New Party (Oswald Mosley)
Encyclopedia
The New Party was a political party
briefly active in the United Kingdom
in the early 1930s. It was formed by Sir Oswald Mosley, an MP
who had belonged to both the Conservative
and Labour
parties, quitting Labour after its 1930 conference narrowly rejected his "Mosley Memorandum", a document he had written outlining how he would deal with the problem of unemployment.
, Aneurin Bevan
, W. J. Brown, William Cove
, Robert Forgan
, J. F. Horrabin, James Lovat-Fraser
, John McGovern, John James McShane
, Frank Markham
, Lady Cynthia Mosley
, Sir Oswald Mosley, H. T. Muggeridge, Morgan Philips Price
, Charles Simmons
, and John Strachey. It was also signed by A. J. Cook
, general secretary
of the Miners' Federation.
as independent MPs. The party received £50,000 funding from Lord Nuffield
and launched a magazine called Action, edited by Harold Nicolson
. Mosley also set up a party militia, the "Biff Boys" led by the All-England rugby
captain Peter Howard
.
The New Party's first electoral contest was at the Ashton-under-Lyne by-election
in April 1931. With a threadbare organisation they polled some 16% of the vote, splitting the Labour vote and allowing a Conservative
to be returned to the Commons. Two more MPs joined the New party later in 1931 - W.E.D. Allen
from the Unionists and Cecil Dudgeon
from the Liberals
. At the 1931 general election
the New Party contested 24 seats, but only Mosley himself, and a candidate in Merthyr Tydfil
(where they stood against only the Labour Party) polled a decent amount of votes.
had brought. Mosley's desire for complete control of policy making decision of the New Party lead many members to resign membership. He favoured granting wide-ranging powers to the government, with only general control by Parliament
and creating a five member Cabinet
without specific portfolio, similar to the War Cabinet
adopted during the First World War
. His economic strategy broadly followed Keynesian thinking and suggested widespread investment into housing to provide work and improve housing standards overall, but also supported protectionism
with proposals for high tariffs walls.
and became convinced of the virtues of Fascism
. As the New Party became more authoritarian and parts of it (notably its youth movement NUPA) began to adopt fascist thinking, previous supporters such as John Strachey defected from it, and in 1932 Mosley united the various fascist organisations in the UK, forming the British Union of Fascists
, into which the New Party subsumed itself.
The name has been brought back as a second (unrelated) New Party
has been launched in Britain.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
briefly active in the United Kingdom
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...
in the early 1930s. It was formed by Sir Oswald Mosley, an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who had belonged to both 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...
and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
parties, quitting Labour after its 1930 conference narrowly rejected his "Mosley Memorandum", a document he had written outlining how he would deal with the problem of unemployment.
Mosley Memorandum
On 6 December 1930, Mosley published an expanded version of the "Mosley Memorandum", which was signed by seventeen Labour MPs: Oliver Baldwin, Joseph BateyJoseph Batey
Joseph Batey was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected at the 1922 election as Member of Parliament for the Spennymoor constituency in County Durham, which he had contested unsuccessfully at the 1918 election...
, Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
, W. J. Brown, William Cove
William Cove
William George Cove was a British politician. He served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament from 1923 to 1959....
, Robert Forgan
Robert Forgan
Robert Forgan was a British politician who was a close associate of Oswald Mosley.-Early life and medical career:The Scottish-born Forgan was the son of a Church of Scotland minister...
, J. F. Horrabin, James Lovat-Fraser
James Lovat-Fraser
James Alexander Lovat-Fraser was a British Labour Party and then National Labour politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1929 to 1938.He unsuccessfully contested Llandaff and Barry at the 1922 general election,...
, John McGovern, John James McShane
John James McShane
John James McShane was a British school teacher and Labour politician.-Early life:He was born in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was the son of Philip McShane, a coalminer, and his wife Bridget. Both his parents were born in Ireland...
, Frank Markham
Frank Markham
Sir Sydney Frank Markham was a British politician, who represented three parties in Parliament.He was elected as a Labour MP at the 1929 general election as MP for Chatham, and defected with Ramsay MacDonald to become a National Labour MP just before standing down at the 1931 general election...
, Lady Cynthia Mosley
Lady Cynthia Mosley
Lady Cynthia Blanche Mosley was a British politician of Anglo-American parentage and the first wife of the Conservative and Labour MP and British fascist Sir Oswald Mosley...
, Sir Oswald Mosley, H. T. Muggeridge, Morgan Philips Price
Morgan Philips Price
Morgan Philips Price was a British politician and a Labour Party Member of Parliament .He was born in The Grove, Taynton, near Gloucester. His father, William Edwin Price, was also a British MP, serving for the seat of Tewkesbury. M. Philips Price was schooled at Harrow and Trinity College,...
, Charles Simmons
Charles Simmons (politician)
Charles James "Jim" Simmons was a British lecturer, journalist and politician.Simmons was born in Moseley, Birmingham. Following elementary education, he became a Primitive Methodist lay preacher at the age of 16. In World War I he served in the Worcestershire Regiment, seeing action in France,...
, and John Strachey. It was also signed by A. J. Cook
A. J. Cook (trade unionist)
Arthur James Cook , known as A. J. Cook, was a British coal miner and trade union leader. He is remembered as one of the United Kingdom's best known miners’ leaders and a key component of the National Minority Movement around the General Strike of 1926.-Early years:A.J...
, general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of the Miners' Federation.
Founding the New Party
On 28 February 1931 Mosley resigned from the Labour Party, launching the New Party the following day. Mosley initially attracted the allegiance of six Labour MPs, although two resigned membership after a day and sat in the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as independent MPs. The party received £50,000 funding from Lord Nuffield
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
and launched a magazine called Action, edited by Harold Nicolson
Harold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
. Mosley also set up a party militia, the "Biff Boys" led by the All-England rugby
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
captain Peter Howard
Peter Howard (journalist)
Peter Dunsmore Howard was a British journalist, playwright, captain of the England national rugby union team and the head of the spiritual movement Moral Re-Armament from 1961 to 1965.-Biography:...
.
The New Party's first electoral contest was at the Ashton-under-Lyne by-election
Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1931
The Ashton-under-Lyne by-election of 1931 was held on April 30. It was triggered by the death of the town's Labour MP, Albert Bellamy, and resulted in a victory for the Conservative candidate, Col John Broadbent....
in April 1931. With a threadbare organisation they polled some 16% of the vote, splitting the Labour vote and allowing a 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...
to be returned to the Commons. Two more MPs joined the New party later in 1931 - W.E.D. Allen
William Edward David Allen
William Edward David Allen was a British scholar, Foreign Service officer, politician and businessman, best known as a historian of South Caucasus. He was closely involved in the politics of Northern Ireland, and had fascist tendencies.-Early career:Born in London, he was educated at Eton College...
from the Unionists and Cecil Dudgeon
Cecil Dudgeon
Cecil Randolph Dudgeon was a Scottish Liberal Party Member of Parliament who joined Oswald Mosley's New Party....
from the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. At the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
the New Party contested 24 seats, but only Mosley himself, and a candidate in Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil (UK Parliament constituency)
Merthyr Tydfil was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan. From 1832 to 1868 it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and in 1868 this was increased to two members...
(where they stood against only the Labour Party) polled a decent amount of votes.
Policies
The New Party programme was built on the "Mosley Memorandum", advocating a national policy to meet the economic crisis that the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
had brought. Mosley's desire for complete control of policy making decision of the New Party lead many members to resign membership. He favoured granting wide-ranging powers to the government, with only general control by Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and creating a five member Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
without specific portfolio, similar to the War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
adopted during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. His economic strategy broadly followed Keynesian thinking and suggested widespread investment into housing to provide work and improve housing standards overall, but also supported protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
with proposals for high tariffs walls.
Demise
Following the election Mosley toured EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and became convinced of the virtues of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. As the New Party became more authoritarian and parts of it (notably its youth movement NUPA) began to adopt fascist thinking, previous supporters such as John Strachey defected from it, and in 1932 Mosley united the various fascist organisations in the UK, forming the British Union of Fascists
British Union of Fascists
The British Union was a political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Sir Oswald Mosley as the British Union of Fascists, in 1936 it changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists and then in 1937 to simply the British Union...
, into which the New Party subsumed itself.
The name has been brought back as a second (unrelated) New Party
The New Party (UK)
The New Party is a neoliberal political party in the United Kingdom. The party describes itself as "a party of economic liberalism, political reform and internationalism"...
has been launched in Britain.