Handley belonged to a family long prominent in Newark, where his father was a banker (until 1791) and brewer and had a share in a cotton mill. He entered the family business, succeeded his father to his urban property in 1798 and in 1801 became a partner with his younger brother John (1782-1856) in the brewery, which had a branch at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. They were partners in the Newark branch of the Sleaford bank of Peacock, Handley and Kirton.
Handley, who is not known to have spoken in debate in this period, voted for the second reading of the reform bill, 22 Mar., but with opposition for Gascoyne’s successful wrecking amendment, 19 Apr. 1831. Abused in Newark for his desertion of ministers, he defended his behaviour in an explanatory handbill:
Though a supporter of the reform bill, I did think that the number of Members for England and Wales ought not to be diminished, but that other large and populous towns, beyond those contemplated by ministers, should have the elective franchise conferred upon them.
Lincoln and Newark Times, 27 Apr. 1831.
Standing for Newark at the subsequent general election, he retained the support of Middleton but, anxious to avoid an expensive contest following the collapse of the united interest, he was prevailed on to coalesce with Newcastle’s nominee Gresley in order to keep out Wilde. The unnatural coalition did not last long, and Handley incurred Newcastle’s wrath for his ‘treachery’ in declining to ensure that his second votes went to Gresley. Censured again on the hustings for his equivocation over reform, he refuted the imputation of having hindered the progress of public business by supporting the call for an adjournment, 21 Apr., and, though guarded over his paradoxical association with Newcastle’s nominee, he pledged himself to ‘support the bill in all its stages’. He was returned in second place with Wilde.
Handley voted for the second reading of the reintroduced reform bill, 6 July 1831, and for most of its details. He was in the minority for the postponement of a new writ for Dublin, 8 Aug., but voted twice with government against charges of improper interference in the election, 23 Aug. He voted for the third reading and passage of the reform bill, 19 and 21 Sept., and the second reading of the Scottish reform bill, 23 Sept., but took three weeks’ leave on account of ill health, 28 Sept., and so missed the division on the confidence motion, 10 Oct. He voted for the second reading of the revised reform bill, 17 Dec. 1831, was again a steady supporter of its details and divided for the third reading, 22 Mar. 1832. He voted with ministers on the Russian-Dutch loan, 26 Jan., 16, 20 July, and relations with Portugal, 9 Feb., but was in the minority for inquiry into the glove trade, 31 Jan. He presented a Newark petition against the general register bill, 6 Feb. He divided for Lord Ebrington’s motion for an address calling on the king to appoint only ministers who would carry reform unimpaired, 10 May. He cast wayward votes for the Liverpool disfranchisement bill, 23 May, and against government’s temporizing amendment to Fowell Buxton’s motion for the immediate abolition of slavery, 24 May. He voted for the second reading of the Irish reform bill, 25 May, and against Conservative amendments to the Scottish bill, 1, 15 June. He voted for making inquests public, 20 June 1832.
Handley was returned for Newark as a Conservative at the general election of 1832 and retired from Parliament in 1834. Elected to Newark town council in 1836, he remained a prominent figure in borough politics.