Conservatives have to stop catering to Eastern Elites

There is a feeling of disharmony and lack of tranquillity of the politics of the Western world today. The rising tide of left-wing and right populism threatens to pull down our civilization. Failed and disastrous policies of the current federal government and previous provincial government in Alberta have led to the emergence of widespread cynicism and distrust towards the foundational institutions of society.  

The disease is spreading, destroying kinship and social responsibility to civic duty, order, peace, and tradition. Canada’s faith and optimism are replaced by pessimism and disbelief.   

The Tories ought to bring forth a new remedy against the ills facing our general society. Canadian Conservatives have followed Reagan or Thatcher free-market conservatism for the last thirty years, but we should re-invent with and add the old British One-Nation Conservatism. 

The former is based upon the freedom of capitalism, while the latter is about holding and maintaining civic duty, the protection of tradition and unity by national institutions. The principal duty obligation for the Conservative is to keep the latter. Free market economics are still important, but culture binds society together, economics alone cannot sustain an ideology. 

What is One Nation-Conservatism?

Founder of One Nation-Conservatism or Tory Democracy is Benjamin Disraeli. Disraeli articulated a new political vision called ‘One Nation Conservatism’ or ‘Tory Democracy’ for Britain. Each member of society has a moral obligation towards each other. It calls for the prevention of any more class conflict, and instead reconciliation between the classes.

Disraeli had also seen the effects of the industrial revolution as harming the new working class. The rise of class tension leads to an inevitable chance of class conflict as envisioned by radical communists like Marx and Engel.  

“Men cannot improve a society by setting fire to it: they must seek out its old virtues, and bring  them back to light.” 1 

It’s a paternalistic form of Conservatism, where the privileged and wealthy pass their benefit towards the whole nation. Disraeli justified this as seeing society like most conservatives as organic form and naturally hierarchical. 

For Disraeli, it keeps the traditional aristocratic value of noblesse oblige. The obligation to be generous, honourable and duty for responsibility for any privilege with wealth or born as an aristocrat. 

A ‘One Nation’ idea by Disraeli place a vital role for keeping the British constitutional traditions and the unification of all classes towards moral obligation towards the country and to each other’s well being.  

“Social reforms passed by the Disraeli government included: the Factory Act (1874), the Climbing Boys Act (1875), Artisans Dwellings Act (1875), the Public Health Act (1875), and the Pure Food and Drugs Act (1875). Disraeli also kept his promise to improve the legal position of trade unions. The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875) allowed peaceful picketing, and the Employers and Workmen Act (1878) enabled workers to sue employers in the civil courts if they broke legally agreed contracts.” 

One-Nation conservatism has also been useful for gaining political victories for the Tories in Great Britain. Boris Johnson’s tactic of getting Labour working class to vote Tory is proven successful. Most Labour seats within the working class midlands have turned into Conservatives. 

The Canadian Conservative Party has failed to gain the working class, rural Quebec and Atlantic Canada voters. Constituents that value old traditional views of Canada and have been neglected by Laurentian elites in Central Canada. 

Rise of populism is the symptom of neglecting the general masses. The remedy of Tory democracy is to convince, “the lower classes were not forgotten, that the Nation did indeed still live, that the master of society had a common interest with the masses of society.” 2

Notes:

1. Russell Kirk: The Conservative Mind pg.274

2. Russell Kirk: The Conservative Mind pg.275