A Long and Illustrious History
What was a "pocket borough" in the 18th century?
AA constituency controlled by one wealthy family who chose the local MP ✓
BA small market town where travelling merchants traded goods carried in bags
CA borough area that had been officially declared fully exempt from all taxation
DA secret underground location where politicians held private political meetings
Answer & explanation
The correct answer is A constituency controlled by one wealthy family who chose the local MP.
A "pocket borough" was a constituency where a single wealthy family controlled who became MP — the votes were "in their pocket". Similarly, "rotten boroughs" had very few voters.
This is one of 767 free Life in the UK test questions on Pass the UK Test. It is taken from A Long and Illustrious History and covers pocket borough, rotten borough, parliament. Every answer is based on the official Life in the United Kingdom handbook. Browse all questions or take a free mock test.
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