POLITICAL ECONOMY AND PEEL'S REPEAL OF THE CORN LAWS

In: Economics & politics, Band 1, Heft 1, S. 41-59

Abstract

The repeal of the Corn Laws in Britain in 1846 has been much debated as to whether interest groups or ideology contributed most to this policy reform. This paper examines a conventional view that Sir Robert Peel, in proposing repeal, converted from protection to free trade under the influence of the ideas of political economy. It is shown that economic ideas had a crucial influence on Peel, but that he remained skeptical of political economy as a doctrine.