Earl Grey (1830-1834) - Prime Minister - Parliament

Charles Grey was born in 1764 and educated at Cambridge. He began his career by becoming the MP for Northumberland and became a supporter of Whig radicalism. And in the following years he campaigned for a number of reforms.

It was only when the Duke of Wellington’s government was defeated in 1830 that King William IV, who was more sympathetic to reform, asked Grey to form a new government. He helped introduce a number of reforming acts and eventually resigned in 1834.

Earl Grey on the reformation of the Parliamentary System:
The main objective of the society was to obtain “a more equal representation of the people in Parliament” and “to secure to the people a more frequent exercise of their right of electing their representatives”.

Earl Grey on the Great Reform Bill:
"The principle of my reform is to prevent the necessity for revolution".

"No man can subscribe more cordially than I do to the maxim that in government practical good is infinitely preferable to speculative perfection".

"The only way with newspaper attacks is, as the Irish say, 'to keep never minding'. This has been my practice through life".