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In 1774, John Wilkes was elected Lord Mayor of London. He was also elected to represent Middlesex in the House of Commons. Wilkes campaigned for religious tolerance, and in 1776, he introduced the first motion for parliamentary reform. He called for the redistribution of seats from the small corrupt boroughs to the fast growing industrial areas such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield. Although not a supporter of universal suffrage, Wilkes argued that working men should have a share in the power to make laws. During the American War of Independence, Wilkes condemned the English government's policy towards America. He was also a passionate opponent of the harsh criminal code. As Wilkes grew older, he became more conservative.

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16y ago

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