Since the early 1830s, the Liberals, for whom he stood, had been broadly supportive of religious liberty. His political platform embraced a list of issues, including a limited extension of the vote to a greater part of the population; bringing down taxes as far as possible; bringing down the duty on tea to help the poor; and free trade. He was in favour of liberty of conscience and civil and religious liberty, and was concerned about State involvement in education, particularly because this was usually expressed in favour of the Established Church.
His principal concern was to bring the issue of Jewish emancipation into the broader Liberal agenda of civil and religious liberty. He was determined that the Liberals should adopt Jewish Emancipation as a cause.
