The following letter was published in The Times on 4 November in a brief reply to a claim that Tory is a “pejorative” name, which should be dropped by Conservatives today. Back in 1680 when Tory first appeared as a Party name, it did indeed start off as a term of insult, but it quickly began to be used with pride by Tories themselves, as Alistair Lexden explained in an article published in Parliament’s magazine The House on 15 January 2024.
Sir, It is very silly of Sir Lynton Crosby to suggest that Conservatives should stop calling themselves Tories (“Tories should drop pejorative name, says election guru”, Nov 2). The Tories, who first came on the political scene in 1680, greeted the start of a new political era after the 1832 Reform Act, by relaunching themselves as the Conservative Party. They continued to use their old name alongside their new one as a constant reminder of their historic traditions of moderation and adaptabilty, on which they will need to draw now if the Party is to be rebuilt as a serious and constructive political force.
Lord Lexden
Conservative Party historian
