1846-67
Main events
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Time of general economic prosperity
But political scene was confused and unstable
Tories split after 1846 into:Peelites (Supporters of Peel) include Gladstone, Lord Aberdeen.
Protectionists (Opposed Peel) –Led by Lord Derby, included Disraeli
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The two groups would have nothing to do with each other. Peelites
usually voted with the Whigs.
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Lord John Russell (the Whig leader) could form a government with
Peelite support – Whigs did not have a majority.
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Whigs improved position in 1847 – 325 seats to Tory protectionists
243. But Peelites with 89 seats held the balance
Whigs could not afford to offend Peelites
1852 election – Peelites dwindled to 45 (Peel died 1850) still held
balance
Peelite Lord Aberdeen PM 185205
1857 election Peelites down to 29 Mp’s – most had joined the Whigs
(Now becoming known as Liberals.
Conservatives had still not recovered from split anly in govt for 3 short
spells in this period
Domestic Politics
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Mostly uneventful:Domestic
1848 – final fling of Chartism
Social Reforms by Lord John Russell 1846-52
Gladstone Chancellor of Exchequer 1852-66- continued with move
towards free trade (Budgets of 1860-40
Most striking feature was in economy – Golden Age of Victorian
Britain
Foreign Policy
Crimean War 1854-46
Indian Mutiny 1857
Palmerston’s Foreign Policy 1859-65
Need for Pol Reform
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During 1860’s need for more Political reform came to forefront
Derby’s Conservative government was responsible for Second
reform Act of 1867
Major step forward towards democracy
But the newly enlarged electorate responded at the general election
of 1868 bhy voting in a Liberal Government with a majority of over
100
Governments 1846-67
Party
PM
dates
Whig
Lord Russell
1846-52 Feb
Con
Lord Derby
Feb –Dec 52
Whig/Peelite coalition
Lord Aberdeen
52-55
Liberal
Lord Palmerston
55-58
Con
Lord Derby
58-59
Liberal
Lord Palmerston
59-65
Liberal
Lord Russell
65-66
Con
Lord Derby
66-68
Con
Disraeli
Feb-Dec68
Liberal
Gladstone
1868-74