supremacy of the cabinet in the British state machine became even more obvious. In connection with the strengthening of the power of the prime minister, the system of “cabinet rule” was transformed into a system of “rule of the prime minister”, since the prime minister, without consultation with the cabinet, began to make all the most important appointments and movements within the government, determine the order of work of the cabinet and its agenda , decide on the convocation and dissolution of the House of Commons, etc. The curtailment of collective forms in the work of the government led to the unofficial formation of the so-called internal cabinet, in the meetings of which only 4-5 ministers most trusted to the head of government participate, as well as to the emergence of an extensive system of committees. During the reign conservative party and M. Thatcher’s leadership in it, the further centralization of state power was noted, its concentration in the hands of the prime minister, the establishment of a “presidentialist” style of leadership of the party and the state.

As a result of the changes noted above in the political system of Great Britain in the 20th century. the basic principles of constitutionalism of the 18th-19th centuries, and above all the “supremacy of parliament”, were gradually deprived of real content. The same thing happened with another principle of the British constitution - parliamentary responsibility of government. The defeat of a government by a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons has become extremely rare. In the 20th century this happened only twice - in 1924 and 1979. The “party rule” of the cabinet, reliance on the parliamentary majority of members of its own party bound by party discipline, makes it possible to make its power stable and ensure parliamentary approval of its decisions.

The Crown is still considered a symbol of the stability of "good old England" and is supported as an institution by the majority of the English. In the absence of a written constitution, the limits of the king's power are not clearly defined and are determined by established political customs. Although the British monarch formally retains the power of absolute veto, dissolution of parliament and appointment of the prime minister, long political practice has reduced these prerogatives to “the power to advise, the power to approve and the power to warn.”

As for the House of Lords, according to some researchers, the medieval principles of its formation (about 1200 hereditary and granted peers) only increase modern conditions the functional role of this institution, since it is less dependent on party discipline and political conditions.

One of the long-term trends in the development of Great Britain in the 20th century. the growth of the state apparatus began. At the end of the First World War and immediately after its end, more than 5 new ministries were formed (including labor, aviation, transport, etc.), and by the mid-60s. total number ministries and central departments exceeded 100.

Residents were allowed to send one deputy instead of two, and some cities were allowed to send two deputies instead of four. As a result, 143 deputy seats were freed up, distributed between new urban and rural districts. New qualifications for voters were introduced. In the counties, active voting rights were granted to all categories of land owners with an annual income of at least 10 pounds. Art., and tenants - with an annual rent of at least 50 pounds. Art. In the cities, all men who owned or leased real estate with an annual income of 10 pounds received this right. Art. Other conditions for participating in the elections were paying a tax for the poor and living for at least 6 months in a given electoral district. The reform of 1832 had far-reaching consequences, as it put an end to the medieval system of forming the highest representative body - the House of Commons. The most important political result of the reform was also the Whigs gaining a stable majority in parliament. The compromise with the aristocracy involved a new faction - the magnates of the industrial bourgeoisie, and from that time on the history of English legislation represents a series of concessions to the industrial bourgeoisie. However, the reform of 1832 served only as the first step in the implementation of its program. Although the voting corps almost doubled, less than 5% of the total population enjoyed the right to vote after the reform. The fight for more democratic electoral reform has become one of the the most important features political development Great Britain in the 30-60s. XIX century The reform of 1867, along with the next redistribution of deputy seats, provided for a further expansion of the electoral corps, necessary in the new conditions of two-party rivalry. Suffrage in cities was extended not only to owners, but also to tenants (tenants) of apartments, if the cost of rent was at least 10 pounds. Art. in year. This more than doubled the number of voters in the cities. During the period of electoral reforms of the 30-60s. XIX century There was an organizational restructuring of the two main parties. The Whigs finally became the party of the industrial bourgeoisie, defending the principles of liberalism. The Tories expressed the interests of mainly the landowning aristocracy and the financial elite. The parties were now called "liberal" and "conservative". In connection with the introduction of voter registration procedures, party organizations emerged outside parliament “to facilitate registration.” Pre-election activities were centralized. Of particular importance were the laws of 1884 and 1885, which amounted to the third in a row in the 19th century. electoral reform. The reform of 1884 increased the electoral corps from 3 million to 5.5 million people. In cities, the property qualification was abolished, and in counties, small tenants acquired the right to participate in elections, and under the same conditions that were imposed on city voters under the reform of 1867, as well as all taxpayers living in the district for 6 months. At the same time, the “double vote” was preserved - the right to vote not only at the place of residence, but also at the location of the real estate.

More on topic 27. Electoral reforms in England in the 19th century:

§2. Judicial reform of the 19th century. Creation of a new type of advocacy
§ 6. Changes in the political system at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century.

Development voting rights throughout the 20th century. was marked by democratization and the establishment of universal suffrage. According to the Act of Parliament 1911. the term of the House of Commons was reduced to 5 years, and elections began to take place more often. (However, the circumstances of the time were not always favorable to this: for example, the parliament of 1910 extended its powers 5 times, the parliament of 1935 also renewed the powers of deputies 5 times.) According to the new electoral law of 1918, voting rights were granted to almost all men (over 21 years of age) , with the corresponding qualification of residence or ownership of any commercial building) and partly for women (over 30 years of age and owning real estate with an income of 5 pounds per year). Only in 1928 was the suffrage of men and women equalized: all those who applied for the Crown were allowed to vote (subject to the conditions of being settled for 3 months, owning real estate or an enterprise, or graduating from university; the clause on receiving poverty benefits as a condition for not admitting for the elections). Finally, in 1945, the basis for restrictions on voting rights was once again reduced and simplified. Minors, peers, sheriff election commissioners, the mentally ill, convicted and unserved prisoners, and those convicted of election crimes continue to be disenfranchised. The restrictions on passive suffrage are more detailed and also include persons receiving crown pensions, bankrupts and certain others. In 1969, the voting age was set at 18 years (for passive suffrage - 21 years).

The changes also affected electoral system, eliminating the last vestiges of corporate representation and introducing territorial equality. The 1918 Act, along with the expansion of suffrage, equalized the electoral systems in cities and counties, the number of constituencies with two parliamentary seats was reduced to 12 (since 1885 this remained the City of London, universities and 23 tiny towns). In 1948, double districts were completely destroyed, and other archaisms of the electoral system disappeared. One deputy is nominated from an electoral district (with a registered number of voters of 70 thousand), determined on the basis of the relative majority of votes cast. However, in reality, in the elections of the late 20th century. districts of both 18 thousand and 125 thousand voters were preserved. The registration procedure was introduced in 1944. Since 1985, Britons living abroad also received the right to participate in elections. The redistribution of districts is carried out by special 4 commissions every 5-7 years on the basis of the laws of 1944 and, most recently, 1983.

The relationship between parliament and government was characterized by a gradual reduction in the influence of parliament on ministers in current activities. Only twice in the entire century. (1924 and 1979) and under specific circumstances, parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the cabinet. Parliament practically limited its activities only to legislation. Moreover, here, too, the influence of the government was decisive: of the 60-70 bills introduced annually by the government, up to 90% were approved, while of the 90-100 private bills of deputies - no more than 15%. Based on the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1974, the requirement for “urgency” in discussing a government project came into practice - i.e. almost no debate. “Closing debate” on a particular issue became more common (although the long-standing “guillotine” rule was rarely applied).

In 1967, a new constitutional institution emerged, important for the relationship between parliament and government - parliamentary commissioner for administrative matters, or ombudsman*. He was appointed by the government in agreement with parliament (which could remove him) and was responsible for checking the activities of ministries regarding compliance civil rights(the ombudsman’s office could not extend its control to the police, self-government bodies, or industrial enterprises). The institution of the commissioner somewhat compensated for the reduction in parliamentary oversight activities and made the connection between parliament as an integral body and voters more direct.

* The institution of the ombudsman (“complainant”) arose in 1713 in Sweden. This was a special inspector who accepted private complaints and came to the administration authorities to check them, giving 1 day’s notice. Became widespread in the 20th century. in Denmark, Norway, New Zealand.

According to the Reform Act of 1832, adopted at the initiative of the Whigs, more than 50 “rotten towns” with a population of less than 2 thousand inhabitants were deprived of representation in Parliament. Thirty small cities with a population of less than 4 thousand inhabitants were allowed to send one deputy instead of two, and some cities - two deputies instead of four. As a result, 143 deputy seats were freed up, distributed between new urban and rural districts. New qualifications for voters were introduced. In the counties, active voting rights were granted to all categories of land owners with an annual income of at least 10 pounds. Art., and tenants - with an annual rent of at least 50 pounds. Art. In the cities, all men who owned or leased real estate with an annual income of 10 pounds received this right. Art. Other conditions for participating in the elections were paying a tax for the poor and living for at least 6 months in a given electoral district. The reform of 1832 had far-reaching consequences, as it put an end to the medieval system of forming the highest representative body - the House of Commons. The most important political result of the reform was also the Whigs gaining a stable majority in parliament. The compromise with the aristocracy involved a new faction - the magnates of the industrial bourgeoisie, and from that time on the history of English legislation represents a series of concessions to the industrial bourgeoisie. However, the reform of 1832 served only as the first step in the implementation of its program. Although the voting corps almost doubled, less than 5% of the total population enjoyed the right to vote after the reform. The struggle for more democratic reform of the electoral system became one of the most important features of the political development of Great Britain in the 30-60s. XIX century The reform of 1867, along with the next redistribution of deputy seats, provided for a further expansion of the electoral corps, necessary in the new conditions of two-party rivalry. Suffrage in cities was extended not only to owners, but also to tenants (tenants) of apartments, if the cost of rent was at least 10 pounds. Art. in year. This more than doubled the number of voters in the cities. During the period of electoral reforms of the 30-60s. XIX century There was an organizational restructuring of the two main parties. The Whigs finally became the party of the industrial bourgeoisie, defending the principles of liberalism. The Tories expressed the interests of mainly the landowning aristocracy and the financial elite. The parties were now called "liberal" and "conservative". In connection with the introduction of voter registration procedures, party organizations emerged outside parliament “to facilitate registration.” Pre-election activities were centralized. Of particular importance were the laws of 1884 and 1885, which amounted to the third in a row in the 19th century. electoral reform. The reform of 1884 increased the electoral corps from 3 million to 5.5 million people. In cities, the property qualification was abolished, and in counties, small tenants acquired the right to participate in elections, and under the same conditions that were imposed on city voters under the reform of 1867, as well as all taxpayers living in the district for 6 months. At the same time, the “double vote” was preserved - the right to vote not only at the place of residence, but also at the location of the real estate.

61. The emergence and features of the American state. Within the framework, the British colonial empire was divided into 2 types of colonies:

colonies conquered, in which the native population predominated (India).

Resettlement, in which the white population predominated. By the middle of the 18th century North America there were 13 colonies of England, which were under the control of Great Britain and, accordingly, their inhabitants were subjects of the English king. Some colonies were governed by royal charters - popular ones. They had self-government bodies. Others were called “crown” - they were ruled by governors appointed by the king.

Possessive- belonged to private individuals. From the very beginning of the formation of these colonies, the difference between the north and south began to appear. In the northern and central colonies, mainly representatives of the bourgeoisie and peasantry settled, which predetermined the principles of the farmer path of the colonies, while aristocrats settled in the southern ones - the plantation path of development. While there was free land, there was a shortage of workers. The solution was found first in “white” and then black slavery. In relation to its colonies, Great Britain pursued a policy of turning them into sources of cheap raw materials and a market for its goods. This status of the colonies hampered the development of capitalism, so the war for independence that began at the end of the 18th century was a kind of bourgeois revolution. The objective reason for this war was the following abuses of royal power: In the sphere Agriculture. The metropolis introduced restrictions on the development of free land. In the industrial sphere. The metropolis restrained the development of manufacturing industry; a ban on metalworking was introduced in the colony. In the sphere of trade. The metropolis forbade the colonies to directly trade with other countries and have their own merchant fleet. In the sphere of colonial management. Officials began to allow administrative arbitrariness. In 1774, representatives of the colonies gathered at the First Continental Congress. Congress demanded that the king eliminate all abuses, in response, the king sent troops, and so the War of Independence began. To justify the war, the second Congress met in 1776, which adopted the Declaration of Independence. At the beginning of this Declaration, the purpose of its adoption is indicated - to explain to all countries the reasons for the war with Great Britain. The author was T. Jefferson. He based the Declaration on two concepts: the theory of natural rights and the contractual theory of the origin of the state. Conventionally, it has 4 parts: the proclamation of natural rights. To ensure these rights, “the consent of the governed is approved by the government; if the government violates natural rights, then the people have the right to break the political connection with the government and form a new one.” The third part lists the crowns. Authorities, i.e. evidence. Conclusion: the colonies are declared independent states. T. Jefferson proposed enshrining in the Declaration a clause prohibiting slavery, but representatives of the south did not allow this. The need for reference general war predetermined the creation of a union of states. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation were adopted. This act proclaimed the creation of a perpetual union of the United States. In this act, all states retained the status of independent states and the union was of a military and externally political nature. Solution general bodies: Congress and state committees were only advisory in nature and were implemented only if they were approved in the states themselves. From 2 to 7 representatives from each state sat in Congress, but when voting, the state had 1 vote. Thus. According to this act, the United States did not represent a single union state, but was only a confederation. In 1783, the war ended with the victory of the states and the signing of the Peace Treaty of Versailles.

Main contradiction in the development of the parliamentary monarchy in England after the Glorious Revolution was the contradiction between the rapidly growing economic power of the industrial bourgeoisie and established regime of parliamentary oligarchy, reflecting the interests of the landed aristocracy. Achieved during the "Glorious Revolution" compromise between ruling class land magnates and the trade and financial bourgeoisie in terms of guaranteeing the interests of the latter was not followed. The regime of parliamentary oligarchy ceased to meet the needs of the new classes that entered the historical arena during industrial revolution 60–80s XVIII century The industrial revolution meant the transition from manufacture to a system of machines - the factory. The dominance of the factory, the emergence of new machines, and the active use of water and steam energy significantly increased the productivity of social labor. This had an impact on all aspects of English society and made England the first industrial country in the world. The Industrial Revolution changed social structure English society. Main classes industrial society in cities of steel industrial bourgeoisie and proletariat, and in rural areas – large capitalist farmers, rented lands from aristocratic landlords, and farmhands.

By the beginning of the 19th century. England has transformed from a rural country into urbanized. The population of cities grew rapidly due to peasants fleeing from the villages, who could no longer feed their families due to lack of land. Cities became the focus of the bourgeoisie, but not the financial and commercial one, as before, but the industrial one. Although it was the industrial bourgeoisie and tenant farmers who were deprived the opportunity to determine the political course and participate in government. Real political power was concentrated in the hands of the English aristocracy. The industrial and rural bourgeoisie sought to redistribute power resources in their favor in accordance with their increased economic power. Her main task was to establish political control over the lower house of parliament - House of Commons. However, the establishment of full power of the bourgeoisie in the lower house was hampered by the archaic electoral system, preserved since the Middle Ages, which allowed the landed aristocracy to send its representatives to the House of Commons. Only reform of the electoral system would allow the bourgeoisie to expand its political representation in parliament.

Electoral reform of 1832 and its political consequences. The political representation of land magnates in the House of Commons made it possible to control the electoral system that developed during the existence of medieval parliament. The electoral districts were unequal the deputy corps was formed not by industrial cities, but small villages and towns, had electoral advantages. Of the 658 members of the House of Commons, 467 elected small towns and villages - "rotten places"These were villages or settlements where several hundred people lived. At one time they received electoral privileges and enjoyed them. Very often such towns belonged to a lord, and elections actually turned into the appointment of a deputy by the lord. Tenants of the landlords' land voted on their instructions. Shtetls of this kind were aptly called “pocket.” According to the French historian Charles Seignobos (1854–1942), in accordance with this voting system, it was believed that out of 658 deputies, 424 were appointed in advance. On average, per one such place, according to Russian calculations statesman Alexander Gradovsky (1841–1889) accounted for 12 voters, sending two deputies to parliament. At the same time, the interests of 500,000 people in London (18th century) were represented in the House of Commons by four deputies. Electoral Corps, those. the number of citizens who had the right to vote was narrow and closed. Of the 14 million people living in England and Wales at the beginning of the 19th century, 300 thousand people enjoyed active suffrage (i.e. the right to vote), and only 15 thousand voters chose most members of parliament.

Consequently, the bourgeoisie, proletariat, rural tenants and farm laborers were deprived of the opportunity to represent their interests in parliament. The bourgeoisie managed to win over the broad masses of the people. The reform movement spread throughout the country and reached millions of people. The Whigs, more closely associated with the bourgeoisie than the Tories, were forced to accept the need for electoral reform. The electoral reform project was introduced into parliament by the head of the Whig government Gray and was rejected three times by the House of Lords. After this, Gray resigned, and demonstrations of workers and the bourgeoisie swept across the country in support of the Whig project. Aggravation political struggle contributed to the July Revolution (1830) in France. England stood on the threshold of a new revolution. Under these conditions, the Tory government was forced to make concessions.

The Reform Bill was passed in July 1832 under the title "An Act for the Improvement of the Representation of the People in England and Wales." Was electoral geography changed, those. a new division of electoral districts was carried out, taking into account the consequences of the industrial revolution. 56 “rotten” towns and all towns with a population of less than 2 thousand people lost representation in parliament. 30 cities with a population of 2 to 4 thousand people could now send one representative to parliament instead of two. As a result, 143 seats were vacated in parliament, which were distributed as follows: 62 seats were given to counties, 63 to cities and 18 to Scotland and Ireland.

Simultaneously with the redistribution of electoral districts, new electoral qualification. Old the electoral qualification introduced in the Middle Ages and amounting to 40 shillings - the amount required for the maintenance and equipment of a knight was canceled. The right to vote in parliamentary elections was given to those residents of counties and cities who owned property that brought in 10 pounds per year. Art. income. In the cities it was the owner of the house and the tenant of the house, whose income reached 10 pounds. Art. per year (i.e. equal to the income of an average tenant). In rural areas these were owners, long-term tenants with an income of 10 pounds. Art. and short-term tenants with an income of £50. Art. As a result of the reform, the number of voters increased slightly: in counties it rose from 247 to 376 thousand, and in cities - from 188 to 256 thousand people. The electoral reform of 1832 meant political victory bourgeoisie over the landed aristocracy.

Political consequences The changes to the electoral system in England were as follows. Firstly, as a result of the reform of 1832, the balance of power between the House of Lords and the House of Commons changed in favor of the latter. She now has the right to be called " representative of the interests of the entire country." Secondly, The reform deprived the lords and the king of the opportunity to influence the composition of the House of Commons with the help of “pocket” and “rotten” places. Third, after the electoral reform of 1832 in England finally the principle of responsible government was established, remaining in power as long as it had the confidence and support of a majority of the House of Commons. The state apparatus and local government were adapted to the new working conditions. Fourthly, there was a process institutionalization political parties in their modern understanding and folding the classic two-party system of England. However, neither the large industrial proletariat, nor the petty bourgeoisie, nor the rural farm laborers have not received voting rights as a result of the reform of 1832 and could not influence government policy.

Electoral reform of 1867 The electoral reform of 1867 was a consequence of objective coincidence of requirements, on the one hand, industrial proletariat England, who associated the improvement of their living conditions with the introduction of universal suffrage, and on the other - liberal bourgeoisie, advocated further democratization political system and in need of a new ally in the person of the labor aristocracy. The workers hoped to achieve their goal by organizing demonstrations, rallies, and submitting petitions to parliament demanding universal suffrage. These petitions were called "People's Charters"(from English - charter). From here Chartists- These are supporters of the charter.

The Working Men's Association, created in 1836 in London, developed and submitted to Parliament in 1838. first petition about the People's Charter. It was signed by 1,280 thousand Englishmen, and it contained 6 demands: 1) universal suffrage for men who have reached the age of 21 and have lived in a given parish for at least 6 months; 2) abolition of the property qualification for candidates for parliamentary deputies; 3) equal representation and equalization of electoral districts; 4) annual parliamentary elections; 5) remuneration for the work of deputies; 6) secret ballot. But parliament refused to recognize this charter. The protest rallies were brutally suppressed by the police. In May 1842 the Chartists filed second petition which this time was signed by 3315 thousand people, i.e. more than half of the adult population of England at that time. This petition was also rejected. Government repression against the Chartist movement was intensified. Third petition with the signatures of 5 million people was submitted to parliament on April 10, 1848. However, it was also rejected by parliament. Massive repressions destroyed the Chartist movement. But the ruling circles of England understood the impossibility of coping with the growing labor movement on their own. They were looking for an ally and found him in labor aristocracy– a layer of qualified, highly paid workers. Bribing her with higher wages, providing some political rights, the bourgeoisie used it in the fight against the revolutionary proletariat of England. The electoral reform of 1867 served the same purpose, as a result of which not only the industrial and commercial bourgeoisie, but also the labor aristocracy received the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

Electoral Reform Bill was proposed by the Whigs but accepted by the Cabinet conservatives headed by B. Disraeli. The electoral reform of 1867 provided for: 1) a new redistribution of seats in parliament and 2) a change in the electoral qualification. Changes in electoral geography were minimal. They affected 11 “rotten” towns, which were deprived of representation in parliament, and 35 towns retained the right to elect only one deputy. As a result, 53 mandates were redistributed: 30 deputy mandates were given to counties, and 23 to the largest cities. However, still big cities had 34 mandates out of 560. It was expanded more radically electoral corps, which increased by 1 million people. It included a large number of petty and middle bourgeoisie, labor aristocracy, all those who paid the tax. This was a fundamental innovation in electoral legislation. IN counties the property qualification was reduced from 10 to 5 pounds. Art. annual income. The right to vote was also granted to persons who paid income tax in the amount of 12 pounds. Art. regardless of the type of property. Suffrage in cities received by persons who, for 12 months, as owners or tenants, occupied a residential building or part of it in the form of a separate apartment, regardless of the cost of the apartment, who paid tax in favor of the poor, as well as persons renting an unfurnished apartment for 12 months for a fee of 10 pounds . Art. Only representatives of the labor aristocracy could occupy a separate apartment.

Essential shortcomings the electoral reform of 1867 were: 1) maintaining the uneven distribution of electoral districts; 2) disenfranchisement of the bulk of the working class (two thirds of the adult male population) and the lack of voting rights for women; 3) preservation of the open voting procedure (until 1872).

Electoral reform 1884–1885 The third electoral reform was intended to: 1) eliminate disproportions between the different number of voters and the number of mandates in different districts; 2) eliminate the plural vote, i.e. the opportunity for one voter to vote several times in the locations of their real estate; 3) provide the right to vote to “new” voters by eliminating the diversity of electoral qualifications.

In December 1884, the electoral reform law came into force. The number of voters in England increased by 2 million to reach 5 million. The main significance of the new electoral law was that it provided the right to vote in counties persons renting unfurnished apartments for a fee of 10 pounds. Art. in year. Property qualification in cities was canceled. Voting rights were limited to a set of qualifications: qualifications of residence, gender, mandatory inclusion in the electoral lists. Women, men under 21, and persons who received assistance from the parish within 12 months did not receive voting rights. Persons who did not live in the district for the period specified by law - six months - were excluded from participating in the elections. A prerequisite for having active voting rights was inclusion to the electoral lists. In England the procedure for registering voters was very complex. It was regulated by 117 acts issued previously. Particular difficulties were created for people renting apartments: they had to register every year, so they often did not bother about adding them to the electoral lists. As a result, only one in six people enjoyed the right to vote in England before the First World War.

Law 1885 installed new a principle of representation that radically changed electoral geography. Previously, deputies to parliament were elected from the county or city as special legal institutions. Now introduced universal unit for cities and rural areas – constituency. An electoral district with a population of 15 to 50 thousand people elects one deputy. If there are more than 50 thousand, but less than 65 thousand people in the district, then the district will have the right to send two deputies to parliament. The district with a population of more than 65 thousand people elected three deputies to parliament. Was introduced majoritarian system of relative majority: The winner of the three candidates in the constituency was the one who received more votes than the other candidates. Finally it was installed parliamentary term of office" The deputy is elected for seven years.

Despite all the limitations of the electoral reforms of the 19th century, political life Millions of voters were attracted to the country: five-sixths of the adult male population of England received the right to vote.