The emergence of Whigs and Tories

The importance of the parties

On becoming king, William immediately formed a Privy Council of his own choosing, although he was cautious and included a balance of Whigs and Tories.
The parliament of 1690 consisted of 225 Whigs and 206 Tories.
When he left England to fight at the Battle of the Boyne, William showed his preference by leaving a number of loyal Court Tories in charge.
Whig rebels attempted to push through a triennial bill in order to ensure regular Parliament. This was passed by both Houses and William was forced to use his royal veto.

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A group of Whig rebels known as the 'Whig Junto' became influential in 1692 and developed considerable influence in government between 1694 and 1699.
They favoured war with France in order to promote the Protestant cause in Europe.
Their members included Edward Russell, John Somers, Thomas Wharton and Charles Montagu.

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By 1694 the Whig Junto was beginning to dominate government, and its members were given high-profile roles.
A second triennial bill was given the royal assent in January 1694 and this new Triennial Act stated that a Parliament could not last longer than three years. This meant that general elections would be held more frequently.
The rivalry between Whigs and Tories was stronger than ever but the Act also gave the Commons new-found confidence.

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In 1695, another election was held and the Whigs performed well, cementing their dominance over both Parliament and Privy Council.
In 1696, a plot was discovered to assassinate William. The Whigs became more united than ever and William became more reliant on the Whig Junto in the Privy Council. Both Houses adopted a Whig proposal acknowledging William in a local 'Association', signed by most MPs.
In 1697, the opposition to the now-dominant Whig Junto passed a vote limiting William's army to 10,000 men.
In 1698, the Whig Junto began to collapse. Their opposition was able to secure a bill that reduced William's army further to 7,000 and members of the Junto were promoted or resigned.
In 1699, a commission investigating confiscated lands in Ireland issued a report and found that William had made excessive grants to loyal courtiers. Parliament passed a bill of resumption, stating that any grants in Ireland given to members of the Privy Council were illegal.
In the election of 1701, the Tories made gains and began impeachment proceedings against leading Whig Junto members Somers, Montagu and Russell, although they were eventually acquitted by their fellow parliamentarians.

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