hen our ancestors headed to the polls in 1774, the general election could hardly have looked more different to the one we await this year. Instead of a single day, it took five weeks to conclude, different constituencies opening and closing their poll on dates of their choosing, some lasting mere hours, others four weeks. There were no private polling booths or lidded boxes to slip anonymous ballot papers into; all votes were cast aloud, in front of crowds of spectators – where the seats were contested, that is. A staggering 70 per cent were not, with the new members of parliament (MPs) simply nodded into the House of Commons, irrespective of the local electorate's opinion. It was raucous, alcohol-fuelled and
