Red Tory
A Red Tory is a nickname given to Canada's political partisans who, though economically conservative, retain traditional social values of the aristocracy such as noblesse oblige. This is in contrast to Blue Tories and Canadian neoconservatives.
The Red Tories historically served as the most powerful faction within the now-defunct Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and most of its leaders have been labelled Red Tories. These include Sir John A. Macdonald, John George Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield and Joe Clark.
Throughout the federal PC Party's decline, Red Tories were generally seen as the most vocal opponents of the Unite the Right initiative which proposed unification or cooperation with the competing Reform Party of Canada (later the Canadian Alliance), viewing it as too radically conservative. When the PCs did ultimately merge in late 2003 with the much-larger Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada, many Red Tories expressed the view that they were "now without a political home." Notable Red Tories such as Scott Brison and John Herron defected to the Liberal Party of Canada, others dispersed to the NDP, Greens or fledgling Progressive Canadian Party. Another portion remains within the new Conservative Party.
Background
The leading philosopher of Red Toryism was George Grant who saw conservative values of collectivism and community responsibility as anathama to liberal values of individualism. Notable Red Tories have been Dalton Camp and Robert Stanfield and to a lesser extent Joe Clark and John Diefenbaker. The collective nation building policies of Sir John A. Macdonald are seen as the foundation of the Red Tory tradition.
In the 1960s, Red Tories such as Grant and Camp opposed the stationing of American Bomarc nuclear missiles in Canada and opposed the Vietnam War. In many ways, Red Tories were closer to the NDP than to the Liberals and some Red Tories have joined the NDP as the Tories have moved to the right. David Orchard and his supporters have put themselves as the modern inheritors of the Red Tory tradition.
In recent years "Red Tories" clashed with neoconservatives within the Progressive Conservative Party. Joe Clark saw his leadership challenged by more conservative Blue Tories who endorsed Brian Mulroney, while on the provincial level Albertan Red Tory supporters of Peter Lougheed were marginalized following Ralph Klein's assumption of power. As right-wing support for the Progressive Conservatives bled away to the Reform Party and then the Canadian Alliance, Red Tories increasingly gained control of the federal party. The controversial election of Blue Tory leader Peter MacKay, however, would pave the way for merger with the Alliance.
Red Tories post-merger
One of the most important issues facing the newly created Conservative Party is what will happen with the Red Tories. Many high-profile Red Tories had opposed the merger and do not support the new party. The union has seen a number of PC Red Tories leave the party, either to retire, or to defect to the Liberals. These include Scott Brison and John Herron. Joe Clark served the balance of his parliamentary term as a Progressive Conservative, outside the new Conservative party caucus.
Other high-profile Red Tories such as Sinclair Stevens and Flora MacDonald applied to re-register the old Progressive Conservative Party name; however this was refused by Elections Canada. On March 26, the Progressive Canadian Party was registered with Elections Canada. It aims to be perceived as a revival of the "PC Party"; however it is not clear how successful it will be in this regard, since no prominent former PC Tories such as Clark, Stevens, or MacDonald, or even any sitting MP or senator, are associated with the new party.
Finally, some Red Tories have decided to stay in the party. A group of them formed the Red Tory Council, a group contructed to give voice to the Red Tories, monitor the party and its positions, and to prevent too great a swing to the right.
"Red" Tory?
The origin of the adjective "red" is not known. The reference may be to socialist aspects of Red Tory principles, or to the British roots of the Tory old guard. Others think it comes from the Liberal Party of Canada. The Liberals often used red as their colour, while the Conservatives used blue.
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 or Robert Stanfield but simply to moderates in the conservative movement, particularly those who reject or do not sufficiently embrace social conservatism.
Thus, in the 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, Tony Clement and Belinda Stronach were sometimes referred to as Red Tories even though Clement was on the right wing of the Mike Harris cabinet and both candidates are firm neoliberals who advocate privatization, tax cuts, the curtailment of social spending and free trade with the United States and oppose government intervention in the economy (policies real Red Tories would reject).
Red Tories in the Provinces
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has held power in that province for most of the time since Confederation. The Ontario PCs were often labelled Red Tory, for example under the leadership of William Davis from 1971 to 1985. Under Davis the Tories often ran to the left of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Throughout the Maritimes Red Tories are the dominant force in the Conservative Party. This tends to explain why Canadian provinces are often ruled at the provinical level by a party that may be "Conservative" yet at the same time elect "Liberal" members of parliament to Ottawa. Outsiders may not understand the large amount of ideological common ground shared by the two nominally different parties.
