Milestones of the British Constitution

Key laws and developments that have contributed to the development of the constitution

Democratisation

Great Reform Act 1832
- Abolished “rotten boroughs” (constituencies with very few voters)
- Extended voting rights to middle-class men
- Increased electorate 400k->650k
Second Reform Act 1867
- Extended voting rights to respectable urban working-class men
- Reduced property qualifications for voting
- Doubled electorate to ~2 million
Representation of the People Act 1884
- Extended voting rights to to rural working-class men
- Increased electorate to ~5 million
Representation of the People Act 1918
- Gave vote to all men over 21
- Gave vote to women over 30 (with property qualifications)
- Increased electorate from 8m -> 21m
Equal Franchise Act 1928
- Extended vote to all women over 21 on equal terms with men
- Removed property qualifications for women
- Created universal adult suffrage
Representation of the People Act 1969
- Lowered voting age from 21 to 18 for both men and women

Tony Blair (Labour PM 1997-2007) modernised the House of Lords
- House of Lords Act 1999
- As a legislative body
- As a judicial body
  - HoL was highest court
  - Law Lords of the HoL
David Cameron wanted to introduce 80% elected members in 2012
- Only 20% would be nominated
House of Lords Reform Act 2014

Modernised the monarchy
Succession to the Crown Act 2013 replaced primogeniture (firstborn son privilege)
It is hard to eradicate the monarchy from the constitution
- The constitution has evolved from + around the monarchy