Conservative Party, UK

THE CONSERVATIVE Party is the oldest British political party and arguably the oldest political party in the world. It has given rise to some of Great Britain's greatest leaders, is unofficially referred to as the Tory Party, and its members are called Tories. Under a system favoring two dominant parties, this center-right party is the only party with a realistic prospect of providing a counterbalance to the Labour Party. Throughout its existence, the party has stood for stability and order. It was early identified with the lesser aristocracy, the church, the monarchy, property rights, and agricultural interests, but during the Industrial Revolution it strove to align itself with the urban working class and produced significant reforms. It would subsequently become the party most associated with ...