alternatehistory.com

In 1845, a blight reached Ireland's potato crops. PM Robert Peel's cabinet was opposed to intervention to cheapen prices of grain since that would hurt the landowning class and the opposition was opposed to any intervention in prices period. Robert Peel's response was to purchase cornmeal from America. These would then sold at cost at food depots. Part of the problem as that there wasn't enough of it. Part of the problem was that when Peel was thrown out, the food depots started charging high prices. Part of the problem was that you got sick if you tried eating cornmeal like wheat and you needed to be taught how to cook it. he also started a publics works program.

Now this probably requires a POD before Peel even became in charge for him to have enough clout but...

Suppose upon prodding from some members of the House of Lords, Peel instituted a 3 year export ban on food exports from Ireland (this was done in the 1700s in response to Irish crop failure, so not unprecedented). He also did the relief measure he did in OTL (public works, cornmeal purchase). In addition, he puts in a 3 year moratorium on evictions. And he manages to repeal the Corn Laws.

He also sets up programs designed to stop the spread of blight to harvested Potatoes. They don't have modern disease control technology we do to stop the spread in the fields, but I think keeping harvested Potatoes from being contaminated should be well within a Victorian Era civilization.

Can these measures stop the Famine? Also, how short is Peel's career likely to be? Probably not much shorter than OTL where he got kicked out after repealing the Corn Laws anyways...
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