Page 50 - All About History - Issue 56-17

HERO
HERO

OR
VILLAIN?
VILLAIN?

Sir Robert Peel

This gifted politician founded modern

policing, pushed Catholic emancipation and
heralded an era of free trade, but he still

incurred the wrath of his own party

Written by David Crookes
owards the end of the night on 25 June and Oxford, he was hugely privileged. In 1809,
1846, eyes were blurring and minds were at the age of 21, Peel used his connections to
tiring, but a crucial parliamentary vote had enter the House of Commons. A well-placed cash
been cast. The Lords had brought closure to investment and a word in the ear of the chief
Twhat had been a lengthy campaign against secretary of Ireland was all that was needed to
the controversial Corn Laws, backing a previous parachute Peel into a parliamentary seat in Cashel,
decision in the Commons to repeal them. County Tipperary, where the 24 electors got him in
Tory prime minister Sir Robert Peel was elated, unopposed on the Tory Party ticket. Defining
but many in his own party were not. For them, the Peel developed a real taste for politics and proved
country’s leader had become a true villain — but to be a promising backbencher. This meant there moment
scores of his countrymen held him aloft as a hero was no problem in offering him a role as one of the Facts and near-famine
The Irish potato crop fails during Peel’s
of the people. It was easy to see why. two undersecretaries for war and colonies when his
time as chief secretary of Ireland and there
The Corn Laws had been introduced by the father pulled some more strings a year later. is a near-famine in 1817. The government
Tory Party in 1815 to protect British agriculture. By Showing great ambition and a knack for rhetoric, suggests banning potato exports from Ireland
only allowing corn imports when the price in the he became well known in the Commons. He may to keep the much-needed food in the country
and Peel is persuaded to make the case
UK reached a high of 80 shillings a quarter, they have been mockingly nicknamed ‘Spinning Jenny’ without figures. It turns out that exports
had kept the cost of bread artificially high. While because of his industrial background, but what were negligible, rendering the action
landowners loved this, the public and industrialists he lacked in charisma and flamboyance, he more pointless. Embarrassed, Peel
subsequently insists that he
were widely opposed. than made up for in determination and ambition.
only acted on facts.
Nothing in Peel’s upbringing hinted that he Whether or not that yielded positive results really 1817
may one day act on behalf of the many rather depended on which side of the fence people sat.
than the few. Born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1788 to It proved hard to second guess Peel, who was
a rich cotton mill owner and educated at Harrow a U-turner of the highest order. He had actually
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