In the 1825 to 1867 era , widespread public demonstrations , some of them violent , escalated to demand reform . The ruling Tories were dead set against anything smacking of democracy or popular rule and favoured severe punishment of demonstrators , as exemplified by the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819 . The Tory ranks were cracking , however , especially when Sir Robert Peel ( 1788 – 1830 ) broke away on several critical issues . Nevertheless , the Whig party gets most of the credit . The middle classes , often led by nonconformist Protestants , turned against the Tories and scored the greatest gains . For example , symbolic restrictions on nonconformists called the Test Acts were abolished in 1828 . Much more controversial was the repeal of severe discrimination against Roman Catholics after the Irish Catholics organised , and threatened rebellion , forcing major concessions in 1829
Peterloo Massacre
Peterloo Massacre
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland