The Tories, led in the House of Commons by William Wyndham, and under the direction of Bolingbroke, who had returned to the country in 1723 after being pardoned for his role in the Jacobite rising of 1715, lost further ground to the Whigs, rendering them ineffectual and largely irrelevant to practical politics. A group known as the Patriot Whigs, led by William Pulteney, who were disenchanted with Walpole's government and believed he was betraying Whig principles, had been formed prior to the election.
The Tories, under William Wyndham's guidance in the House of Commons and Bolingbroke's direction after his return from exile in 1723 following a pardon for his Jacobite role, lost ground to the Whigs. This rendered them ineffective and largely unimportant in practical politics. A group called the Patriot Whigs, led by William Pulteney who were dissatisfied with Walpole's administration and believed he was betraying Whig principles, had been established before the election.