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In the United Kingdom and elsewhere,High Toryism is the oldtraditionalist conservatism which is in line with theToryism originating in the 16th century. High Tories and their worldview are sometimes at odds with the modernising elements of theConservative Party. Historically, the late 18th-century conservatism derived from theWhigEdmund Burke andWilliam Pitt the Younger marks a watershed from the "higher" or legitimist Toryism that was allied toJacobitism.
High Toryism has been described by Andrew Heywood as neo-feudalist[1] in its preference for a traditional hierarchical andpatriarchal society over modern freedom andequality, as well for holding the traditionalgentry as a higher cultural benchmark than thebourgeoisie and those who have attained their position through commerce or labour. Economically, High Tories generally tend to prefer paternalistic Tory corporatism andprotectionism over theneo-liberalism andneo-conservatism that emerged in the 1960s.
The High Tory view in the 18th century preferred lowered taxation and deploredWhig support for a standing army, an expanding empire and navy, and overseas commerce. The main reason was that these were paid for or subsidised by the newEnglish Land Tax that had started in 1692.[citation needed] On religious issues, the High Tories usually rallied under the banner of "Church in Danger", preferredHigh church Anglicanism, and many covertly supportedJacobitism. The long and generally productive Whig premierships ofSir Robert Walpole andWilliam Pitt the Elder, and the continuance of theHanoverian dynasty, caused opinions to change gradually in line with what is now called "Whig history".[citation needed]
The change was noticeable from the 1760s with the premierships ofJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute andWilliam Pitt the Younger. The Land Tax Perpetuation Act 1798 reduced the impact of that tax, though thelanded gentry's privileges were reduced by theReform Act 1832. In the reign ofQueen Victoria, High Tories now supported the empire and navy, and were personified by the Prime MinistersLord Derby andLord Salisbury.[citation needed]
High Tories prefer the values of the historical landed gentry andaristocracy, with theirnoblesse oblige and their self-imposed sense of duty and responsibility to all of society, including the lower classes. Whilst not against private enterprise, they reject the values of the modern commercial business class, which they see as a pursuit of individualistic, unchecked selfishness and greed that destroys a sense of community and holds no regard for religious or high cultural values. Their focus is on maintaining a traditional, rooted society and way of life, which is often as much threatened by moderncapitalism as bystate socialism. A High Tory also favours a strong organic community, in contrast to Whig, liberal andneoconservative individualism.One-nation conservatism, as influenced by Disraeli and epitomised in leaders such as Balfour, favoured social cohesion, and its adherents support social institutions that maintain harmony between different interest groups and classes.[citation needed]
Examples of British High Tory views from the 20th century onward would be those of the novelistsEvelyn Waugh andAnthony Powell, poetT. S. Eliot, philosopherSir Roger Scruton and Members of Parliament such asSir John Biggs-Davison,[citation needed]Lord Amery,[2]Alan Clark,[3]Enoch Powell,[4]Sir Peter Tapsell[5] andHugh Fraser.[6]
The leading pressure-group of High Toryism was possibly theConservative Monday Club, described by Labour Prime MinisterHarold Wilson as "The Conscience of the Tory Party", having been founded in 1961 as a group to supportapartheid-eraSouth Africa andSouthern Rhodesia, followingHarold Macmillan's opposition towhite minority rule in these countries; from the early 1980s, the group has been dominated by theThatcherite wing which opposed traditionalist High Tories.[citation needed] The journalThe Spectator is associated with modern High Toryism.[7] The modern High Tory faction within the British Conservative Party would be theCornerstone Group.[citation needed]
A "High Tory" bears some resemblance totraditionalist conservatives in the United States, particularlypaleoconservatives,[citation needed] such as those within theRepublican Study Committee. It is difficult and unreliable to make comparisons between High Toryism and other political dispositions internationally.[citation needed]
"High Tory" has been more than just a political term; it is also used to describe a culture and a way of life. A "High Tory" must have an appreciation ofreligion andhigh culture. Before the 19th century, High Tories tended to behigh churchAnglicans and stronglyanti-Catholic. However, since the late 19th century and increasingly in the 20th century, High Tories have often been associated withAnglo-Catholicism andtraditionalist Catholicism. High Toryism is also associated withagrarianism andgentlemanly virtues.[citation needed]
