Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act

Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of Commons 1832-1868 Commons project, discuses the impact of the 1832 reform legislation on English electoral politics. This article draws from Martin’s book, Mapping the State: English boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act (2024) which is available to download free in open access. The 1832 Reform Act (and its associated legislation, the 1832 Boundary Act) reshaped … Continue reading Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act

The 1832 Reform Act

‘Was the 1832 Reform Act “Great”?’ may not be the standard exam question it once was, but ongoing research about the Act’s broader legacy and impact on political culture, based on new resources and analytical techniques, continues to reshape our understanding of its place in modern British political development, as Dr Philip Salmon of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project explains. For a 20 minute … Continue reading The 1832 Reform Act

‘The power of returning our members will henceforth be in our own hands’: parliamentary reform and its impact on Exeter, 1820-1868

Dr Martin Spychal, research fellow for the Commons 1832-68, uses polling and voter registration data to explore the 1832 Reform Act’s impact on elections in Exeter. Continue reading ‘The power of returning our members will henceforth be in our own hands’: parliamentary reform and its impact on Exeter, 1820-1868