Whig
WhigA member of the British political party traditionally opposed to the Tories. The Whigs owed their name, like the Tories, to the exclusion crisis of Charles II 's reign. Those who petitioned for the recall of Parliament in 1679 were named Whigs (Scottish Covenanting brigands) by their Tory opponents. The Whigs suffered defeat in Charles's reign, but joined with the Tories in inviting William III (of Orange) to England, and they alternated with the Tories in power until 1714 . Their principles were to maintain the power and privileges of Parliament, to show sympathy with religious dissent, keeping links between Church and state to a minimum, and to play an active role in Europe.
From the accession of George I the Hanoverian kings...
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