A Long and Illustrious History
What was a "pocket borough" in the 18th century?
AA small market town where travelling merchants traded goods carried in bags
BA constituency controlled by one wealthy family who chose the local MP ✓
CA borough area that had been officially declared fully exempt from all taxation
DA secret underground location where politicians held private political meetings
Explanation
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.
hardpocket boroughrotten boroughparliament
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