OCR Specification focus:
‘One Nation Conservatism: the creation of Tory democracy; domestic reforms of the 1874–1880 ministry and their impact’
Britain between 1874 and 1880 saw a Conservative ministry under Benjamin Disraeli that reshaped party identity and enacted reforms aiming to embody One Nation Conservatism.
The Concept of One Nation Conservatism
Disraeli articulated One Nation Conservatism, an ideology designed to reduce divisions between the wealthy elite and the working classes, ensuring national unity and stability.
One Nation Conservatism: A strand of Conservative ideology stressing social cohesion, paternalism, and reform to prevent class conflict and maintain national harmony.
He argued that industrialisation had created “Two Nations”—the rich and the poor—whose alienation threatened social order. By extending limited social reform, Conservatives could preserve traditional institutions and prevent radical alternatives.
The Creation of Tory Democracy
Disraeli envisaged Tory Democracy, a political strategy blending traditional Conservative values with social policies attractive to the working class. It aimed to modernise Conservative appeal following decades of weakness after 1846.
Key aspects included:
Retaining support for the monarchy, Church of England, and empire.
Introducing reforms that improved working-class conditions without undermining hierarchy.
Using paternalistic principles to present the Conservatives as protectors of ordinary people.
Tory Democracy: The Conservative political approach under Disraeli combining loyalty to traditional institutions with limited social reform to win mass support.
This approach also countered Liberal claims of being the sole reforming party.
The 1874 Election and Conservative Majority
The Conservatives won a clear majority in 1874, the first since 1841, with Disraeli as Prime Minister. Victory was partly due to:
Gladstone’s declining popularity after radical policies and perceived arrogance.
Rising public desire for stability and moderate reform.
Effective Conservative organisation, aided by the 1867 Reform Act, which enfranchised new urban voters.
This majority gave Disraeli space to implement his domestic reform agenda.
Domestic Reforms of the 1874–1880 Ministry
Public Health and Housing
Public Health Act (1875): Consolidated previous legislation, ensuring urban authorities took responsibility for clean water, sewage, and sanitation.
Title page of the Public Health Act 1875, the measure that codified and enforced urban sanitation across England. It empowered local authorities to act on drainage, water supply and street paving. As a core plank of One Nation reform, it sought to improve conditions for the urban working class. Source
Artisans’ Dwellings Act (1875): Permitted local authorities to clear slums and provide improved housing, though its permissive nature limited impact.
John Thomson’s 1877 photograph from Street Life in London shows street vending amid dense working-class crowds. Such scenes capture the sanitary and housing challenges late-Victorian governments sought to regulate. The Italian vendors depicted are an additional historical detail beyond the syllabus focus. Source
These reforms demonstrated paternalistic concern for the urban poor, albeit limited by reliance on voluntary local action.
Labour and Workers’ Rights
Employers and Workmen Act (1875): Put employers and employees on equal legal footing in contract disputes, replacing criminal penalties with civil remedies.
Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875): Legalised peaceful picketing, strengthening trade union legitimacy.
Factory Act (1874): Reduced maximum working hours for women and children to 56.5 per week, extending protection across industries.
These reforms sought to improve conditions while maintaining productivity and social order.
Consumer and Everyday Life
Sale of Food and Drugs Act (1875): Regulated food quality to protect consumers.
Weights and Measures Act (1878): Standardised measurement systems to ensure fairness in trade.
Such measures highlighted the government’s willingness to regulate economic life in the interest of public welfare.
Education and Religion
1876 Education Act: Established school attendance committees and required employers to check literacy of working children, building towards compulsory schooling.
Support for the Church of England remained firm, aligning Conservatives with established religion.
These policies enhanced literacy and strengthened Conservative ties to traditional institutions.
Impact of the Reforms
Positive Impacts
Reinforced Conservative image as a national party, not solely representing landowners.
Improved working and living conditions, earning goodwill from sections of the working class.
Demonstrated that social reform need not be monopolised by Liberals.
Limitations
Many Acts were permissive rather than compulsory, limiting uniform impact.
Some reforms reflected pragmatism more than ideology, designed to win political support rather than deeply transform society.
Persisting poverty and slum conditions meant the scope of One Nation Conservatism remained restricted.
Political Legacy
Disraeli’s reforms broadened the Conservative Party’s appeal, embedding Tory Democracy as a defining strand of Conservative politics.
The working-class vote did not fully transfer to the Conservatives, but the reforms laid foundations for a longer-term strategy.
By 1880, economic downturn, foreign policy controversies, and Liberal revival undermined Conservative electoral strength, though the domestic reforms continued to influence political discourse.
Disraeli’s ‘One Nation’ ideal—later termed ‘Tory democracy’—sought to bind classes through limited but symbolic social legislation and national pride.
Contemporary portrait of Benjamin Disraeli taken in 1878, during his second premiership. Disraeli popularised One Nation Conservatism, pairing national prestige with social reform. The image provides a visual link between policy and political leadership. Source
Between 1874 and 1880, Disraeli’s ministry demonstrated that Conservatism could accommodate reform through the lens of One Nation Conservatism and Tory Democracy, using domestic legislation to strengthen the party’s mass appeal while preserving traditional structures. Though limited in scope, these reforms marked a turning point in the Conservative Party’s evolution and British political culture.
FAQ
Disraeli’s reforms were deliberately framed as paternalistic rather than radical. Unlike the Liberals, who often justified reform through principles of efficiency and individual liberty, Disraeli presented reform as a moral duty of the governing elite to improve conditions for the poor.
This approach gave reforms a more conservative tone, emphasising stability and loyalty to traditional institutions rather than challenging existing hierarchies.
The Act was permissive rather than compulsory. Local councils were given the power to clear slums but were not forced to act.
Many councils lacked resources or political will to implement costly clearance schemes.
Opposition from landlords and ratepayers also slowed progress.
As a result, large-scale improvement in housing conditions only came later, when similar measures became compulsory.
Trade unions welcomed the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875) because it legalised peaceful picketing, affirming their right to organise.
The Employers and Workmen Act was also significant as it placed employers and workers on an equal legal footing in contract disputes, ending the criminalisation of strikes.
These measures improved relations between unions and the Conservative Party, with some union leaders showing greater willingness to support Conservative candidates.
Disraeli’s government recognised that an expanding electorate—particularly after the 1867 Reform Act—meant public health, housing and working conditions were increasingly pressing political issues.
Newspapers highlighted urban poverty and disease.
Middle-class fears of unrest encouraged support for limited reform.
Disraeli saw an opportunity to attract working-class voters by presenting Conservatives as defenders of their welfare.
Public opinion, therefore, provided both pressure and opportunity for his reform programme.
The Act created school attendance committees and encouraged employers to ensure working children received basic literacy. However, attendance was still not compulsory.
Enforcement depended heavily on local committees, many of which were reluctant to fine parents or confront employers.
Illiteracy rates declined slowly but steadily during the late 19th century.
The Act is best seen as a stepping stone towards compulsory education, laying groundwork for later, stronger legislation.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Identify two reforms passed by Disraeli’s Conservative government between 1874 and 1880 that reflected the principles of One Nation Conservatism.
Mark scheme for Question 1
Award 1 mark for each correct reform identified, up to a maximum of 2.
Acceptable answers include (any two):
Public Health Act (1875)
Artisans’ Dwellings Act (1875)
Employers and Workmen Act (1875)
Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875)
Factory Act (1874)
Sale of Food and Drugs Act (1875)
Education Act (1876)
No marks for vague or generalised answers (e.g., “social reforms” without specifying).
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how Disraeli’s domestic reforms of 1874–1880 were influenced by the ideas of One Nation Conservatism.
Mark scheme for Question 2
Level 1 (1–2 marks):
Generalised description of reforms with little or no link to One Nation Conservatism.
Example: “Disraeli made reforms like the Public Health Act. These helped people.”
Level 2 (3–4 marks):
Some explanation of how reforms reflected One Nation principles, with limited detail or development.
Example: “The Public Health Act and Artisans’ Dwellings Act improved living conditions, showing concern for the poor, which was part of Disraeli’s One Nation ideas.”
Level 3 (5–6 marks):
Clear explanation of the connection between reforms and the principles of One Nation Conservatism, supported by accurate examples.
Candidates show understanding that Disraeli used reforms to unite classes and strengthen Conservative appeal.
Example: “Disraeli’s reforms, such as the Public Health Act (1875) and the Artisans’ Dwellings Act (1875), reflected his One Nation belief in reducing divisions between rich and poor. By legalising peaceful picketing in the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875), he aimed to gain working-class support while preserving traditional institutions, demonstrating his Tory Democracy strategy.”
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