Discuss the reasons for social protest in Britain and Ireland between 1815 and 1848.

Candidates will offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons for the various outbreaks of social protest in Britain and Ireland during the period in question. Candidates may argue that a combination of social and economic problems, many of which were intertwined, contributed to political unrest. Some candidates may suggest that the political structure itself was the cause of social and economic disparity. Examples of social protest may include Luddism, the Swing Riots, opposition to the Poor Law Amendment Act or opposition to the Corn Laws. Political protests were, overall, linked to the lack of representation in parliament and could include the Peterloo Massacre, the riots and unrest before the 1832 Reform Act and the growth of Chartism. Protests were also caused by government repression but these tended to be short lived (Peterloo and the Tolpuddle Martyrs).