Tag: Hustings

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

‘Damn the secret ballot’: the UK’s public voting system before 1872

Today (18 July) marks another anniversary of the 1872 Secret Ballot Act, a topic we examined in more detail in a seminar back in 2022 (click here to view). But secret voting is now so engrained in our political culture that it’s easy to lose sight of the way the public voting system that served Britain for so many centuries worked. We’ve touched on public … Continue reading ‘Damn the secret ballot’: the UK’s public voting system before 1872

Philip Salmon1 Comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Victorian, Women and Parliament

The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster

In the second of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s introduction to electoral politics at the 1832 election and her preparations for the 1833 parliamentary session… The 1832 election introduced Harriet Grote (1792-1878) to several of the traditional, and not so traditional, avenues through which a politician’s wife could engage in nineteenth-century electoral politics. As I discussed … Continue reading The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster

Martin SpychalLeave a comment
Georgian Elections Project, 18th Century history, Elections, Georgian, History of Parliament Trust, Local History, Parties

Hustings and leadership debates 18th-century style

Leadership debates, as experienced in modern elections, were not a feature of 18th-century contests. However, as Dr Robin Eagles shows in the latest post for the Georgian Elections Project, that does not mean that there was not plenty of opportunity for candidates to address their prospective constituents and be quizzed on their record. As Frank O’Gorman has shown, the qualities looked for in 18th-century MPs, … Continue reading Hustings and leadership debates 18th-century style

Robin EaglesLeave a comment
Georgian Elections Project, 18th Century history, Elections, Georgian, Social history, Women and Parliament

Political Grandstanding in the 18th Century

In an age of social media and immediate news coverage, publicity opportunities have become a central part of political strategy- particularly in the run up to a General Election. But even in the 18th century politicians looked for ways to generate attention when on the campaign trail. Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project, looks at some of these in the … Continue reading Political Grandstanding in the 18th Century

Robin Eagles1 Comment