{"slug": "house-of-commons-of-the-united-kingdom", "label": "House of Commons of the United Kingdom", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11005", "qid": "Q11005", "description": "lower house in the Parliament of the United Kingdom", "entries": 38, "years": 33, "span": [1642, 2019], "span_label": ["1642 CE", "2019 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 21}, {"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 5}, {"title": "Climate & Environment", "count": 5}, {"title": "Crime & Justice", "count": 3}, {"title": "Religion & Belief", "count": 2}, {"title": "Economy & Finance", "count": 1}, {"title": "Deaths", "count": 1}], "also_known_as": ["British House of Commons", "House of Commons (UK)", "House of Commons (United Kingdom)"], "related": [{"slug": "house-of-lords", "label": "House of Lords", "shared": 8}, {"slug": "prime-minister-of-the-united-kingdom", "label": "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom", "shared": 4}, {"slug": "winston-churchill", "label": "Winston Churchill", "shared": 4}, {"slug": "palace-of-westminster", "label": "Palace of Westminster", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "conservative-party-uk", "label": "Conservative Party (UK)", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "robert-gascoyne-cecil-3rd-marquess-of-salisbury", "label": "Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "prime-minister", "label": "Prime minister", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "dublin", "label": "Dublin", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "arthur-wellesley-1st-duke-of-wellington", "label": "Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "great-famine-ireland", "label": "Great Famine (Ireland)", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "robert-peel", "label": "Robert Peel", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "labour-party-uk", "label": "Labour Party (UK)", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 1642, "year_label": "1642 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "January 4", "text": "4 January – Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. This is the last time any monarch enters the House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1353737168#Events", "title": "1642 in England", "revid": 1353737168, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1647, "year_label": "1647 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 18", "text": "18 May – the House of Commons decides to disband the Army.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1353737212#Events", "title": "1647 in England", "revid": 1353737212, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1689, "year_label": "1689 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": null, "text": "The English East India Company expands its influence, and a Committee of the House of Commons is formed to deal with the concerns of the Company.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365638130#Date_unknown", "title": "1689", "revid": 1365638130, "section": "Events › Date unknown"}}, {"year": 1719, "year_label": "1719 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "April 28", "text": "28 April – A Peerage Bill, proposed by Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland and James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope, to prevent the creation of peers in the House of Lords, is defeated in the House of Commons by the eloquence of Robert Walpole.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1320245199#Events", "title": "1719 in Great Britain", "revid": 1320245199, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1753, "year_label": "1753 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "April 16", "text": "April 16 – The Jewish Naturalisation Act 1753 is passed by Britain's House of Lords, permitting Jewish immigrants to England to become naturalized citizens \"without receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper\". The bill, introduced by George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, passes the House of Commons on May 22.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362641691#April–June", "title": "1753", "revid": 1362641691, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1753, "year_label": "1753 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 22", "text": "May 22 – The Jewish Naturalisation Act 1753 passes the House of Commons and later receives royal assent from King George II.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362641691#April–June", "title": "1753", "revid": 1362641691, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1764, "year_label": "1764 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "January 19", "text": "19 January – John Wilkes is expelled from the House of Commons for seditious libel for his article criticising King George III in The North Briton; he is in exile in France.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1374050715#Events", "title": "1764 in Great Britain", "revid": 1374050715, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1790, "year_label": "1790 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "August 4", "text": "4 August – Lord North becomes Earl of Guilford upon the death of his father and moves from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1292610790#Events", "title": "1790 in Great Britain", "revid": 1292610790, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1803, "year_label": "1803 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 25", "text": "25 May – Speaker of the House of Commons Charles Abbot allows journalists to report the proceedings of the House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365773846#Events", "title": "1803 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1365773846, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1807, "year_label": "1807 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "February 23", "text": "February 23 – The Slave Trade Act is passed in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom by an overwhelming majority.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362733939#January–March", "title": "1807", "revid": 1362733939, "section": "Events › January–March"}}, {"year": 1808, "year_label": "1808 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": null, "text": "George Ponsonby becomes de facto first (whig) Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371917174#Undated", "title": "1808 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1371917174, "section": "Events › Undated"}}, {"year": 1812, "year_label": "1812 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "May 11", "text": "May 11 – Assassination of Spencer Perceval, the British Prime Minister, by John Bellingham, in the lobby of the British House of Commons in London.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364673712#April–June", "title": "1812", "revid": 1364673712, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1812, "year_label": "1812 CE", "section": "Economy & Finance", "date": "May 11", "text": "11 May – Bankrupt banker John Bellingham assassinates Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1306548855#Events", "title": "1812 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1306548855, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1830, "year_label": "1830 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "February", "text": "February – first Roman Catholics take their seats in the House of Commons at Westminster, among them Daniel O'Connell (for County Clare) and Richard More O'Ferrall (Kildare).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370865015#Events", "title": "1830 in Ireland", "revid": 1370865015, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1831, "year_label": "1831 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "September 22", "text": "September 22 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Great Reform Bill to expand the franchise, but this is later defeated in the House of Lords.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1360358594#July–September", "title": "1831", "revid": 1360358594, "section": "Events › July–September"}}, {"year": 1831, "year_label": "1831 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "September 22", "text": "22 September – The House of Commons passes the Great Reform Bill to expand the franchise, but this is later defeated in the Lords.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1351267176#Events", "title": "1831 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1351267176, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1838, "year_label": "1838 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "January 31", "text": "31 January - Lord Glenelg, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies sent Governor Gipps the report of the Select committee of the House of Commons on Aborigines (British Settlements). The report recommended that Protectors of Aborigines should be engaged. They would be required to learn the Aboriginal language and their duties would be to watch over the rights of Aborigines, guard against encroachment on their property and to protect them from acts of cruelty, oppression and injustice. The Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate was established with George Augustus Robinson as chief protector and four full-time protectors.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1310479494#Events", "title": "1838 in Australia", "revid": 1310479494, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1846, "year_label": "1846 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "May 15", "text": "May 15 – Under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Peel, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom votes to repeal the Corn Laws by passing an Importation Bill, replacing the old colonial mercantile trade system with free trade in response to the Great Famine (Ireland). On June 25 the Duke of Wellington persuades the House of Lords to pass the Act, which will take full effect from February 1849. Peel, however, is forced to resign.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368342482#April–June", "title": "1846", "revid": 1368342482, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1869, "year_label": "1869 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "July 26", "text": "July 26 – royal assent is given to the Irish Church Act 1869, disestablishing the Church of Ireland with effect from 1871 and abolishing payment of tithe, the legislation having passed through the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and House of Lords.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1355441776#Events", "title": "1869 in Ireland", "revid": 1355441776, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1886, "year_label": "1886 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "March 16", "text": "16 March – it is announced in the House of Commons to acclamation that John Constable's painting The Hay Wain (1821) has been presented to the National Gallery in London by collector Henry Vaughan and hung there today.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1359066449#Events", "title": "1886 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1359066449, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1888, "year_label": "1888 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "August 9", "text": "August 9 – The Oaths Act permits the oath of allegiance taken to the Sovereign by Members of Parliament (MPs) to be affirmed, rather than sworn to God, thus confirming the ability of atheists to sit in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372679419#August", "title": "1888", "revid": 1372679419, "section": "Events › August"}}, {"year": 1892, "year_label": "1892 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "July 4", "text": "July 4–26 – British general election: The Conservative and Liberal Unionist coalition government loses its majority in the House of Commons, eventually leading to Prime Minister Lord Salisbury's resignation on August 12.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372569087#July", "title": "1892", "revid": 1372569087, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1895, "year_label": "1895 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "June 21", "text": "21 June – Lord Rosebery resigns as Prime Minister after defeat in a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons over the supply of cordite to the army. Lord Salisbury returns to the office on 25 June.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1360422569#Events", "title": "1895 in the United Kingdom", "revid": 1360422569, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1901, "year_label": "1901 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "March 5", "text": "March 5 – Irish nationalist demonstrators are ejected by police from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373318021#March", "title": "1901", "revid": 1373318021, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1910, "year_label": "1910 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "December 19", "text": "December 19 – The second 1910 United Kingdom general election (the last to be fought with an all-male electorate) concludes with confirmation of a majority for the Liberal Party in alliance with the Irish Parliamentary Party, resolving the battle of wills between the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the House of Lords by giving a majority for restriction of the powers of the Lords and support for the Irish Home Rule movement.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373495790#December", "title": "1910", "revid": 1373495790, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 1914, "year_label": "1914 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 25", "text": "May 25 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Government of Ireland Act 1914, the \"Irish Home Rule Bill\".", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373518346#May", "title": "1914", "revid": 1373518346, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1918, "year_label": "1918 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "December 28", "text": "December 28 – Sinn Féin enjoys a landslide victory of the Irish seats at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, winning 73 of the 105 seats in Ireland. In accordance with their manifesto, Sinn Féin members will not take their seats in the Palace of Westminster but will form the First Dáil in Dublin. Countess Constance Markievicz, while detained in Holloway Prison (London), becomes the first woman elected to (but does not take her seat in) the British House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373520023#December", "title": "1918", "revid": 1373520023, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 1918, "year_label": "1918 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "December 28", "text": "28 December – 1918 general election: Sinn Féin won a landslide victory in the election, winning 73 of the 105 seats in Ireland. The Irish Parliamentary Party was nearly wiped out. In accordance with their 1918 manifesto, Sinn Féin members did not take their seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom but formed instead Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament). Constance Markievicz, while detained in Holloway Prison in London, became the first woman elected to the Palace of Westminster, but she did not take her seat. On 30 December, the Irish Independent newspaper criticised her strongly.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363470512#Events", "title": "1918 in Ireland", "revid": 1363470512, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1919, "year_label": "1919 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "December 1", "text": "December 1 – American-born Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, becomes the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, having become the second to be elected on November 28.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373508849#December", "title": "1919", "revid": 1373508849, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 1934, "year_label": "1934 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "January 18", "text": "18 January – Joseph Devlin, Nationalist politician and MP in the British House of Commons and in Northern Ireland (born 1872).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1316621905#Deaths", "title": "1934 in Northern Ireland", "revid": 1316621905, "section": "Deaths"}}, {"year": 1940, "year_label": "1940 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 13", "text": "May 13 – Winston Churchill, in his first address as Prime Minister, tells the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, \"I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears and sweat.\"", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368818987#May", "title": "1940", "revid": 1368818987, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1940, "year_label": "1940 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "June 18", "text": "June 18 – Winston Churchill tells the House of Commons of the United Kingdom: \"The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin... if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.\"", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368818987#June", "title": "1940", "revid": 1368818987, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 1941, "year_label": "1941 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 27", "text": "27 May – Speaking in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Winston Churchill rules out the introduction of conscription in the North.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1286174033#Events", "title": "1941 in Northern Ireland", "revid": 1286174033, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1945, "year_label": "1945 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "July 26", "text": "July 26 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after his Conservative Party is soundly defeated by the Labour Party in the 1945 general election. Clement Attlee becomes the new prime minister. It is the first time that Labour has governed Britain with a majority in the House of Commons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371513862#July", "title": "1945", "revid": 1371513862, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1968, "year_label": "1968 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "August 28", "text": "28 August – Gerry Fitt, MP, tables a House of Commons motion, signed by 60 Labour Party backbenchers, criticising RUC action in Dungannon on 24 August, demanding that \"citizens of Northern Ireland should be allowed the same rights of peaceful demonstration as those in other parts of the United Kingdom\".", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363861495#July_to_December", "title": "1968 in Northern Ireland", "revid": 1363861495, "section": "Events › July to December"}}, {"year": 1979, "year_label": "1979 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "November 15", "text": "November 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the \"fourth man\" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371786119#November", "title": "1979", "revid": 1371786119, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1997, "year_label": "1997 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "June 11", "text": "June 11 – In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons votes for a total ban on handguns.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1367978156#June", "title": "1997", "revid": 1367978156, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 2019, "year_label": "2019 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "December 12", "text": "December 12 – Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party win a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election achieving a majority in the House of Commons of 80 seats.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373255188#December", "title": "2019", "revid": 1373255188, "section": "Events › December"}}]}