Category Archives: Local government

Vaccination and the Vote: a Victorian dilemma

Posted on March 22, 2021 by salmonphilip

With mass vaccinations underway across the nation, spare a thought for the Victorian pioneers of the UK’s first major vaccination programme, against smallpox. As well as battling against all sorts of safety fears and logistical problems, they unwittingly found themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Local government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Local polls and general elections: a Victorian perspective

Posted on May 4, 2017 by salmonphilip

As barometers of political opinion, local elections have long had a special place in British politics, offering useful (though not necessarily accurate) guides to national trends. The link between local and national polls, however, has always been complicated. As the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections, Local government | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An ‘upstart from the ranks’: MP of the Month, John Thomas Norris (1808-70)

Posted on May 24, 2016 by salmonphilip

Norris’s political career illustrates a number of the striking developments being explored in our work on the Victorian Commons, including the ever-expanding number of ‘non-elite’ MPs; the role of town council elections as a stepping stone to Parliament; and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Local government, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

180th Anniversary of Town Council Elections

Posted on October 16, 2015 by salmonphilip

This month marks the anniversary of a completely new system of local elections being implemented throughout England and Wales. One hundred and eighty years ago, almost 180 boroughs in England and Wales began to publish the lists of all those … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Local government | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Victorian Political Memorabilia

Posted on January 14, 2015 by salmonphilip

One of the many eye-openers of this project has been the sheer amount of political memorabilia produced by the Victorians. British politics has of course always been associated with satirical prints and various forms of commemorative art. However, the volume … Continue reading →

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The Victorian female franchise

Posted on March 18, 2013 by salmonphilip

Welcome to the first of our guest blogs. On BBC Radio 4 tonight Dr Sarah Richardson presents a programme about the discovery of an early Victorian poll book listing women voters (click here to listen). Female participation in non-parliamentary elections … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Guest blog, Local government, women | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments