Robert Peel had occupied a series of relatively minor positions in the Tory governments between 1814 and 1824: Undersecretary for War, Chief Secretary for Ireland, and, in 1819, chairman of the Bullion Committee (charged with stabilizing British finances after the end of the Napoleonic Wars).

He had also changed constituency twice: first picking up another constituency, Chippenham, then becoming MP for Oxford University in 1817.

Peel is considered one of the rising stars of the Tory party, first entering the cabinet in 1822 as Home Secretary.

In this capacity, he has introduces a number of important reforms of British criminal law, reducing the number of crimes punishable by death, and simplifying it by repealing a large number of criminal statutes and consolidating their provisions into what are known as Peel's Acts.

He reforms the jail system, introducing payment for jailers and education for the inmates.

He had resigned as Home Secretary after the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, became incapacitated in April 1827 and was replaced by George Canning.

Canning favors Catholic Emancipation, while Peel has been one of its most outspoken opponents (earning the nickname "Orange Peel").

George Canning himself dies less than four months later, and Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, becomes Prime Minister on August 31, 1827.