As we know, early in the story of Middlemarch, Dorothea Brooke's uncle Arthur Brooke, wanted to run for Parliament, which was essentially legistlative body of government. That was unfortunate for Mr. Brooke in the end, because he would end up doing badly in his performance for Parliament, he was also undecisive about the position in the first place. This was also prior to the Reform Bill of 1832, Parliament would end up being dissolved in the end by the year 1831, preventing anyone from actually receiveing the power.

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/09/middlemarch-and-the-rocky-road-to-the-...

Eliot, George. Middlemarch, edited by Gregory Maertz. 1874, Broadview Literary Texts.