The Split in the Tory Party: Divide or Modernization?
Is it fair to say that the Conservative Party has ever split from the Tories? This question on its face sounds like an oxymoron, but the true historical incidence of the Tory Party cleaving has more to do with internal ideological shifts and external pressures. Indeed, the period of the 1840s offers a compelling case study in the dynamic that raged within the party lines.
One event that particularly stands out occurred in the mid-19th century. This is not a direct split, but it did hint at an internal conflict; the controversy over the Irish famine and the Corn Laws in the 1840s. During these tumultuous times, the Tories, who were evolving into the modern Conservative Party, found themselves deeply divided.
Peel's Reform Efforts and Party Split
During the election of 1841, the first successful Tory government since the Great Reform Bill saw the rise of the influential William Pitt the Younger's successors, with Robert Peel emerging as the new leader. Peel became associated with a modernizing Conservative tendency, supporting the emerging industrial class against the traditional landed interest. This shift in focus came to a head during the issue of the Corn Laws, customs tariffs established during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Corn Laws were designed to protect domestic agriculture from foreign competition, ensuring that food prices remained high. This policy inadvertently served to benefit the old Tory landed interest, much to the chagrin of the rising industrial class, which favored free trade. Peel attempted to repeal the Corn Laws in 1842, but his own party rejected his efforts, voting against him.
The Irish Famine and Peeling Away
By 1845, the devastating effects of the Irish famine were keenly felt, exacerbating the already strained relations within the Tory and Conservative factions. Peel tried to repeal the Corn Laws again, winning a Commons vote but losing in the House of Lords. In response, Peel sought to mitigate the impact of the Corn Laws in practical terms, suspending them. By 1846, it was clear that about two-thirds of Tory MPs opposed Peel, leading to his resignation and the formation of a new party called the Peelites.
Peel's fall marked the first significant split in the party since the Tory name had become synonymous with modern Conservative thought. The Peelites operated as a separate political entity, championing the principles of conservatism, albeit with a more modern approach. However, the electoral system proved unfriendly to third parties, and the Peelites faced successive defeats, dwindling to a small rump of about 40 MPs.
The Legacy of Peelites and Conservatives
The ideological rifts within the Peelites and Tories highlight the personality and political dynamics at play. Personal animosities and the strength of the traditional Conservative Party structure meant that the Peelites and Conservatives never reconciled completely. By 1859, the Peelites, alongside the Whigs and Radicals, merged to form the Liberal Party, with many prominent figures from the Peelites ultimately becoming leaders of the new party. William Gladstone, for example, was a respected former Peelite.
Meanwhile, the Tory Party, ever adroit at reinventing itself, reclaimed the name "Conservative" and continued to evolve, reflecting the changing economic and social landscape of the time. This period is a testament to the party's adaptability and its capacity to absorb and rebrand in response to internal and external pressures.
Ultimately, while the Conservative Party did not definitively split from the Tories, the ideological rifts and practical divisions during the 1840s offer a critical insight into the party's evolution and its internal dynamics.