What were the main characteristics of Whig policy towards Ireland in the 1830s and '40s?

In June 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair issued an apology on Britain’s behalf for what he deemed at least partial perpetration in the deaths that accompanied Ireland’s 19^th century Famine. For, ‘those who governed in London at the time failed their people through standing by while a crop failure turned into a massive human tragedy.’ This espousal of guilt met with notable outrage on the part of Conservative commentators in England and Ireland. Interestingly, although strong contemporary attitudes within nineteenth century government existed, they were not necessarily distinguished along party lines. Whig and Peelite attitudes to the crisis did not overall differ massively – as with the Whigs, Peelites feared that any government action would discourage Irish initiative. Although Robert Peel acted quickly, the true beginning of the Famine was arguably anyway marked by the renewed and complete failure of the potato in 1846 and so it is primarily for this reason that policy under Peel may have appeared more interventionist and successful since the circumstances in which Peel operated were not akin to those that surrounded Russell.

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