The Development of British Democracy

This section covers how the UK became a full democracy — from a narrow property-based franchise at the start of the 19th century to universal adult suffrage by the mid-20th century.

What Is Democracy?

Democracy is a system of government where the whole adult population has a say — either through direct voting or by choosing representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

At the start of the 19th century, Britain was not a democracy in the modern sense. Although MPs were elected, only a small group of people could vote: men over 21 who owned a certain amount of property. Over the course of the 19th century, the franchise (the right to vote) gradually expanded, and political parties began involving ordinary men and women as members.

The Chartists

In the 1830s and 1840s, a group called the Chartists campaigned for six reforms:

• Every man to have the vote
• Elections every year
• All regions to be equal in the electoral system
• Secret ballots
• Any man to be able to stand as an MP
• MPs to be paid

At the time, the campaign was widely seen as a failure. But by 1918, most of these reforms had been adopted.

Extending the Franchise

Check That You Understand

• How democracy has developed in the UK
• What the Chartists campaigned for
• How and when the voting franchise was extended