Small-c conservative
Encyclopedia
A small-c conservative is anyone who believes in the philosophy of conservatism
but does not necessarily identify with an official Conservative Party
.
was centre-right with the Reform Party
(later, the Canadian Alliance
) further to the right. Members and supporters of the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance would thus describe themselves as small-c conservatives. Another term for small-c conservatives in Canada is Blue Tory
.
. For example, the House of Lords
as a body, tends to resist social change and executive power and so, regardless of the numbers of lords who take the Conservative party whip
, it is described as "small-c conservative".
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
but does not necessarily identify with an official Conservative Party
Conservative Party
-Africa:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party *Conservative Party -Europe:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party of Armenia *Conservative Party *Conservative Party...
.
Canadian context
The term was especially popular in Canada during the 1990s when the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
was centre-right with the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
(later, the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
) further to the right. Members and supporters of the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance would thus describe themselves as small-c conservatives. Another term for small-c conservatives in Canada is Blue Tory
Blue Tory
Blue Tories, also known as small 'c' conservatives, are, in Canadian politics, members of the former federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, current Conservative Party of Canada and provincial Progressive Conservative parties who are more economically right wing...
.
UK context
This term is also used in the United Kingdom to describe those who are conservative in the sense of resisting radical change rather than being members of supporters of the official Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. For example, the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as a body, tends to resist social change and executive power and so, regardless of the numbers of lords who take the Conservative party whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
, it is described as "small-c conservative".
See also
- small-l liberal
- small-l libertarianism
- Blue ToryBlue ToryBlue Tories, also known as small 'c' conservatives, are, in Canadian politics, members of the former federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, current Conservative Party of Canada and provincial Progressive Conservative parties who are more economically right wing...
- Red ToryRed ToryA red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...