Derby Dilly - Failure To Create A Centre Grouping

Failure To Create A Centre Grouping

The idea of an erratic coach with Stanley driving the horses was quickly picked up by others and the name stuck to the group. He already had a reputation as the 'Prince Rupert of Debate' - a man who could lead his followers into an attack but was unable to rally them afterwards. As a result it was difficult to estimate the number of MPs who were actually part of the 'Dilly'. It is possible they numbered up to 70 at this time but they lacked a core set of political beliefs or attitudes. Many of them remained uncertain whether to go back to the Whigs, join the Tory Party or attempt to create a third political force. Some political observers wondered if the 'Dilly' - or at least those identified solidly with Stanley - really only numbered half a dozen MPs at most.

Despite his growing estrangement from the Whigs, Stanley remained on good terms with his former party leader Earl Grey. In November 1834 following the resignation of The Viscount Melbourne, Sir Robert Peel invited Stanley (now Lord Stanley) and others in the 'Dilly' to join his minority Tory government. Stanley declined but made it obvious that he was finding himself in general agreement with Peel's attempt to form an administration.

In December 1834 Stanley decided he needed to at least define a set of ideas to mark out his group from the other parties and factions in the House of Commons. In a speech at Glasgow University that was subsequently dubbed 'The Knowsley Creed' after the Stanley family's ancestral home Knowsley Hall in Liverpool, Stanley gave the student audience an outline of his political beliefs .

Besides affirming his staunch support of the Established Church and opposition to 'destructive reform', Stanley still signalled his political belief that is was not possible to reverse reform or undertake a reactionary domestic agenda.

“The machine must move forward for good or evil – for it cannot be stopped; like the fire it may purify, if properly kindled by a skilful hand, but if it should be impetuously and recklessly accelerated, destruction and overwhelming wreck must be the inevitable consequences".

However Stanley had been preempted by Peel. Three days earlier on 8 December 1834 Peel had issued an election address to his constituents (which was later dubbed the Tamworth Manifesto) which covered much of the same political and religious ground as Stanley's speech. Now usually known as a founding political ideology for what was to become the Conservative Party - it too said that Peel's party would support reform to correct 'abuses' where necessary and marked a contrast to the old Toryism that had gone before that appeared to be opposed to all change. It also meant that in practice the 'Derby Dilly' with their 'Knowsley Creed' and the Conservatives 'Tamworth Manifesto' were two sides of the same coin.