2015 as you probably know will see the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. Today marks perhaps an even more important event. On January 20, 1265 Simon de Montfort called the first true English parliament with elected representatives.
The January Parliament, which first met on 20 January 1265, is one of the most significant events in British democratic history. The election of two knights from every shire and two burgesses from the towns helped establish the two-member county constituencies that endured until the 20th Century.
The delegates coming to parliament in 1265 even had their costs covered - a sort of 13th-Century MPs' expenses.
But for all its importance, the January Parliament remains little-known beyond academic circles, although the BBC will be marking the anniversary with a day of coverage focusing on democrac
The Telegraph continues the story for this turbulent time in English history.:
The politics leading up to the January Parliament were complex, but the key moment came eight months earlier when the French-born noble Simon de Montfort captured King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes. Henry’s heir – the future Edward I – was also captured.
As a counterpoint to Henry’s perceived misrule, de Montfort – who was the 6th Earl of Leicester – ordered each county to elect two knights, while each borough elected two burgesses and two aldermen. The resulting Parliament discussed a wide range of political issues.
But even early democracies have their power struggles.
However, in an ending that should keep every parliamentarian on their toes, De Montfort soon came to be seen as overbearing – seizing too much power and influence. He was killed in the Battle of Evesham in August 1265.
Despite de Montfort's death, Henry III continued to call Parliaments until his own death in 1272. De Montfort had forced Henry to sign the Provisions of Oxford.
Installed in 1258 by a group of barons led by de Montfort, the provisions forced King Henry III of England to accept a new form of government in which power was placed in the hands of a council of twenty-four members, twelve selected by the crown, twelve by the barons. The twenty-four members selected were to pick two more men to oversee all decisions. The selected men were to supervise ministerial appointments, local administration and the custody of royal castles. Parliament, meanwhile, which was to meet three times a year, would monitor the performance of this council.
The Provisions are regarded as the first written constitution for England. The dynamic of the relationship between the Crown and elected commoners was to continue. In the 17th century the Parliament took over and the king was deposed. A few decades later the crown was restored and popular discontent at the oppressive measures enacted during the Republic saw the dead king's son cheered through the streets. Later struggles were finally lead to universal sufferage last century. With devolution to the other countries in the UK, the question of the relationship between the people and their representatives and how this is structured, is again being discussed.