Bill Boaks
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Commander
William George Boaks DSC
(25 May 1904 – 4 April 1986) was a British Royal Navy
officer who became an eccentric political campaigner for road safety. He died at the age of 81 as a result of a road traffic accident. His record of five votes, the fewest ever recorded for a candidate in a British by-election, set in 1982 and held jointly since 1988, still stands as of 2010.
, into a naval family, and was educated at the Royal Naval College
in Greenwich
. He served for nearly 30 years in the Royal Navy
and won the Distinguished Service Cross
at Dunkirk
, as well as taking part in the sinking of the Bismarck
while he was a gunnery officer on board HMS Rodney. He was a qualified submarine
officer, a flying officer in the Fleet Air Arm
, and a qualified deep-sea diver. After World War II
, he was an executive officer of the Building Apprenticeship Training Council.
, Boaks fought Walthamstow East as an independent candidate for "Admiral" (which stood for "Association of Democratic Monarchists Representing All Women"). He had intended to stand against the Prime Minister
, Clement Attlee
, but stood for the wrong seat (Attlee's constituency was Walthamstow West). In the event, Boaks received 174 votes out of 40,001 cast.
Boaks's main concern was public safety on the roads. His other political views tended towards old-fashioned Conservatism, anti-Communism and an increasing distrust of "The Establishment" (as he put it), the latter fuelled by his frequent court appearances. Journalists, some of whom seem to have been scared of him, often expressed confusion over his claims, as they never quite knew whether he was being serious or simply having fun at their expense. For example, when deciding not to fight the Croydon North West by-election
in 1981, he said that he would never fight in Croydon
as he believed that the "Communist menace" was never a threat there. He also said on at least one occasion that he believed that homosexuals
should be debarred from the Civil Service, as he thought they were more vulnerable to blackmail by foreign powers.
, but Boaks chose this mostly as a means of provoking left-wingers, whom he disliked (despite having a number of rather left-wing views of his own, particularly on the Health Service), and partly as he hoped to undercut votes for the National Front
(NF) and similar parties. Boaks was contemptuous of the NF, having stood against a number of its members in the 1950s and 1960s when they belonged to more openly neo-Nazi groups, such as John Bean
's British National Party, Colin Jordan
's White Defence League
and Oswald Mosley
's Union Movement
. The "White Resident" tag was also a means of more easily attracting media attention during the heated debate over immigration in the 1970s in the UK, in order to push his "Public Safety" agenda.
Boaks's stance led to his becoming the first promoter of ethnic minority candidates in United Kingdom elections. His usual set-piece response when confronted over his label by anyone non-white was to say "Why White Resident? Because that's what I am!" He would then grab the questioner's hand, slap a pound note into it and say "Now find 149 more of those [the deposit then being £150] and stand as a 'Black Immigrant' candidate for what YOU believe in. If you don't, who will?" Boaks reckoned that he had given away a couple of hundred pounds in this manner.
s, so that all roadways would be treated as if they were Zebra crossings except those parts painted as such, thus giving pedestrians the right of way at all times. The idea was that it would save countless lives by increasing drivers' sense of responsibility, and would cause such chaos in urban areas as to force people back onto public transport rather than using private cars.
To reinforce his point, Boaks would sometimes deliberately hold up traffic at crossings. He later took to pushing a trolley or pram full of bricks back and forth repeatedly, at Zebra crossings. Occasionally he would sit in a deckchair
in the fast lane of the Westway
(A40
) in North Kensington
, reading the Daily Telegraph.
s of public figures who had been involved in road accidents, particularly those involving drunk driving. Clement Attlee relied upon his wife Vi to drive him when campaigning, but Mrs, later Lady Attlee was a notoriously bad driver and Boaks would attempt private prosecutions whenever she crashed.
Boaks himself was charged and fined several times for publishing "unlawful" advertisements as part of his campaigns.
in south west London, where his own usual mode of transport was the bicycle
. He continued to stand as a candidate in elections from time to time, but his campaigning took off in the mid-1970s, when he took to travelling around the country to fight most by-election
s. He would find the ten registered voters he needed to fight the election, but would not usually spend a long time in the constituency. He would campaign intermittently by cycling around the target constituency, wearing a large cardboard box daubed with his slogans. He was limited to six words of description on the ballot paper, and usually described himself as "Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident" or "Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident".
Boaks usually obtained a tiny number of votes and often finished at the bottom of the poll. His highest vote was 240 in Wimbledon
at the February 1974 general election
. At the Glasgow Hillhead by-election
in March 1982, he received just five votes, which was at that time a record low for any candidate in any Parliamentary election. Boaks was widely expected to receive his biggest vote at this election, since Hillhead was the first constituency he had ever stood for with a sizeable student population, given the presence of the University of Glasgow
. Unfortunately for Boaks, polling day fell after the beginning of the Easter holiday and most students had returned home, including five of his sponsors.
In all, Boaks stood in more than 40 elections, losing his deposit every time - more often than any other candidate until this record was finally overtaken by Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
at the General Election of 1992.
Growing infirmity forced Boaks to give up contesting elections after standing simultaneously in the by-elections in Peckham
and Birmingham Northfield
in 1982, though he attended the count in Bermondsey
as counting agent for Screaming Lord Sutch
in 1983 while recovering from being knocked down by a motorcycle. But there was also the simple matter that his money was running out. The plans, mooted at Bermondsey, for him to be part of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
roster for the 1983 General Election, standing in Sutch's and Boaks's own home constituency of Streatham
, never came to pass.
.
Boaks left three continuing legacies. The first is the pedestrianisation of London's Carnaby Street
, which he took an active part in campaigning for, along with Screaming Lord Sutch
, and which has set the precedent for "Pedestrian Precincts" elsewhere in the UK. The second is HMS Belfast lying near Tower Bridge in London as a tourist attraction - it was his advice as to the correct depths of the Thames at this juncture that persuaded the Royal Navy of the ship's viability as a floating museum rather than scrapping it. Finally, there remains his passing role in the creation of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
- a number of their more successful candidates (particularly Wild Willi Beckett & Peter "Top Cat" Owen) emulating one of Boaks' old tactics of using the middle of roundabouts as a place to campaign from during elections (until the police arrived to move them on).
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
William George Boaks DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(25 May 1904 – 4 April 1986) was a British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who became an eccentric political campaigner for road safety. He died at the age of 81 as a result of a road traffic accident. His record of five votes, the fewest ever recorded for a candidate in a British by-election, set in 1982 and held jointly since 1988, still stands as of 2010.
Origins
Boaks was born in WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, into a naval family, and was educated at the Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. He served for nearly 30 years in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and won the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
at Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, as well as taking part in the sinking of the Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
while he was a gunnery officer on board HMS Rodney. He was a qualified submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
officer, a flying officer in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
, and a qualified deep-sea diver. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was an executive officer of the Building Apprenticeship Training Council.
First candidacy
In the 1951 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, Boaks fought Walthamstow East as an independent candidate for "Admiral" (which stood for "Association of Democratic Monarchists Representing All Women"). He had intended to stand against the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, but stood for the wrong seat (Attlee's constituency was Walthamstow West). In the event, Boaks received 174 votes out of 40,001 cast.
Political views
Over the years, Boaks's political label changed. In one election, he stood as the "Trains & Boats & Planes" candidate - the title of a contemporary popular song which he found it apt to adopt - but after revisions to electoral law allowed candidates to have a six-word description of their candidature on the ballot paper, he eventually settled on "Public Safety Democratic Monarchist White Resident".Boaks's main concern was public safety on the roads. His other political views tended towards old-fashioned Conservatism, anti-Communism and an increasing distrust of "The Establishment" (as he put it), the latter fuelled by his frequent court appearances. Journalists, some of whom seem to have been scared of him, often expressed confusion over his claims, as they never quite knew whether he was being serious or simply having fun at their expense. For example, when deciding not to fight the Croydon North West by-election
Croydon North West by-election, 1981
The Croydon North West by-election took place on 22 October 1981. It was caused by the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Taylor on 18 June 1981.The Conservative Party selected John Butterfill, then vice-chairman of Guildford Conservative Association...
in 1981, he said that he would never fight in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
as he believed that the "Communist menace" was never a threat there. He also said on at least one occasion that he believed that homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
should be debarred from the Civil Service, as he thought they were more vulnerable to blackmail by foreign powers.
Attitude to race relations
Boaks's "White Resident" label led to him being labelled as racist by the Anti-Nazi LeagueAnti-Nazi League
The Anti-Nazi League was an organisation set up in 1977 on the initiative of the Socialist Workers Party with sponsorship from some trade unions and the endorsement of a list of prominent people to oppose the rise of far-right groups in the United Kingdom. It was wound down in 1981...
, but Boaks chose this mostly as a means of provoking left-wingers, whom he disliked (despite having a number of rather left-wing views of his own, particularly on the Health Service), and partly as he hoped to undercut votes for the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
(NF) and similar parties. Boaks was contemptuous of the NF, having stood against a number of its members in the 1950s and 1960s when they belonged to more openly neo-Nazi groups, such as John Bean
John Bean
John Edward Bean is a long-standing participant in the British far right, who has been active within a number of movements during the course of his life and is the voice behind the BNP election broadcasts.-Early life:...
's British National Party, Colin Jordan
Colin Jordan
John Colin Campbell Jordan was a leading figure in postwar Neo-Nazism in Britain. In the far-right nationalist circles of the 1960s, Jordan represented the most explicitly 'Nazi' inclination in his open use of the styles and symbols of the Third Reich.Through organisations such as the National...
's White Defence League
White Defence League
The White Defence League was a British far-right political group. Using the provocative marching techniques popularised by Oswald Mosley, its members included a young John Tyndall.-Formation:...
and Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
's Union Movement
Union Movement
The Union Movement was a right-wing political party founded in Britain by Oswald Mosley. Where Mosley had previously been associated with a peculiarly British form of fascism, the Union Movement attempted to redefine the concept by stressing the importance of developing a European nationalism...
. The "White Resident" tag was also a means of more easily attracting media attention during the heated debate over immigration in the 1970s in the UK, in order to push his "Public Safety" agenda.
Boaks's stance led to his becoming the first promoter of ethnic minority candidates in United Kingdom elections. His usual set-piece response when confronted over his label by anyone non-white was to say "Why White Resident? Because that's what I am!" He would then grab the questioner's hand, slap a pound note into it and say "Now find 149 more of those [the deposit then being £150] and stand as a 'Black Immigrant' candidate for what YOU believe in. If you don't, who will?" Boaks reckoned that he had given away a couple of hundred pounds in this manner.
Road safety
Boaks was a major advocate of pedestrian and non motor vehicle traffic rights, and a need for additional care in road safety. He did not object to all motorised transport - he used a car painted with zebra stripes before switching to his armoured bicycle - but he did object to the increased volume of road traffic at the expense of other forms of transport. He favoured having all freight carried by rail and was an advocate of helicopters as a potential means of alleviating traffic congestion. He also noted and highlighted the problems caused by pollution and the damage caused to properties beside roads favoured by heavy goods vehicles. Boaks's central campaign point was simple - he wanted the inversion of the law concerning Zebra crossingZebra crossing
A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing used in many places around the world. Its distinguishing feature is alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface, from which it derives its name. A zebra crossing typically gives extra rights of way to pedestrians.The use of zebra...
s, so that all roadways would be treated as if they were Zebra crossings except those parts painted as such, thus giving pedestrians the right of way at all times. The idea was that it would save countless lives by increasing drivers' sense of responsibility, and would cause such chaos in urban areas as to force people back onto public transport rather than using private cars.
To reinforce his point, Boaks would sometimes deliberately hold up traffic at crossings. He later took to pushing a trolley or pram full of bricks back and forth repeatedly, at Zebra crossings. Occasionally he would sit in a deckchair
Deckchair
A deckchair is a folding chair, usually with a frame of treated wood or artificial material and a fabric or vinyl backrest and seat. It may have an extended seat, meant to be used as a leg rest, whose height may be adjustable...
in the fast lane of the Westway
Westway (London)
The Westway is a long elevated dual carriageway section of the A40 route in west London running from Paddington to North Kensington. The road was constructed between 1964 and 1970 to relieve congestion at Shepherd's Bush caused by traffic from Western Avenue struggling to enter central London on...
(A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
) in North Kensington
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
, reading the Daily Telegraph.
Litigant
In the 1950s, Boaks became involved in a series of legal cases in which he launched private prosecutionPrivate prosecution
A private prosecution is a criminal proceeding initiated by an individual or private organisation instead of by a public prosecutor who represents the state...
s of public figures who had been involved in road accidents, particularly those involving drunk driving. Clement Attlee relied upon his wife Vi to drive him when campaigning, but Mrs, later Lady Attlee was a notoriously bad driver and Boaks would attempt private prosecutions whenever she crashed.
Boaks himself was charged and fined several times for publishing "unlawful" advertisements as part of his campaigns.
Later life
Boaks eventually moved to WimbledonWimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
in south west London, where his own usual mode of transport was the bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. He continued to stand as a candidate in elections from time to time, but his campaigning took off in the mid-1970s, when he took to travelling around the country to fight most by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s. He would find the ten registered voters he needed to fight the election, but would not usually spend a long time in the constituency. He would campaign intermittently by cycling around the target constituency, wearing a large cardboard box daubed with his slogans. He was limited to six words of description on the ballot paper, and usually described himself as "Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident" or "Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident".
Boaks usually obtained a tiny number of votes and often finished at the bottom of the poll. His highest vote was 240 in Wimbledon
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
at the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
. At the Glasgow Hillhead by-election
Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
A Glasgow Hillhead by-election was held on 25 March 1982. The by-election was caused by the death of the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead Tam Galbraith on 2 January 1982....
in March 1982, he received just five votes, which was at that time a record low for any candidate in any Parliamentary election. Boaks was widely expected to receive his biggest vote at this election, since Hillhead was the first constituency he had ever stood for with a sizeable student population, given the presence of the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. Unfortunately for Boaks, polling day fell after the beginning of the Easter holiday and most students had returned home, including five of his sponsors.
In all, Boaks stood in more than 40 elections, losing his deposit every time - more often than any other candidate until this record was finally overtaken by Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
at the General Election of 1992.
Growing infirmity forced Boaks to give up contesting elections after standing simultaneously in the by-elections in Peckham
Peckham by-election, 1982
The Peckham by-election of 28 October 1982 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament Harry Lamborn on 21 August 1982. The seat was retained for Labour by Harriet Harman.-Results:...
and Birmingham Northfield
Birmingham Northfield by-election, 1982
The Birmingham, Northfield by-election of 28 October 1982 was held after the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Jocelyn Cadbury on 31 July 1982...
in 1982, though he attended the count in Bermondsey
Bermondsey by-election, 1983
A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946...
as counting agent for Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
in 1983 while recovering from being knocked down by a motorcycle. But there was also the simple matter that his money was running out. The plans, mooted at Bermondsey, for him to be part of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
roster for the 1983 General Election, standing in Sutch's and Boaks's own home constituency of Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, never came to pass.
Death and legacy
In 1984, Boaks was injured in a second minor road traffic accident while getting off a bus. His death in hospital two years later was the result of complications from the head injuries sustained. His funeral was attended by the then Transport Minister, Peter BottomleyPeter Bottomley
Sir Peter James Bottomley is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Worthing West...
.
Boaks left three continuing legacies. The first is the pedestrianisation of London's Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
, which he took an active part in campaigning for, along with Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
, and which has set the precedent for "Pedestrian Precincts" elsewhere in the UK. The second is HMS Belfast lying near Tower Bridge in London as a tourist attraction - it was his advice as to the correct depths of the Thames at this juncture that persuaded the Royal Navy of the ship's viability as a floating museum rather than scrapping it. Finally, there remains his passing role in the creation of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
- a number of their more successful candidates (particularly Wild Willi Beckett & Peter "Top Cat" Owen) emulating one of Boaks' old tactics of using the middle of roundabouts as a place to campaign from during elections (until the police arrived to move them on).
External links
- Robert Ingham, ‘Boaks, William George (1904–1986)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
- Description of Boaks' campaigning (HansardHansardHansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
, House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
debates, 10 October 2004) - Photograph of Boaks on his campaign bicycle