This detailed case-study offers a penetrating analysis of the changing political culture in Cornwall up to and after the introduction of the 1832 electoral system. It spans a century in which the county's parliamentary over-representation and notorious political corruption was replaced by a politicised electorate for whom issues and principles were usually paramount. Several models of electoral behaviour are tested; in particular, the continuous political activism of Cornwall's farmers stands out. Despite remnants of the unreformed electoral system lingering into the mid-Victorian era, Cornwall developed a powerful Liberal tradition, built upon distinctive patterns of non-conformity; the Conservatives, split by dissension, saw their pre-reform ascendancy disappear.
Professor EDWIN JAGGARD lectures in history at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia.
Reviews
Valuable study... combines a thorough analysis of local Cornish politics with a precise view into the processes of electioneering during a period of far-reaching reform. PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY Valuable book...informative, detailed and historiographically savvy... Substantiates [arguments that] issues, principles, and popular candidates were often more decisive than traditional patronage and courruption in deciding electoral contests. CHOICE
