A political party. Founded 1678 dissolved 1868. The Whigs were a consortium of aristocratic factions based upon opposition to the excesses of both monarchical and parliamentary power, Whigs never committed themselves to an ideology. Rather, they stood for an ethos of service to the nation, religious toleration, and protection of the people from institutional oppression [i] Under the leadership of Charles James Fox (from 1784 to 1806) , they came to represent the interests of religious dissenters, industrialists, and others who sought electoral, parliamentary, and philanthropic reforms. [ii]

References:
[i] Adler Kroll, Alison - Who Were the Whigs? National Trust website https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/who-were-the-whigs (accessed 23Feb21)
[ii] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Whig-Party-England (accessed 23Feb21)

542; [Note 030.4]