Recall Of Parliament

• By 1656 the Protectorate faced financial difficulties
• Revenue was £2,250,000 yet expenditure was £ 2,611,532 and there was need for funding due to war with Spain.
• The Major – Generals advised Cromwell on calling Parliament believing they could manage and monitor the elections
• However, they failed to do so. Eg in Kent Kelsey failed to win 1 out of 11 seats. Parliament declared '‘ no swordsmen, no decimators’.
• 100 of those elected declared ineligible under the Instrument’s requirement for Godly character thereby creating ‘ a pragmatic assembly, willing to do business but deeply hostile to the army andradical business’(Anderson)
• Parliament supportive over War with Spain but they refused to support new Decimation Tax effectively ending the funding for the Major generals and thereby their existence.
• Cromwell was angry with major Generals for allowing him to call Parliament
• Parliament soon alienated Cromwell over the Naylor case
• Cromwell's foreign policy to take Spanish colonies was called the Western Design.
• The consequences of the Westerns Design that Cromwell ended up with Jamaica and therefore deemed a failure as it was not perceived to ve valuable at the time.