Significance of the Whig Reforms www.educationforum.co.uk

Factory Act 1833 The 10 Hours Movement of working men and women had campaigned hard for factory reform – they were disappointed by the Act which focussed only on children Working people lost faith in the Whigs turning more to the Chartist Movement Inspector system set up by the Act (all four of them!) wasn’t very effective in the short term, but in the long term had set a precedent and a structure for later factory reform.

Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Reinforced the Elizabethan view that poverty and unemployment was down to personal choice and personal shortcomings. Conditions in the Union workhouses were dreadful – segregation, families split up, ‘prison’ uniforms and regulations, dreadful food and hard labour. ‘Fear of the workhouse’ became a feature of working class culture for 100 years Widespread resistance to the PLAA in industrial north with the industrial working class again losing faith with the Whigs and turning more and more to radical movements like Chartism

Municipal Corporations Act 1835 Consolidated new found middle class political power with the extension of local votes to the middle class New councils dominated by businessmen, shopkeepers and professionals Law and order and the protection of property improved with policing Local government still unwilling to tackle the problems with affected the working class most – housing, clean water, sewers

Other Changes The Education grant can be seen as a tentative first step towards state education. More rights for religious minorities: 1836 Marriage Act gave Nonconformists and Catholics the right to marry in their own churches London University (who admitted non C of E students) given right to confer degrees

Summary Some influence of Benthamite idea of ‘utility’ evident Some influence of humanitarianism Middle class ideas of economic laissez faire however still a powerful influence Very little for the poor – in fact emerge from the Whig years in a worse position than before – working class turn political attention to Chartism

1834 Interruption In July 1834 Grey resigned to be succeeded by Melbourne. Melbourne didn’t really want the job and by November had resigned. King William then asks Robert Peel to form a minority Tory Government. The Tories are defeated 6 times in 6 weeks in the Commons and by 1835 the Whigs are back in office.

Tamworth Manifesto and the birth of Conservatism The only act of any significance during peel’s very brief premiership was the ‘Tamworth Manifesto’ – an address Peel made to the votes of Tamworth (his constituency) in 1835. Peel redefined Toryism as ‘Conservatism’ accepting the changes of the Great Reform Bill and ending the Tory resistance to all change. From this point on the Conservatives believe in ‘conserving’ was is good but also to ‘redress for proven grievances’