How and Why Women Got the Right to Vote in Britain

How and Why Women Got the Right to Vote in Britain

In 1906 the Liberal Government swept the opposition to one side as

they moved into power in a landslide victory at the general election.

This gave birth to a new dawn of hope to women the length and breadth

of the country as the new Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell

Bannerman, was in support of the vote for women. Two years later this

bright horizon was clouded as Bannerman steps down from the spotlight

to make way for Herbert Asquith, who is set against votes for women

and claims that there is little support for the idea but asks women to

prove him wrong. It is certain the change in the countries leaders

left a bitter taste in the mouth of all those fighting for the vote

for women as the radical switch in stance on the issue shattered the

dreams of the those who had been within touching distance of the goal

only twenty four mouths ago. The women striving for the vote had

formed two campaigning groups, one; the NUWSS and two; The WSPU, both

of which had been in action during the time of Bannerman as well as

Asquith. It is fairly safe to say that the two groups were hugely

demoralised when the seemingly sympathetic figure of Henry Bannerman

was replaced by the daunting brick wall of Herbert Asquith. A wall

that would have to be climbed or conquered one way or another.

During the time of Bannerman members of the NUWSS had been using

subtle and respectable methods of campaigning that would force the

Government and general population to realise that they were not merely

emotionally unbalanced house keepers trying to rock the boat, but

socially capable and intelligent members of our soc...

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close to getting the vote as their peaceful methods only encouraged

Bannerman to continue his support of them. Subsequently when Asquith

became Prime Minister and the WSPU became viscous it looked forever

unlikely that women would get the vote as he was gifted excuses to

pass them off as just unstable women trying to cause trouble. However,

when the war was drawing to a close and women had proven themselves

capable of surviving in a mans world, Asquith was already well on his

way to fully supporting women, so when the six month Bill was about to

be passed and women jumped on the chance to have their argument taken

to parliament, Asquith didn't want and didn't look for a reason to

deny their request. The women got their fight to a higher level and

finally won the right they so richly deserved, the right to vote.