Development

These opposing positions between the Whigs and Tories largely lost their relevance after a solution was found to the problem of rightful succession to the throne. The parties did, however, keep their names. But they now represented more a difference in political mentality than they did serious political and society-based differences. Both parties were made up of a loose collection of parliamentary groupings. The Crown, that is, the government continued its efforts to avoid becoming dependent on any one parliamentary party. To make sure it got sufficient support from parliament, the government attempted to buy the loyalty of MPs through influence and patronage and to ensure that candidates loyal to the government were selected in boroughs controlled by it. This system, described in a famous statement as government by corruption, found itself in increasing crisis by the end of the 18th century, since traditional methods of bringing influence to bear were no longer available to the same degree. The main problem now, therefore, was to find new ways of gaining parliamentary support. From this point of view, then, it is fair to say that "party government" was "discovered" not least because the old 18th century system had run into great difficulties.

These political parties, which were to form the backbone of a parliamentary system of government, initially had only a distant similarity with modern political parties. They did not present their electorate with a clear manifesto nor did they draw on any firm social or organizational ties worth mentioning. In reality, local aristocratic influence and interests were often concealed behind these national parties and elections. Indeed, aristocratic families often controlled several electoral boroughs and mutual arrangements often ensured that other candidates did not contest elections in these boroughs. Prior to the 1832 Electoral Reform Bill, this situation represented more the rule than the exception.

The 1832 electoral reforms abolished rotten boroughs, that is, electoral boroughs in which MPs were elected to parliament by only a handful of voters, and established new constituencies in heavily populated and industrialized regions. Yet for all these alterations, a fundamental change in the situation did not occur. As before, the electorate was made up of a small and easily identifiable body of men representing only an eighth of Britain's adult male population and which could be accessed by a range of interests, particularly when one bears in mind that secret ballots were not introduced until 1872.

The decisive change did not come about until the electoral reforms in 1867 and 1884/85, which gave two thirds, three fifths and around half of the male population in England, Scotland and Ireland respectively the right to vote.

Historical two-party system

British politics has traditionally been characterized by its two-party system of government, despite the fact that reasonably well-functioning coalition governments did exist between 1915 and 1922 and 1931 and 1945. Indeed, the possibility of coalition government still exists today, should the successes of the newly formed alliance continue.
The first signs of a emerging political parties were apparent shortly before and after the English Civil War during the 17th century. During this period parliament split into two made up of those loyal to the king "Cavaliers" and the republicans "Roundheads". The development of a party system, however, did not come about until the king had been reinstated as head of state and loose groupings going under the name of "Tories" and "Whigs" - originally intended as insults - began to develop.

The Tories found their support among the landed gentry and identified themselves strongly with the Anglican Church and the Crown. In contrast, the Whigs represented the interests of large landowners and rich merchants, championed religious and political tolerance and stuck to the basic principle that the king's ministers must have the trust of parliament. A strict dividing line between party and interests were present until well into the 19th century.

The first cabinet to be formed out of a parliamentary majority was called into being by William III as early as 1693. The first prime minister was named in 1721 and acted as the head of the cabinet in the absence of the monarch. This development led to a situation in which the parties and their leaders gained great significance in the British constitutional system.

Two of today's political parties developed out of these groupings during the 19th century. In broad terms, the reforming Liberal Party developed from the Whigs and the Conservative Party from the Tories. Indeed, the Conservative Party is still referred to as the Tories today.

It was not until the end of the 19th century that the first elements of a third party began to emerge in the form of the Labour Party, which began to displace the Liberal Party step-by-step as the main opposition party. This breakthrough was achieved by addressing directly the problems faced by the nation's working class, who until the emergence of the Labour Party had voted mainly for the Liberals. The Liberal Party was regarded as the party of political and social reform, even if this eagerness was often economically motivated. The working class was able to identify more easily with Labour Party candidates than members of the upper class and representatives of business, who mainly elected Liberal members to parliament. (...) Ever since the end of the Second World War, Britain's political landscape has been dominated by the Conservative and Labour Parties.

[Taken from: Stefan Melnik: Das Parteiensystem; in: Informationen zur politischen Bildung 214, "Gro�bitannien", Bonn BpB 1987]