The Bunker – News without the nonsense Two's a crowd – How the Whigs vs. Tories shaped modern Britain
Feb 18, 2026
George Owers, historian and author of The Rage of Party, unpacks late 17th–early 18th century Britain. He traces the rise of Whigs and Tories, the Glorious Revolution’s boost to Parliament, and how war, finance and propaganda forged party politics. Short, lively takes on elections, corruption, and the birth of the modern political press.
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Parliament Became Permanent After 1688
- The Glorious Revolution shifted sovereignty toward Parliament and made it a permanent institution.
- William's need for war funding forced regular parliamentary sessions and greater parliamentary power.
Whig And Tory Identities Solidify
- Whigs and Tories crystallised from Civil War legacies into enduring ideological camps.
- The Whigs backed finance, commerce and war; the Tories defended hereditary monarchy and landed interests.
Debt Created A New Political Fault Line
- Financial innovation created a new moneyed interest that profited from national debt and favored the Whigs.
- Landed gentry shouldered land taxes and resented untaxed financiers, fueling partisan conflict.
