Conservative Party (United Kingdom) in the context of "Reform Acts"

⭐ In the context of Reform Acts, the Conservative Party is considered to have significantly contributed to electoral change by…

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⭐ Core Definition: Conservative Party (United Kingdom)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, commonly the Conservative Party and colloquially the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party. It sits on the centre-right to right-wing of the left–right political spectrum. Following its defeat by Labour at the 2024 general election it is currently the second-largest party by the number of votes cast and number of seats in the House of Commons; as such it has the formal parliamentary role of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. It encompasses various ideological factions including one-nation conservatives, Thatcherites and traditionalist conservatives. There have been 20 Conservative prime ministers.

The Conservative Party was founded in 1834 from the Tory Party and was one of two dominant political parties in the 19th century, along with the Liberal Party. Under Benjamin Disraeli it played a preeminent role in politics at the height of the British Empire. In 1912 the Liberal Unionist Party merged with the party to form the Conservative and Unionist Party. Its rivalry with the Labour Party has shaped modern British politics for the last century. David Cameron sought to modernise the party after his election as leader in 2005, and the party governed from 2010 to 2024 under five prime ministers, latterly Rishi Sunak.

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👉 Conservative Party (United Kingdom) in the context of Reform Acts

The Reform Acts (or Reform Bills, before they were passed) are legislation enacted in the United Kingdom in the 19th and 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. When short titles were introduced for these acts, they were usually Representation of the People Act.

These began with the Reform Act 1832, Reform Act 1867, and the Representation of the People Act 1884, to increase the electorate for the House of Commons and remove certain inequalities in representation. The bill of 1832 disfranchised many boroughs which enjoyed undue representation and increased that of the large towns, at the same time extending the franchise. It was put through Parliament by the Whigs. The bill of 1867 was passed by the Conservatives under the urging of the Liberals, while that of 1882 was introduced by the Liberals and passed in 1884. These latter two bills provided for a more democratic representation.

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