Blue Grit

A Blue Grit,^[1][2][3] also known as a blue Liberal or a business Liberal,^[4][5][6][7] is a member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada or of one of the nation's provincial and territorial Liberal parties who is generally considered to be right-of-centre. The term has also been applied to former Progressive Conservatives who are now Liberals, such as Scott Brison.^[8]

Blue Grits can generally be described as adhering to conservative liberalism, typically advocating for policies that combine fiscal caution with cultural liberalism, in contrast with the more progressive social liberals. Unlike the federal Conservative Party and many of its provincial and territorial counterparts, Canadian liberals have not historically exhibited a clearly identifiable ideological factional divide. This is partly due to the federal Liberal Party's historically high level of party discipline in Parliament.^[9] While in some ways akin to Red Tories, Blue Grits tend to be less inclined toward paternalism and traditionalism, instead focusing more on economic liberalism — hence their alternative name, business Liberals.^[10]

Prominent current leaders who have been identified as Blue Grits include Mark Carney, the current Prime Minister of Canada, and Bonnie Crombie, the former leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. The former British Columbia Liberal Party, particularly under Christy Clark, embraced pro-business policies and fiscal restraint, attracting both Blue Grits and federal Conservative supporters to form a “free enterprise coalition” against the BC NDP.