in UK politics why is the Conservative party also called the Tory party?

Answer 1

The term Tory (from Irish Gaelic tóraighe, an outlaw or guerrilla fighter, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms — literally meaning "pursued man", see also Rapparee) applied to the Tory Party, the ancestor of the modern UK Conservative Party. To this day it is often used as a shortened form for Conservatives. Its usage also applied to the pre-1965 Scottish Unionist Party which operated independently of, although in association with, the Conservative Party in England and Wales.

Answer 2

Before political parties the two main factions were the Whigs (who supported reform) and the Tories (who supported the King). Tory was intended as an insult because it derives from an old Irish word for a robber, or literally "pursuer" (because they pursued the King for his favours).

Because the Tories were generally conservative and the Whigs were more liberal the modern party names came about.

SLF. Whigs became Liberals who became Lib Dems, not Labour. Labour was created in 1900.

Answer 3

Originally the names of the main parties were the Whigs and the Tories. These parties developed into what is now Labour and Conservative, but sometimes the word Tory is still used.

Answer 4

I was told it was a derogatory term meaning: "Irish bog trotters"

Answer 5

Thanks John - I didn't know that.