Lichfield House Compact
Encyclopedia
The Lichfield House Compact was an agreement between the Whig
government, the Catholic Party and the Radicals to act as one body against the Conservative Party
. It was signed in February 1835 and this was how Daniel O'Connell
managed to pass more reforms for Ireland
.
The Compact has been argued by historians such as Robert Stewart to have been the moment of formation of the Liberal Party
. However, the Compact was formed in opposition to the Peelite
faction, and some argue that it was the Peelites whose contribution to Liberal ideology played a dominant role in later years.
The House Compact was one of the reasons that Sir Robert Peel was able to return to power as many voters saw the alliance as dangerous.
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
government, the Catholic Party and the Radicals to act as one body against the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. It was signed in February 1835 and this was how Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
managed to pass more reforms for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The Compact has been argued by historians such as Robert Stewart to have been the moment of formation of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. However, the Compact was formed in opposition to the Peelite
Peelite
The Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846....
faction, and some argue that it was the Peelites whose contribution to Liberal ideology played a dominant role in later years.
The House Compact was one of the reasons that Sir Robert Peel was able to return to power as many voters saw the alliance as dangerous.