Tag Archives: general elections

The power of the (silk) purse: electioneering in nineteenth-century Macclesfield

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Kathryn Rix

This blog originally appeared on the main History of Parliament blog as part of its Local History series. One of the most significant aspects of the 1832 Reform Act was its redrawing of the electoral map, taking seats away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Corruption, Elections | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

MP of the Month: John Barton Willis Fleming (1781-1844)

Posted on March 28, 2018 by salmonphilip

With modern electioneering tactics currently attracting so much scrutiny at home and abroad, our Victorian MP of the Month focuses on a notorious election fixer or ‘boroughmonger’, whose activities increasingly pushed the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. His refusal to answer … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Party Affiliation in the Reformed Commons, 1832-68

Posted on June 19, 2017 by sball1832

As the election results were declared in each constituency at this month’s general election, they were swiftly collated by the media to give an assessment of the overall balance of power within the new House of Commons. With each candidate’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Minority governments and major change: a Victorian view

Posted on June 12, 2017 by salmonphilip

For most modern commentators the prospects for minority governments, based on the experience of the last half century or so, don’t look particularly good. Nearly all the recent examples currently being revisited by analysts, such as those of the 1970s, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Parliamentary life | 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