 During the 1640s , England endured a civil war that pitted King Charles I and the Royalists against the Parliamentarians . In 1647 , different factions of the victorious parliamentary army held a series of discussions , the Putney Debates , on reforming the structure of English government . The most radical elements proposed universal manhood suffrage and the reorganisation of parliamentary constituencies . Their leader Thomas Rainsborough declared , " I think it 's clear , that every man that is to live under a government ought first by his own consent to put himself under that government . " More conservative members disagreed , arguing instead that only individuals who owned land in the country should be allowed to vote . For example , Henry Ireton stated , " no man hath a right to an interest or share in the disposing of the affairs of the kingdom ... that hath not a permanent fixed interest in this kingdom . " The views of the conservative " Grandees " eventually won out . Oliver Cromwell , who became the leader of England after the abolition of the monarchy in 1649 , refused to adopt universal suffrage ; individuals were required to own property ( real or personal ) worth at least £ 200 in order to vote . He did nonetheless agree to some electoral reform ; he disfranchised several small boroughs , granted representation to large towns such as Manchester and Leeds , and increased the number of members elected by populous counties . These reforms were all reversed , however , after Cromwell 's death and the last parliament to be elected in the Commonwealth period in 1659 reverted to the electoral system as it had existed under Charles I. 
