View source for Lichfield House Compact

{{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 [[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.
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 events]]
[[Category:19th century in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne]]
{{UK-poli-stub}}