| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for the Redistribution of Seats at Parliamentary Elections, and for other Purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 48 & 49 Vict. c. 23 |
| Introduced by | William Gladstone (Commons) |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 June 1885 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | |
| Repealed by | Representation of the People Act 1918 |
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1885").[1][2] It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, a concept in the broader global context termed equal apportionment, in an attempt to equalise representation across the UK.[3] It mandated the abolition of constituencies below a certain population threshold.[4] It was associated with, but not part of, the Representation of the People Act 1884.
- ^ Wright, D. G. (30 July 2014). Democracy and Reform 1815 - 1885. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-88325-8.
- ^ Reid, Andrew (1887). We must fight it out!-And why?. pp. 16–17.
- ^ Lowell, A Lawrence (1912). The Government of England. Vol. 1. London: Macmillan. p. 199.
- ^ Coppenolle, Brenda Van (2024). "Unbreakable Legacies? Redistricting, Political Capital and Political Dynasties". Journal of Historical Political Economy. 4 (3): 333–359. doi:10.1561/115.00000077. ISSN 2693-9290.