key informatio

• Robert Peel:

  • differed from the majority of the leading members of the tory party -> his father was a prosperous cotton industrialist whereas others of the party were from the landowning class
  • familiar with life in an industrial town and so he new the problems of the new class of industrial classes and their outlook
  • Peel SR spent money on JR's education -> went to Harrow and the University of Oxford
  • Lord Liverpool recognised his talents --> appointed him Secretary for Ireland and then Home Secretary in 1822
  • penal and legal reform --> demanded by Sir Samuel Romilly
• Robert Peel: cont'd

  • although against catholic emancipation under canning in 1827 -> he helped wellington pass it
  • split the tory party
• November 1834, Melbourne was dismissed and the King as Peel form a government --> 2 years after the reform act which he had been against

  He wrote the Tamworth Manifesto -> to show his change for the act

  Laid a new philosophy for the Tory Party --> which had gone from repression (1815-22), liberal reform (1822-27) and to opposition (1828-1832)

  Created a charter for the party --> prepared to do moderate reform (factories, health and mines) => conserve the existing system
• Peel hoped to appeal to the traditional supporters but attract moderates --> swing the vote in their favour

  New middle class had grown in size and were more important for the tories

  Class was growing in economic importance, employing an increasing number of workpeople, contributing a great deal to the nation's Exchequer and responsible for the steady growth of economic wealth

  Peel knew that this class wanted the government to provide economic, social and political frameworks to allow for the pursuit of enriching themselves and the nation
• First time as PM -> 1834

  Second time as PM -> 1841-1846
• Main Achievements:

  • modernising the Tory Party ---> conservative party, tamworth manifesto, carlton club and local associations, whip system
  • Economic free trade reforms --> bank charter act 1844, joint stock companies act 1844, free trade budgets in 1842 and 1845, repeal of the corn laws 1846
  • BUT: divided the conservatives, spent time out of office and became the opposition from 1846, considered aloof and authoritarian
• Whip System


  MPs tell other MPs how to vote -> not finalised but developed
• "Iceberg with a slight thaw on the surface"


  How a colleague described him
• What Problems did he face in the early 1830s:

  • tories were divided after Liverpools resignation -> catholic emancipation, corn laws and parliamentary reform
  • perceived as anti-reform ==> 1832 election was poor for them
  • abolition of pocket boroughs and rotten boroughs meant many lost their seats
• Issue of Parliamentary reform:

  • peel was not an advocate for the changing political system
  • the issue had considerable support in the country
  • Wellington claimed -> "Peel is for Parliamentary Reform provided it is not carried out by us"
  • he accepted reform as seen in the Tamworth Manifesto
• Tactics Peel used while in opposition:

  • where possible, support the Whig government in its proposals instead of opposing them --> stop the radicals and irish going with the whigs
  • encourage divisions within the government where possible
  • Persuade more conservative Whigs to support the Tories by appearing more moderate
  • Heal the division between the Tories and Ultra Tories that had occurred from 1828
  • Broaden electoral support by winning votes from the middle classes -> avoid isolating them
  • work with the reformed political system instead
• Why did Peel use those tactics:

  • to weaken Whig position
  • prevent radicals from using the Whig majority to push further reform
  • lack of interest in the opposition
  • fear of mob rule