Question for Al (or other British posters)

[NewFederalist]

Back in the time when politics was taking shape in Britain that has evolved into the current party system, the two rival groups were Whigs and Tories. The modern day Conservatives evolved from the Tories I assume since they are still referred to  as Tories. I also assume the old Liberals evolved from the Whigs (I realize the Liberals merged with the Social Democrats roughly 20 years ago). Is that accurate? Why is the term "Whig" not used anymore? I also realize Labour doesn't fit into this mix since they didn't come along until later. I await my education! Thanks.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The quick answer is that in the 19th century only the right-wing of the Liberals were called Whigs; the "left" of the party were usually described as Radicals (and some had never had anything to do with the pre-1832 Whigs at all).
Most of the higher-profile Whigs (remember both the Liberals and Conservatives were top-down parties), eventually, found their way over to the Tories (often via the Liberal Unionists (a party that broke away from the Liberals over Gladstone's policies on Ireland) which was, ironically, led by Joe Chamberlain, who was very much a Radical), meaning that the name was, basically, dead by the early 20th century.

As a side note, what was left of the old Radical wing of the Liberal party (although they'd obviously ceased to use the name) was wiped out in the early 1950's. Most of them later joined Labour (Megan Lloyd George is the best known example, but there are others).

[NewFederalist]

Thanks, Al. I was looking for just such an overview.