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'''High Toryism''' is a term used in Britain, Canada and elsewhere to refer to a traditionalist, aristocratic conservatism which is in line with the Toryism of the nineteenth century but which tends to be at odds with the modern emphasis of the [[Conservative Party]] in these countries, which often seems to owe more to nineteenth century [[classical liberalism]] than to Toryism of past centuries. 

High Tories prefer the values of a landed aristocracy and gentry to those of the modern commercial business class. Their focus is on maintaining a traditional, rooted society and way of life, which is often as threatened by modern [[capitalism]] as by socialism or the Welfare State. The archetypal [[High Tory]] would be a [[gentleman]], a fervent [[monarchist]] (if not a [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]]), likely a [[High Anglican]] or [[traditionalist Catholic]] in religion, a classically-educated believer in [[high culture]] with a suspicion and dislike of contemporary [[popular culture]], cool towards the idea of [[democracy]], (if Canadian or Australian rather than English) a devoted Anglophile, and leaning rather more towards [[anti-Americanism]] than to [[pro-Americanism]] in foreign policy (America being seen as the ultimate propenent of democracy and popular culture, a country without rooted traditions, long history, monarchy or aristocracy). 

The distinction between a "High Tory" and a conventional contemporary Tory is similar to that between a [[paleoconservative]] and mainstream or [[neo-conservatives]] in the United States. In Canada the term [[Red Tory]] used to mean something like a [[High Tory]], although now it is often used for centrists who are [[liberal]] on social issues rather than Anglophile monarchists. 

An example of English [[High Tory]] views in the twentieth century would be those of the novelist [[Evelyn Waugh]] and [[Alan Clark]].

{{Uncategorized|October 2006}}