The 1830 UK general election, fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, saw electoral reform as a major election issue. The Swing Riots were a widespread uprising by the rural workers of the arable south and east of England in 1830. Electoral reform is change in Electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results Polling took place in July and August^[1] and the Tories won a majority over the Whigs, but division among Tory MPs allowed Earl Grey to form an effective government and take the question of electoral reform to the country the following year. In the political tradition of some English-speaking countries, the term Tory has referred to a variety of political parties and Creeds since it was The Whigs (with the Tories) are often described as one of two political parties in England and later the United Kingdom from the late 17th to Charles Grey 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC (13 March 1764 &ndash 17 July 1845 known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807 was a British The 1831 UK general election, the last before the Reform Act of 1832, saw Electoral reform as the major election issue

The election produced the first parliament of the reign of William IV. William IV (William Henry 21 August 1765 &ndash 20 June 1837 was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until

The eighth United Kingdom Parliament was dissolved on 24 July 1830. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display The new Parliament was summoned to meet on 14 September 1830, for a maximum seven year term from that date. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display The maximum term could be and normally was curtailed, by the monarch dissolving the Parliament, before its term expired.

Political Situation

Duke of Wellington

Earl Grey

The Tory leader, at the time of the 1830 election, was the Duke of Wellington. Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c He had been Prime Minister since 1828.

The previous Parliament had seen unstable, with both principal parties fractured. During the 1826-1830 Parliament, there had been four Tory Prime Ministers. The Earl of Liverpool, who had been Prime Minister since 1812, was forced by ill health to retire in 1827. Robert Banks Jenkinson 2nd Earl of Liverpool (7 June 1770 &ndash 4 December 1828 was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the

George Canning, who had been Leader of the House of Commons under Liverpool, became Prime Minister in early 1827. George Canning (11 April 1770 &ndash 8 August 1827 was a British statesman and Politician who served as Foreign Secretary and is at present the shortest serving The High Tories, led by the Duke of Wellington and Robert Peel, refused to serve in his government. Canning invited a section of the Whigs, including Lansdowne to join a coalition ministry with the Canningite faction of the Tory Party. Canningites was the name used for a faction of British Tories in the 1800s through the 1820s who were led by George Canning. Other Whigs, like Earl Grey, remained in opposition. Some Whigs like Viscount Althorp adopted a neutral attitude to the government.

After Canning's death in August 1827, the premiership passed to the Viscount Goderich for a few more months, until Wellington took over on 22 January 1828. Frederick John Robinson 1st Earl of Ripon PC (1 November 1782 &ndash 28 January 1859 Frederick John Robinson until 1827 The Viscount Goderich Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Those Whigs who had been in both Canning's and Goderich's governments returned to the opposition . For a short while a band of M. P. s and Peers who had been supporters of Canning (hence the Canningites) were in included in Wellington's government but left on the issue of the re-distribution of seats from the corrupt parliamentary borough of East Retford in May 1828. Canningites was the name used for a faction of British Tories in the 1800s through the 1820s who were led by George Canning. Retford is a Market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the County town of Nottingham

There was a further split in the Tory adminstration in 1829 on the issue of Catholic emancipation when Daniel O'Connell and his Catholic Association won a parliamentary seat. Daniel O'Connell ( 6 August 1775 &ndash 15 May 1847) ( Dónal Ó Conaill) known as The Liberator, or The Emancipator The Catholic Association was an Irish Roman Catholic political organisation set up by Daniel O'Connell in the early nineteenth century to campaign for Catholic Legally barred from taking his seat in the House of Commons because he was a catholic, Wellington's government was forced to bring about a change but led to another split in their party - this time with the creation of the 'Ultra-Tory' group led by M. The Ultra-Tories were a Right-wing Anglican section of the British Tory Party that broke away from the party in 1829 after the passing of Catholic P. Edward Knatchbull and supported by a number of influential peers in the House of Lords. Sir Edward Knatchbull 9th Baronet, PC, FRS ( 20 December 1781 &ndash 24 May 1849) was a British Conservative

There had not been a predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807. The Ministry of All the Talents was formed by William Wyndham Grenville 1st Baron Grenville on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on The Whig Party had had weak leadership, particularly in the House of Commons, for many years. However during the 1826-1830 Parliament the situation improved.

At the time of the general election, the Earl Grey was the leading figure amongst the Whig peers. Charles Grey 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC (13 March 1764 &ndash 17 July 1845 known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807 was a British However Grey had given up the formal leadership in 1824. The Marquess of Lansdowne was acting as leader, but had not taken up the title. Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne KG, PC, FRS ( 2 July 1780 – 31 January 1863) The animosity which King George IV had to Earl Grey had barred him from government, but in the new reign his chances of office had improved.

There had been no official Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons since 1821, but in 1830 the Whigs selected Viscount Althorp to fill the vacancy. The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads John Charles Spencer 3rd Earl Spencer (1782-1845 known during his father's lifetime (i

In Irish politics, Daniel O'Connell and his Catholic Association had succeeeded in obtaining Catholic Emancipation in 1829. Daniel O'Connell ( 6 August 1775 &ndash 15 May 1847) ( Dónal Ó Conaill) known as The Liberator, or The Emancipator The Catholic Association was an Irish Roman Catholic political organisation set up by Daniel O'Connell in the early nineteenth century to campaign for Catholic Catholic Emancipation (Fuascailt na gCaitliceach or Catholic Relief, was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th However this measure was accompanied with an increase in the property qualification for Irish county voters, from a £2 freehold to a £20 one. For the first time since the penal laws were enacted in the seventeenth century Catholics in Ireland could serve in Parliament. With emancipation achieved, Daniel O'Connell was free to pursue his other aim with a campaign for repeal of the Act of Union.

Dates of Election

At this period there was not one election day. After receiving a writ (a royal command) for the election to be held, the local returning officer fixed the election timetable for the particular constituency or constituencies he was concerned with. In various parliamentary systems a Returning Officer is responsible for overseeing Elections in one or more constituencies Polling in seats with contested elections could continue for many days.

The general election took place between the first contest on 29 July and the last contest on 1 September 1830. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display

Summary of the Constituencies

Key to categories in the following tables: BC - Borough/Burgh constituencies, CC - County constituencies, UC - University constituencies, Total C - Total constituencies, BMP - Borough/Burgh Members of Parliament, CMP - County Members of Parliament, UMP - University Members of Parliament. In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly A university constituency is a Constituency, used in elections to a Legislature, that represents a University rather than a geographical area

Monmouthshire (1 County constituency with 2 MPs and one single member Borough constituency) is included in Wales in these tables. Ancient county See also Monmouthshire (historic The ancient county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Sources for this period may include the county in England.

Table 1: Constituencies and MPs, by type and country

Table 2: Number of seats per constituency, by type and country

See also

• United Kingdom general elections

References

1. ^ The 1830 General Election

• British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000). This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802 Source: Dates of Elections - Footnote to Table 5. 02
• British Historical Facts 1760-1830, by Chris Cook and John Stevenson (The Macmillan Press 1980). Source: Types of constituencies - Great Britain
• His Majesty's Opposition 1714-1830, by Archibald S. Foord (Oxford University Press 1964)
• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland 1801-1922, edited by B. M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978). Source: Types of constituencies - Ireland)