Ireland's first Home Rule Bill was introduced on 8 April 1886 by William Gladstone. This bill, like his 1870 Land Act, was very much his own and had not been thought out in a cabinet meeting. Its main points were:

• A parliament would be established consisting of 103 peers elected for a ten year term, while there would be 204 MPs in the lower house.
• All Irish peers and MPs would be excluded from Westminster altogether.
• Britain would still retain control over a range of issues including peace, war, defence, treaties with foreign states, trade and coinage.
• Ulster was considered a part of Ireland and would have a minority voice in the parliament.
• Britain would retain control of police until it deemed it safe for control to pass to Dublin.

When the bill was introduced Charles Stewart Parnell had mixed reactions, he said that it had great faults but was prepared to vote for it. The vote took place after two months of debating and on the 8th June 1886 341 voted against it (includung 93 Liberals) while 311 voted for it. Parliament was dissolved on 26th June and an election was called for.