The Tories might have been losing their hold on Parliament even before the ascension of George I, but might they remain a powerful and competitive faction?
The POD I'm thinking of would be for George I to be more balanced between the Whig and Tory factions, with the latter retaining enough power and prestige to make the 1715 election somewhat inconclusive. Without the support of the King and Whig domination of Parliament, there probably won't be any proscription, and no Tory would feel the need to flee to the countryside or especially to France. That removes much of the impetus toward the Jacobite Rising, which prevents the Tories from being tarred as crypto-Catholic traitors. Without such burdens, the Tories could remain strong enough to prevent the Whigs from consolidating power. A weaker Whig government would force a new election much sooner, which a competitive Tory faction could take advantage of.
What then would Britain be like if the 18th century was a period of fierce Whig-Tory competition, with more frequent elections and changes in government? That would seem to make electoral reform a much more potent issue, but which faction might see benefits to pushing such reform?
Presumably, British policy would be less protectionist, and the Church of England somewhat stronger compared to OTL, but what's the degree of difference that Tories of that era would seek to implement, especially given a long period of weak majorities? Relations with the American colonies would surely also be different. A less protectionist Britain is much more encouraging to the development of commerce in New England and the other northern colonies, but would Britain maintain a policy of benign neglect as OTL, or would Tory governments be more likely to pursue a degree of centralization?
The POD I'm thinking of would be for George I to be more balanced between the Whig and Tory factions, with the latter retaining enough power and prestige to make the 1715 election somewhat inconclusive. Without the support of the King and Whig domination of Parliament, there probably won't be any proscription, and no Tory would feel the need to flee to the countryside or especially to France. That removes much of the impetus toward the Jacobite Rising, which prevents the Tories from being tarred as crypto-Catholic traitors. Without such burdens, the Tories could remain strong enough to prevent the Whigs from consolidating power. A weaker Whig government would force a new election much sooner, which a competitive Tory faction could take advantage of.
What then would Britain be like if the 18th century was a period of fierce Whig-Tory competition, with more frequent elections and changes in government? That would seem to make electoral reform a much more potent issue, but which faction might see benefits to pushing such reform?
Presumably, British policy would be less protectionist, and the Church of England somewhat stronger compared to OTL, but what's the degree of difference that Tories of that era would seek to implement, especially given a long period of weak majorities? Relations with the American colonies would surely also be different. A less protectionist Britain is much more encouraging to the development of commerce in New England and the other northern colonies, but would Britain maintain a policy of benign neglect as OTL, or would Tory governments be more likely to pursue a degree of centralization?