Red Tory

Red Tory is a nickname given to a political tradition in Canada's conservative political parties. Red Tories were traditionally to the left of the rest of the party. Originally it referred to the branch of the Tory party that was committed to the welfare state. Modern Red Tories, however, define themselves as "fiscally conservative and socially progressive". The term Blue Tory has been coined to describe more right wing Canadian conservatives.

Definition drift?

With the conservative movement's drift to the political right, the term Red Tory is often used today not to refer to those in the traditional Red Tory tradition of George Grant, Dalton Camp or Robert Stanfield but simply to Blue Tory moderates in the conservative movement, particularly those who reject or do not sufficiently embrace social conservatism such as James Moore, Gerald Keddy and Jim Prentice. For the most part the unmitigated faith in big government has disappeared from Canadian politics with even the NDP approaching the subject with some trepidation.

Related Topics:
Political right - George Grant - Dalton Camp - Blue Tory - Social conservatism - James Moore - Gerald Keddy - Jim Prentice

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Thus, in the 2004 Conservative Party leadership election, Tony Clement was sometimes referred to as a Red Tory even though Clement was on the right wing of the Mike Harris cabinet. Clement is a neoconservative, who advocates privatization, tax cuts, the curtailment of social and economic development spending and free trade with the United States. He opposes government intervention in the economy. Clement's stances are policies that most traditional Red Tories would reject.

Related Topics:
2004 Conservative Party leadership election - Tony Clement - Right wing - Mike Harris - Cabinet - Neoconservative - Privatization - Tax cuts - Free trade

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David Orchard and his supporters have put themselves as the modern inheritors of the Red Tory tradition, although many Red Tories would not embrace this strident opponent of free trade with the United States as a Red Tory.

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