How did Edmund Burke define a political party?

In his pamphlet Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents (1770), Edmund Burke provided a foundational justification for the existence of political parties. He defined a political party as a body of individuals united based on shared public principles.1

According to Burke, such a group serves as a vital constitutional link between the monarch and Parliament. By acting in concert, these members provide consistency and strength to the administration when in power, or offer principled, organized criticism when in opposition. This conceptualization established the party as a legitimate and necessary vehicle for parliamentary career and national governance, rather than merely a faction driven by personal interest or favoritism.12