The impact of the 1902 Education Act in Great Britain on the partisanization of county council elections

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the influence of the Education Act 1902 (the Balfour Act) on the politicization and partisanization of local government in Great Britain. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, for the first time in historiography, a causal link has been identified and proven between the 1902 Education Act and the partisanization of county council elections in Great Britain. The study establishes that the 1902 Education Act intensified public interest in county council elections and allowed the fragmented Liberal Party to unite and secure a series of electoral victories. A significant unintended consequence of the Balfour Act was the increased politicization of local elections: the key role during election campaigns in the counties shifted toward party-political issues rather than the personal qualities of candidates or their administrative experience.

Research materials

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Author information

About this article

Publication history

• Received: February 9, 2026.
• Published: April 13, 2026.

Keywords

• консервативная партия Великобритании
• либеральная партия Великобритании
• А. Бальфур
• Д. Ллойд Джордж
• закон об образовании 1902 г
• выборы в советы графств
• Conservative Party of Great Britain
• Liberal Party of Great Britain
• Arthur Balfour
• David Lloyd George
• Education Act 1902
• county council elections

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© 2026 The Author(s)
© 2026 Gramota Publishing, LLC

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