Phase 3: The break-up of the Tory party (1827-1830).

Weak leadership.

• The resignation of Lord Liverpool in March 1827 aged 57 having stroke caused problems, the only cabinet member to keep divided party together due to leadership skills and personality.
• Goderich was unable to form a cabinet and in desperation, the king asked Wellington to form a government. He fell out with the Liberal Tories.
• Liverpool's failure to establish a clear successor/to more to solve divisions made situation worse.
• The death of George IV, June 1830 caused a general election, they lost.

Policy differences.

• Canning was tactless.
• Goderich is regarded as the worst Prime Minister of the century.
• Wellington was an army man who expected obedience.
• Parliamentary reform caused clashes in May 1828 between Huskisson and Wellington over the distribution of seats from corrupt boroughs.
• Wellington was not prepared to consider Parliamentary reform.
• The Corn laws: Liberal Tories wanted to relax them with a sliding scale but Wellington blocked it, but later introduced by him as PM.

Divisions.

• Party bitterly divided, old disputes resurfaced once Liverpool had left. 
• Peel and Wellington along with five others resigned when Canning was made Prime Minister as they disagreed with his foreign policy and the fact that he supported Catholic Emancipation.

1829: Catholic Emancipation.

• Wellington was reluctantly forced into agreeing to it.
• Daniel O'Connell, a Catholic, had won the bye-election for County Clare but as a Catholc was unable to take his seat in parliament. There was a fear that other catholics would do the same in the next election and then set up their own parliament, possibly leading to a break-up of the Union.
• Wellington bullied the House of Lords into passing the act. The protestant Tories never forgave him for this, they saw it as a 'great betrayal'. He lost the support of the Ultra-Tories, who undermined Canning & took revenge on Wellington after Catholic Emancipation.

1831 Election: Why did the Tory party lose?

• They were out of time with the growing demand for reform.
• The impact if the 1830 revolution in France.
• Economic factors (slump hitting agriculture and industry, irregular employment, low wages, new machinery, income tax).
• Earl Grey's leadership.
• Divisions and policy differences within the Tory party.

Reasons for riots and violence 1830-1832.

• Swing riots due to poor harvests. (Widespread outbreak of burning of hayricks and barns, attacks on parsons and the smashing of mill machinery).
• Agrarian discontent mixed with political concerns.
• Middle classes wanted more political involvement.
• Working class discontent.

Similarities

• Both agreed that intervention in a state's government was morally wrong.
• Both distrusted Russia and were keen to stop French involvement in Spain.
• Both wanted to preserve Turkish independence in Eastern question, to prevent Russian expansion.
• Both supported ending slave trade.
• Both believed in maintaining balance of power.

Differences

• Canning wasn't as enthusiastic as Castlereagh about Congress System.
• Canning saw the need to explain and defend views, Castlereagh didn't.
• Different context; Castlereagh dealt with aftermath of war and was used to co-operating with other nations to defeat Napoleon. Canning had no personal contacts and had more opportunist and independent approach
• Castlereagh & Metternich had good working relationship unlike Canning.
• Castlereagh was keen to keep peace with America. Canning was prepared to discredit America and had a less friendly relationship (Monroe Doctrine).