GRA (UP) - Terms and Changes of the Great Reform Act

• Small boroughs lost 1 or both MPs
• 56 boroughs with a population of less than 2000 lost both MPs and were thus disenfranchised
• 31 small boroughs (2000-4000 MPs) lost one of their two MPs

This made 143 seats available for redistribution

• 65 were given to counties
• 65 given to boroughs with no MPs e.g. Leeds, Birmingham. This made the North more represented
• 8 to Scotland; 5 to Ireland
• Cornwall and Wilshire lost 50 MPs that were redistrubuted
• Total number of seats in Commons remained 658.
• Scot and lot, burgage and potwalloper boroughs gone

But...

• 50 rotten boroughs remained
• SCO and IRL still under represented
• North still under represented (2:1 ratio)

• Vote extended from landed upperclass to most of middle class
• Uniform property qualification introduced for owners of property worth £10 a year
• Also given to holders of land on leases worth £10, short leases worth £50, tenant farmers paying £50 rent p/a. 40 shilling (£2) freeholders keep vote
• Eligable voters had to register, for a a 1 shilling fee
• Electorate increased from 478000 to 8130000 (now 1/7 men, rather than 1/14)
• Bribery and corruption decreased
• Increasing franchise means Whig get more votes, and achieve own aims
• BPU achieve aims of wider suffrage

But...

• Property qualification remained £10 in IRL to exclude Catholics
• Bribery still existed
• W/c were disappointed and bereayed
• Diluted power of upper m/c
• Landlord influence remained in pocket boroughs
• Women disenfranchised from burgage boroughs because they're gone

• 143 rotten boroughs gone
• 1st bill wanted 100 gone (Fails); Pitt wanted 36 -> actually 143. Shows increasing greatness each time on a larger scale
• This means it was good compared to what came before
• Grey's own aims on corruption were achieved -> got rid of some but kept it 'acceptable'

But...

• 50 rotten boroughs remained
• No secret ballot so corruption remained