Lichfield House Compact

{{Short description|1835 UK political agreement}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} [[File:St James's Square 14-15.jpg|thumb|Lichfield House (left)]] [[File:United Kingdom general election 1835 in Ireland.svg|thumb|Map of elected candidates in the [[1835 United Kingdom general election in Ireland]]. Yellow seats were won by Lichfield House Compact candidates.]] The '''Lichfield House Compact''' was an 1835 agreement between the former [[British Whig Party|Whig]] government, the [[Repeal Association|Irish Repeal Party]] (led by [[Daniel O'Connell]]) and the [[Radicals (UK)|Radicals]] to act as one body against the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]. It allowed O'Connell to push for further reforms for [[Ireland]]. It was signed in February 1835 in [[Lichfield House, St James's]], residence of [[Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield]].

The Compact has been argued by historians such as Robert Stewart<ref>Stewart, R. ''Party and Politics: 1830-1852.''</ref> to have been the moment of formation of the [[Liberal Party (UK)|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 Whigs had been in opposition after the dismissal of Prime Minister Melbourne in November 1834. The new Government, formed by Robert Peel, had decided for a dissolution followed by a general election in January 1835. The election saw a decline of the Whigs numbers, with an advance of both Tories and Radicals.

While [[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|Grey]] was very strongly against any cooperation with O'Connell and Melbourne was reluctant, [[John Russell, 1st Earl Russell|Lord Russell]] was more inclined towards collaboration.

A number of supporters of Daniel O'Connell saw this agreement as a betrayal of their hopes for a repeal of the Act of Union.

Many voters saw the alliance as dangerous. However, the Whigs and their Radical and Repeal allies won a majority in the [[1835 United Kingdom general election|January 1835 general election]], and in April their leader [[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|Lord Melbourne]] replaced Peel as Prime Minister.

==See also== *[[Tithe Commutation Act (disambiguation)|Tithe Commutation Act]]

==References== <references/>

Christine Kinealy 'Repeal and Revolution. 1848 in Ireland' (Manchester University Press, 2009)

[[Category:1835 in London]] [[Category:1835 in politics]] [[Category:February 1835]] [[Category:19th century in the City of Westminster]] [[Category:William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne]]