The Advent of Democracy

In its centenary year, this volume is a study of the Representation of the People Act of 1918 which was a landmark in modern British history and the most substantial change ever made in the electoral system.

• Investigates how it nearly trebled the electorate, extending the franchise to all adult men and giving the vote to women for the first time
• Examines its effects upon the Conservative, Liberal, and Labour Parties; in the three diverse regions of the West Midlands, Scotland, and Ireland
• Demonstrates its impact on the house of commons, the national press, and the evolution of the women’s franchise from 1918 to full equality with men in 1928