The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 was a defining moment in nineteenth-century British politics, reshaping party structures, ideologies, and realignments across the Whigs, Peelites, and Conservatives.

Background to the Corn Laws

The Corn Laws were a series of tariffs and trade restrictions imposed on imported grain, designed to protect domestic agriculture and landowners’ profits. Enacted in 1815, they kept the price of bread artificially high, benefiting landowners but harming industrialists and the working poor who faced rising food costs. The laws became emblematic of the clash between agricultural protectionism and free trade ideology.

The economic depression of the 1830s and 1840s, alongside crop failures and the humanitarian crisis of the Irish Famine, intensified calls for reform.

The Famine in Ireland: Funeral at Skibbereen (1847) depicts the destitution that influenced Peel’s policy decisions. The widely circulated ILN image shaped British public opinion and highlights why repeal was urgent. Source

Robert Peel and the Decision to Repeal

Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel played the central role in repealing the Corn Laws.

Initially a supporter of protectionism, Peel shifted toward free trade as both an economic necessity and a moral obligation in response to the Irish Famine (1845–49). Peel believed lowering food prices would:

• Provide affordable bread for the working classes.

• Encourage international trade by stimulating exports.

• Support Britain’s industrial growth by reducing wage pressures.

This pragmatic decision, however, fractured his own Conservative Party.

Impact on the Conservative Party

The repeal caused an immediate and dramatic split in the Conservative Party:

• Peelites: Followers of Peel who endorsed his free trade policies. This group included influential figures like Gladstone, Graham, and Aberdeen.

• Protectionists: Led by Lord Derby and Benjamin Disraeli, this faction fiercely opposed repeal, viewing it as a betrayal of the landed interests and Conservative tradition.

The split left the Conservatives weakened and unable to form a stable government for decades. The internal division meant that from 1846 until the late 1860s, the Conservatives spent long periods in opposition, struggling to define a coherent identity.

The Whigs and Political Realignment

The Whigs, traditionally reformist and aristocratic, benefitted from Conservative disunity. They absorbed some disaffected Peelites, broadening their appeal and consolidating themselves as the natural party of government. By aligning with Radicals and later Peelites, the Whigs transitioned towards forming the Liberal Party.

Key advantages for the Whigs included:

• The ability to champion reform and free trade, uniting urban and industrial interests.

• A stronger parliamentary position, filling the vacuum left by a fractured Conservative opposition.

• Greater credibility as a party committed to modern governance, attracting younger reform-minded politicians.

The Peelites and Their Role

The Peelites were crucial in the political realignment following repeal. Though a minority, their intellectual and moral influence was disproportionate to their size. They:

• Advocated administrative competence, economic liberalism, and moral seriousness in politics.

• Provided future Liberal leaders such as William Gladstone, who later defined Liberal ideology.

• Acted as a centrist bridge between Whigs and Radicals, helping facilitate the emergence of a coherent Liberal Party.

Although initially politically isolated, the Peelites’ alignment with Whigs and Radicals from the 1850s onwards proved decisive in reshaping British party politics.

Disraeli and Conservative Reconstruction

One of the most vocal opponents of repeal was Benjamin Disraeli, who exploited landowner resentment to challenge Peel’s leadership. Disraeli branded Peel as betraying his party’s traditional supporters, and his attacks cemented his reputation as a formidable parliamentary performer. However, despite the ferocity of opposition, the Protectionist Conservatives lacked cohesion and struggled to govern effectively.

The long-term challenge for the Conservatives was to rebuild a broader electoral base, which they achieved only later under Derby and Disraeli’s leadership in the 1850s and 1860s.

Broader Consequences of Repeal

The repeal of the Corn Laws marked more than just a change in trade policy—it represented a major political realignment:

• For the Whigs: Consolidation of dominance, a platform to attract Radicals and Peelites.

• For the Peelites: Establishment of a progressive identity that later merged into the Liberal Party.

• For the Conservatives: A long period of disunity and opposition, with their reputation tied to protectionism and rural landowner interests.

It also entrenched free trade as a cornerstone of mid-Victorian economic policy, shaping Britain’s identity as the “workshop of the world.”

This Staffordshire plate (c.1838–46) displays the Anti-Corn Law League’s slogan linking cheap bread to free commerce. The object adds cultural context to the free-trade campaign that defined mid-Victorian Britain. Source

Key Features to Remember

• The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 shattered Conservative unity.

• Peel’s free trade policies divided the party into Peelites and Protectionists.

• The Whigs gained strength by attracting reform-minded groups, preparing the ground for the emergence of the Liberal Party.

• The Peelites, though small in number, exerted intellectual influence and produced future Liberal leaders such as Gladstone.

• The Conservatives entered a prolonged period of weakness until they redefined themselves in the later nineteenth century.