Editing John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (section)

===Opposition: 1841–1846===
[[File:The Rt. Hon. Lord John Russell, M. P. (BM 1870,0514.1982).jpg|alt=British Prime Minister|thumb|Engraving of a portrait of Lord Russell in 1842.]]
In 1841 the Whigs lost the [[1841 United Kingdom general election|general election]] to the Conservatives and Russell and his colleagues returned to opposition. In November 1845, following the failure of that year's potato harvest across Britain and Ireland, Russell came out in favour of the repeal of the [[Corn Laws]] and called upon the Prime Minister [[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]] to take urgent action to alleviate the emerging food crisis.<ref>''The Times'' (27 November 1845), pg. 5.</ref>

Peel had by this time already become convinced of the need for repeal, but he was opposed in this by the majority of his own cabinet and party. On 11 December 1845, frustrated by his party's unwillingness to support him on repeal, Peel resigned as prime minister and [[Queen Victoria]] invited Russell to form a new government. With the Whigs a minority in the Commons however, Russell struggled to assemble the necessary support. When [[Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey|Lord Grey]] declared that he would not serve in cabinet if [[Lord Palmerston]] was made Foreign Secretary, it became clear to Russell that he could not form a viable government.{{sfn|Walpole|1889a|pp=410-416}}

Russell declined the Queen's invitation on 21 December and Peel agreed to stay on as prime minister. In June 1846, Peel repealed the Corn Laws with Whig support, bitterly dividing the Conservative Party in the process. Later that same night Peel's [[Coercion Act|Irish Coercion Bill]] was defeated after vengeful anti-repeal Tories voted with the opposition; and Peel, taking this as a vote of no confidence, resigned as prime minister. Russell accepted the Queen's offer to form a government; this time Grey did not object to Palmerston's appointment.{{sfn|Walpole|1889a|pp=422-424}}