National Fellowship
National Fellowship | |
---|---|
Chairperson | Edward Martell |
Founder | Edward Martell |
Founded | 1 January 1962 (1962-01-01) |
Dissolved | 1968 (1968) |
Newspaper | The New Daily |
Ideology | Libertarian conservative |
Political position | Right-wing |
The National Fellowship was a minor right-wing libertarian conservative political party in the United Kingdom.
History
The party was launched under Chairman Edward Martell on 1 January 1962, with full page advertisements in national broadsheets. The advert referred to the organisation as part of a movement spearheaded by The New Daily newspaper. They claimed that they would mostly attract supporters from the Conservative Party, but attacked Iain Macleod as "inclined to a mild sort of socialism". The initial policies listed included opposition to many trade union activities, anti-communism, cuts to government expenditure and welfare and more restrictions on immigration. The associated advisory committee included former chairman of the Liberal Party Lord Moynihan, Conservative MPs Donald Johnson and Henry Kerby and former Liberal MP Don Bennett.[1] Moynihan's support to the party led to his removal as a vice-president of the Yorkshire Area Liberal Federation.[2]
The advert also gave details of an Establishment Committee. This prompted Peter Cook and Nicholas Luard to write to The Guardian noting that this was unconnected with their recently created club, The Establishment, but that they hoped it would provide them with material for their comedy shows.[3]
The party planned to stand a candidate in the 1962 Leicester North East by-election. The Conservative candidate, Robin Marlar, attended a meeting they organised, but left as soon as he was invited to speak, stating that he had "nothing but contempt" for their plans. Despite this, the Fellowship decided not to put up a candidate.[4] In early 1963, Martell joined the Conservative Party, but maintained the Fellowship.[5]
The Fellowship's first candidacy was at the 1963 Bristol South East by-election. A 1961 by-election in the constituency was won by Labour Party politician Tony Benn, but he was disqualified by reason of his peerage, and the seat was instead awarded to second-placed Conservative Malcolm St Clair. As the law had been changed, permitting Benn to renounce his peerage, St Clair agreed to stand down and the Conservatives did not run a candidate in the by-election. Martell attempted to persuade either of two local businessmen to stand for the Fellowship against Benn, but both refused. Instead, Martell stood himself.[6] The Fellowship was Benn's main challenger from the right. Martell took a distant second place, with 19% of the vote, becoming the first independent candidate in 17 years to hold his deposit.[7]
The party spent most of its funds supporting favoured Conservatives at the 1964 general election, and Martell wrote to all previous donors, asking for personal loans, repayable on 14 days' notice. He soon proved unable to repay these loans, prompting questions in Parliament.[8] In July 1966, he merged the Fellowship with other campaigns he had run, including the "Freedom Group", into the National Party. The new party announced their intention to contest at least the next five by-elections, but ultimately their only candidate was Bennett, who took last place in the 1967 Nuneaton by-election.[9][10] Martell was declared bankrupt in 1968,[11] after which the party disappeared.
Notes
- ^ "National revival or eclipse?", The Guardian, 1 January 1962
- ^ "Lord Moynihan "dismissed"", The Guardian, 12 March 1962
- ^ "The National Fellowship", The Guardian, 4 January 1962
- ^ "Martell's group withdraws", The Guardian, 2 July 1962
- ^ "News in brief", The Guardian, 21 February 1963
- ^ "3 will oppose Benn", The Guardian, 10 August 1963
- ^ "Benn has 15,479 majority", The Guardian, 21 August 1963
- ^ "MPs seek an inquiry into Martell group", The Guardian, 18 June 1965
- ^ "National Party to fight 5 seats", The Guardian, 30 January 1967
- ^ F. W. S. Craig, Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections
- ^ "Mr Edward Martell - 'no assets'", The Guardian, 4 May 1968
References
- Minor political parties in Britain, Political Quarterly
- British Political Facts 7th Edition, David Butler and Gareth Butler
- v
- t
- e
- British Brothers' League
- British Fascists
- British People's Party
- British Union of Fascists
- The Britons
- Britons Publishing Society
- English Array
- English Mistery
- English National Association
- Imperial Fascist League
- The Link
- Militant Christian Patriots
- National Fascisti
- National Party
- National Socialist League
- Nordic League
- Right Club
post-1945 groups
- British Democratic Party
- British Empire Party
- British Freedom Party
- British People's Party
- British League of Ex-Servicemen and Women
- British League of Rights
- British National Party
- Column 88
- Conservative Democratic Alliance
- Constitutional Movement
- England First Party
- European Liberation Front
- Flag Group
- For Britain
- Football Lads Alliance
- Greater Britain Movement
- International Third Position
- League of Empire Loyalists
- Liberty GB
- National Democratic Party
- National Democrats
- National Fellowship
- National Independence Party
- National Labour Party
- National Party
- National Socialist Action Party
- National Socialist Movement
- National Socialist Movement
- Nationalist Alliance
- New Britain Party
- New Nationalist Party
- Northern League
- Official National Front
- Patriotic Party
- Racial Preservation Society
- Revolutionary Conservative Caucus
- Spearhead
- Union Movement
- United Country Party
- White Defence League
- White Nationalist Party
- Western Goals Institute
- Blood & Honour
- Britain First
- British Democratic Party
- British Movement
- British National Party (BNP Youth)
- Christian Council of Britain
- Combat 18
- English Defence League
- English Democrats (some members)
- Friends of Oswald Mosley
- Homeland Party
- League of Saint George
- London Forum
- National Action
- National Front
- National Liberal Party
- November 9th Society
- Patriotic Alternative
- Protestant Coalition
- Pie and Mash squad
- Order of Nine Angles
- Racial Volunteer Force
- Sonnenkrieg Division
- Stop Islamisation of Europe
- Traditional Britain Group
- Mary Sophia Allen
- John Amery
- Henry Hamilton Beamish
- John Beckett
- Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
- R. B. D. Blakeney
- A. K. Chesterton
- John Henry Clarke
- Thomas Haller Cooper
- Barry Domvile
- Henry Drummond Wolff
- Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll
- William Evans-Gordon
- Robert Forgan
- Rolf Gardiner
- Patrick Boyle, 8th Earl of Glasgow
- Harold Elsdale Goad
- Reginald Goodall
- Robert Gordon-Canning
- Louis Greig
- Neil Francis Hawkins
- J. F. C. Fuller
- William Joyce
- Arnold Leese
- Rotha Lintorn-Orman
- Frank McLardy
- Unity Mitford
- Diana Mosley
- Cynthia Mosley
- Oswald Mosley
- Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth
- Archibald Maule Ramsay
- David Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale
- Alliott Verdon Roe
- Edward Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford
- Alexander Raven Thomson
- Graham Seton Hutchison
- Herbert Vivian
- Charlie Watts
- Nesta Helen Webster
- Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington
- Henry Williamson
- Ormonde Winter
- Francis Yeats-Brown
- Ian Anderson
- Richard Barnbrook
- A. F. X. Baron
- James Larratt Battersby
- Derek Beackon
- John Bean
- Carl Benjamin
- Jane, Lady Birdwood
- Jonathan Bowden
- Andrew Brons
- Kevin Bryan
- Jack Buckby
- Eddy Butler
- A. K. Chesterton
- Mark Collett
- David Copeland
- Mark Cotterill
- Nicky Crane
- Simon Darby
- Sharon Ebanks
- Richard Edmonds
- Jim Dowson
- Andrew Fountaine
- Jayda Fransen
- Paul Golding
- Nick Griffin
- Jeffrey Hamm
- Anthony Hancock
- Patrick Harrington
- Ray Hill
- Derek Holland
- Tom Holmes
- Katie Hopkins
- David Irving
- Colin Jordan
- Raheem Kassam
- Arthur Kemp
- Alex Kurtagić
- John Kingsley Read
- Alan Lake
- Richard Lawson
- Tony Lecomber
- Michael McLaughlin
- Eddy Morrison
- John Morse
- David Myatt
- John O'Brien
- Roy Painter
- Neema Parvini
- Denis Pirie
- Kevin Quinn
- Anthony Reed Herbert
- Robert Relf
- Jack Renshaw
- Colin Robertson
- Tommy Robinson
- Robert Row
- Simon Sheppard
- Kenny Smith
- Troy Southgate
- Ian Stuart Donaldson
- Keith Thompson
- John Tyndall
- Richard Verrall
- Adam Walker
- Anne Marie Waters
- Paul Joseph Watson
- Martin Webster
- Robert West
- Paul Weston
- Graham Williamson
- Martin Wingfield
- John Graeme Wood
- Milo Yiannopoulos
- Candour
- Redwatch