Edward Martell (politician)
Encyclopedia
Edward Drewett Martell was a British
politician and libertarian
activist.
. In 1932 he married Ethel Maud Beverley. They had one son.
; Managing Editor, Burke's Peerage
and Burke Publishing Co.and sports staff editor of The Star
. He served in the Second World War in the Royal Armoured Corps
attaining the rank of Captain. On demobilisation he established his own bookselling and publishing company.
, in securing broadly based finance for the party, while at the same time damning him as a man with the makings of a dictator and possessing wild judgment. Roy Douglas and Mark Egan have said that whilst Martell was never an MP and was a member of the party for less than a decade, "there is much to be said for the view that he played a major part in keeping the party in existence, when it could easily have disappeared as a serious political force".
He was the secretary of the Liberal Candidates' Association in the mid-1940s, and in 1946 he was elected to the London County Council
(LCC) together with former MP Sir Percy Harris in the two member seat of Bethnal Green South-West, the first Liberal LCC victories for many years. In November that year he unsuccessfully stood as Liberal candidate in the Parliamentary by-election
in Rotherhithe
, although he did beat the Conservative
candidate into third place. He also contested Hendon
for the Liberals in 1950
.
and former Liberal MP Horace Crawfurd
, set up his People's League for the Defence of Freedom, which was later part of the Freedom Group. Martell joined the Conservative Party in 1962 and in 1963 he was chairman of the Hastings
Conservative association. His anti-trade union newspaper, The New Daily, reached a circulation of 100,000.
During a London bus crew strike in 1958, the People's League ran replacement buses and in the "work-to-rule" of postal service workers in January 1962, it ran a letter delivery service which was suppressed by the Postmaster General
. However they delivered parcels for three weeks (with their own stamps) until the "work-to-rule" came to an end. This was repeated in July 1964 during the one day strike and overtime ban for postal workers, again with their own stamps.
Martell has been described as "an expert self-publicist" who exercised "a volatile influence on public opinion during periods of government unpopularity".
Martell stood as a National Fellowship
candidate against Tony Benn
, during the latter's attempt to disavow his peerage. Martell, who was officially running as an 'independent right-wing candidate' attacked Benn for his absence from the constituency during the early stages of the campaign. Martell ran a high publicity campaign, arranging such publicity stunt
s as betting the loca newspaper editor that he would retain his deposit, claiming to have received telephone threats and publicly calling on the Bristol Conservative Party
to endorse him, as well as publishing his own 'Election Special' that accused Benn of hawking his peerage to the highest bidder. Martell's campaign also saw Geoffrey Pearl, who had been nominated as an 'anti-socialist
' candidate, drop out of the race and call on his supporters to endorse Martell.
Martell's strong anti-trade union line counted against him however, as local union activists threw themselves wholeheartedly into Benn's campaign. Ultimately Martell came second with 4,834 votes (19%), although his post-election speech saw him turn his anger on the crowd after much of what he said was drowned out by Benn supporters.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician and libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
activist.
Family and education
Martell was the eldest son of E E Martell and Ethel Horwood. He was educated at St. George's School, HarpendenSt. George's School, Harpenden
St George's VA School, Harpenden is a traditional day and boarding school in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, serving students of both genders from ages 11 to 18 with emphasis on a Christian ethos...
. In 1932 he married Ethel Maud Beverley. They had one son.
Journalism
Martell worked in the coal trade from 1926–28 and then entered journalism. He was News Editor of the World’s Press News; General Manager, The Saturday ReviewSaturday Review (London)
The Saturday Review of politics, literature, science, and art was a London weekly newspaper established by A. J. B. Beresford Hope in 1855....
; Managing Editor, Burke's Peerage
Burke's Peerage
Burke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
and Burke Publishing Co.and sports staff editor of The Star
The Star (London)
The Star was a London evening newspaper founded in 1788.The first edition was printed on 3 May 1788 under the editorship of Peter Stuart. Founding sponsors of the new paper included publisher John Murray and William Lane of the Minerva Press...
. He served in the Second World War in the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
attaining the rank of Captain. On demobilisation he established his own bookselling and publishing company.
Liberal Party
Martell "worked tirelessly to keep the Liberals afloat during the 1940s" and had "a central role in the 1950 and 1951 election campaigns". Another historian of the Liberal Party has praised Martell's contribution to Liberal politics, his ceaseless flow of ideas, his great enthusiasm and his work with another official of the party, Philip FothergillPhilip Fothergill
Philip Fothergill was an English woollen manufacturer and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, in securing broadly based finance for the party, while at the same time damning him as a man with the makings of a dictator and possessing wild judgment. Roy Douglas and Mark Egan have said that whilst Martell was never an MP and was a member of the party for less than a decade, "there is much to be said for the view that he played a major part in keeping the party in existence, when it could easily have disappeared as a serious political force".
He was the secretary of the Liberal Candidates' Association in the mid-1940s, and in 1946 he was elected to the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(LCC) together with former MP Sir Percy Harris in the two member seat of Bethnal Green South-West, the first Liberal LCC victories for many years. In November that year he unsuccessfully stood as Liberal candidate in the Parliamentary by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherhithe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rotherhithe district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
, although he did beat the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate into third place. He also contested Hendon
Hendon (UK Parliament constituency)
Hendon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The current MP, since 2010, is Matthew Offord of the Conservative Party.-History:The constituency was originally...
for the Liberals in 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Libertarian activist
However Martell left the Liberal Party in September 1956 and with other dissident Liberals such as former Liberal Treasurer Lord MoynihanPatrick Berkeley Moynihan, 2nd Baron Moynihan
Patrick Berkeley Moynihan was a British politician and noble.Moynihan studied law and became a barrister at Lincoln's Inn. He then became a stockbroker, moving to New York, where he was active during the Wall Street Crash, then joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1932. In 1931, he married...
and former Liberal MP Horace Crawfurd
Horace Crawfurd
Horace Evelyn Crawfurd was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was a lecturer at Liverpool University....
, set up his People's League for the Defence of Freedom, which was later part of the Freedom Group. Martell joined the Conservative Party in 1962 and in 1963 he was chairman of the Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
Conservative association. His anti-trade union newspaper, The New Daily, reached a circulation of 100,000.
During a London bus crew strike in 1958, the People's League ran replacement buses and in the "work-to-rule" of postal service workers in January 1962, it ran a letter delivery service which was suppressed by the Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
. However they delivered parcels for three weeks (with their own stamps) until the "work-to-rule" came to an end. This was repeated in July 1964 during the one day strike and overtime ban for postal workers, again with their own stamps.
Martell has been described as "an expert self-publicist" who exercised "a volatile influence on public opinion during periods of government unpopularity".
Bristol South East by-election
In the Bristol South East by-election, 1963Bristol South East by-election, 1963
The Bristol South East by-election, 1963 was a by-election held on 20 August 1963 for the British House of Commons constituency of Bristol South East in the city of Bristol....
Martell stood as a National Fellowship
National Fellowship
The National Fellowship was a minor far right political party in the United Kingdom.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...
candidate against Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, during the latter's attempt to disavow his peerage. Martell, who was officially running as an 'independent right-wing candidate' attacked Benn for his absence from the constituency during the early stages of the campaign. Martell ran a high publicity campaign, arranging such publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
s as betting the loca newspaper editor that he would retain his deposit, claiming to have received telephone threats and publicly calling on the Bristol Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to endorse him, as well as publishing his own 'Election Special' that accused Benn of hawking his peerage to the highest bidder. Martell's campaign also saw Geoffrey Pearl, who had been nominated as an 'anti-socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
' candidate, drop out of the race and call on his supporters to endorse Martell.
Martell's strong anti-trade union line counted against him however, as local union activists threw themselves wholeheartedly into Benn's campaign. Ultimately Martell came second with 4,834 votes (19%), although his post-election speech saw him turn his anger on the crowd after much of what he said was drowned out by Benn supporters.
Publications
- (with R. G. Burnett) The Devil’s Camera, 1932;
- (with R. G. Burnett) The Smith Slayer, 1940;
- The Menace of Nationalisation, 1952;
- The Menace of the Trade Unions, 1957;
- Need the Bell Toll?, 1958;
- (with Ewan Butler) Murder of the News-Chronicle and the Star, 1960;
- Wit and Wisdom-Old and New, 1961;
- A Book of Solutions, 1962