Category: Parties

Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Constituencies, Elections, Factions, George I, George II, Georgian, Local History, Parties, Robert Walpole

One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

The elections of May 2026 in England, Scotland and Wales provide another opportunity to consider some of the features of parliamentary elections in the unreformed 18th century. Here Dr Charles Littleton looks at one of the period’s more notable constituencies and one particularly turbulent contest there. Between 1715 and 1832 there were 22 general elections. Attention to these is usually most focussed on some of … Continue reading One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

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Modern, 20th century history, Economic history, Legislative History, Parties, Ramsay MacDonald, Social history, Stanley Baldwin

The 1926 General Strike and Parliamentary Democracy

One hundred years ago today, the 1926 General Strike broke out in Britain. To mark the anniversary, Alfie Steer has explored its significance for Britain’s parliamentary system. In 1925, the private owners of Britain’s mining industry (nicknamed the ‘sick man of British capitalism’, [Miliband, p.121]) tried to revive its international competitiveness by proposing a series of drastic wage cuts and an extension in working hours. … Continue reading The 1926 General Strike and Parliamentary Democracy

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Factions, Georgian, Parliamentary Life, Parties

‘You have this day lost an agreeable entertainment in the House of Lords’: Dr John Savage, Lord Cowper’s personal parliamentary reporter

We are so used to continuous coverage of Parliament that it is easy to forget that during most of the 18th century debates in Parliament could not be made public. So how did those interested, and even engaged, in proceedings in the 18th-century Parliament know what was actually happening there? Many relied on newsletter-writers and agents, but in this latest post for the Georgian Lords, … Continue reading ‘You have this day lost an agreeable entertainment in the House of Lords’: Dr John Savage, Lord Cowper’s personal parliamentary reporter

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Contemporary History, 20th century history, Constituencies, Elections, John Major, Local History, Modern, Oral history, Parties

Christchurch 1993: By-election Campaigning in the Glare of the Media

On Thursday the voters of Gorton and Denton will elect their new MP after weeks of media speculation. This by-election had huge attention before it was even called, and in Westminster eyes are fixed on Manchester. In this article, Dr Emma Peplow uses our oral history archive interviews to look back at a very different by-election, but one that also took place under full media spotlight: … Continue reading Christchurch 1993: By-election Campaigning in the Glare of the Media

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20th century history, Constituencies, Contemporary History, Elections, Factions, John Major, Margaret Thatcher, Modern, Oral history, Parliamentary Life, Parties, Scottish History

Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

Following some recent, high-profile, political defections, Alfie Steer and Dr Emma Peplow have delved into the History of Parliament’s Oral History archive to explore historical cases of MPs changing their party affiliations: their causes, motivations and wider significance. Political defections, commonly known in Westminster parlance as ‘Crossing the Floor’, have been a phenomenon in Parliament since at least the 17th century. This has either happened … Continue reading Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

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History of Parliament Trust, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Factions, George III, Georgian, Georgian Lords, James II, Local History, Margaret Thatcher, Mary II, Military history, Parties, Stuart, William III, William Pitt the Younger

‘Confirmation of the People’s Rights’: commemorating the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688

For many, the beginning of November means the advent of longer nights as the year winds down to Christmas. Some may still enjoy attending firework displays marking the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. In November 1788, though, serious efforts were made to establish a lasting memorial to the Revolution of 1688, whose centenary was celebrated nationwide. However, as Dr Robin Eagles shows, no one … Continue reading ‘Confirmation of the People’s Rights’: commemorating the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688

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History of Parliament Trust, 18th Century history, Diplomacy and International Relations, Factions, George III, Georgian, Georgian Lords, Parties, William Pitt the Younger

‘The sect of Alarmists’: The Third Party and the reluctant leadership of William Windham, 1793-4

In this latest post, the Georgian Lords welcomes a guest article by James Orchin, PhD student at Queen’s University, Belfast, re-examining William Windham’s ‘Third Party’, known as ‘The Alarmists’. The group was mostly made up of former Foxite Whigs, who had split from Fox over the French Revolution, and found itself positioned somewhat unhappily between Pitt the Younger’s administration and the Foxite opposition in the … Continue reading ‘The sect of Alarmists’: The Third Party and the reluctant leadership of William Windham, 1793-4

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19th Century history, Parliamentary Life, Parties, Victorian, Victorian Commons, Women and Parliament

‘I have attached myself to no party’: Daniel Gaskell and parliamentary life in the 1830s

Our Victorian Commons project is shedding new light on the increasingly important role played in the behind-the-scenes business of the post-1832 House of Commons, particularly in the committee-rooms, by MPs who came from non-elite backgrounds. Dr Kathryn Rix looks at the life and career of Daniel Gaskell (1782-1875), including his friendship with the author Mary Shelley. Described by the novelist Mary Shelley as ‘a plain … Continue reading ‘I have attached myself to no party’: Daniel Gaskell and parliamentary life in the 1830s

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Georgian, 18th Century history, Diplomacy and International Relations, Frederick North, 2nd earl of Guilford, George III, Georgian Lords, Military history, Parties

From bills to bullets: Spring 1775 and the approach to war in America

A recent article in this series [Background to the American Revolution] looked at the debates in the House of Lords in early February 1775 on a bill for conciliation with the American colonies. After its rejection the imperial crisis continued to occupy the House’s attention. In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton considers the debates and divisions occasioned by the addresses, … Continue reading From bills to bullets: Spring 1775 and the approach to war in America

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19th Century history, Corruption, Elections, Electoral Reform, Parties, Victorian, Victorian Commons

The evolving electoral system: the 1835 and 1865 general elections compared

This year marks the 190th anniversary of the 1835 general election and the 160th anniversary of the 1865 general election. Our assistant editor Dr Kathryn Rix looks at some of the ways in which the electoral system had evolved in the thirty years between them. The 1835 and 1865 general elections both took place under the electoral system established by the 1832 Reform Act, with … Continue reading The evolving electoral system: the 1835 and 1865 general elections compared

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