by Lordo » Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:12 pm
we think of british democracy as being quite rooted in the system, after all the house of commons has existed since 1341. but how democraric was it and evenis it today when the pm has the right to prorogue parliament as long as he/she likes and it is perfectly legal.
Old Sarum, in Wiltshire, is one of the most famous examples of a “rotten borough”, where a constituency with a tiny (or, in this case, non-existent) population was still able to elect MPs.The abandoned medieval village technically had 11 voters, but none of them actually lived there – its only real inhabitants were a few sheep. Nevertheless, Old Sarum had two seats in parliament from 1708 to 1832. It was so valuable as a political opportunity that despite the land only being worth £700 in agricultural terms, it sold for £60,000, which is equivalent to tens of millions today
Until the Great Reform Act of 1832, different boroughs had different rules governing who got the vote. These stipulated varying levels of privilege – like having land worth at least 40 shillings, owning your own home, holding “freeman” status, or being a member of a corporation. In “potwalloper boroughs”, voters simply needed to live in a property with its own hearth, where they could boil a pot.
Based on these rules, in 1801 it’s thought that about half a million people were eligible to vote – which was around 16% of the adult population.
you cannot make it up.
I've tried to change that but clearly it's been a nugatory effort. If Mr Lordo represents the brave new socialist world that you advocate then frankly you're welcome to it.
