Swinton circle
Encyclopedia
The London Swinton Circle (aka the Swinton Circle) is a British
pressure group with links to the Conservative Party
. It states that it stands for "traditional Conservative and Unionist
principles"
, and who wished to maintain contact through regular meetings in London
. A prominent early member was Roger Moate
MP.
The Swinton Circle was run for many years by Mrs Bee Carthew. Carthew had previously run the Powellight Association in support of Enoch Powell
during the late sixties and early seventies. An executive member of the Monday Club with George Kennedy Young
, she was expelled from the Club in 1974 as part of a purge made by Jonathan Guinness
. She briefly joined the National Front
before later rejoining the Conservative Party. During the seventies and eighties the Swinton Circle was aligned with the Monday Club, Tory Action
and WISE (Welsh Irish Scottish English), all of which Carthew was associated with. At the beginning of the nineties the Swinton Circle was run by Adrian Davies
of Tory Action.
Since 1992 the Swinton Circle has been run by Allan Robertson, a former Chairman of the Scottish Monday Club and a former contributing editor of Right Now! magazine. Under Robertson the restriction on members also being members of the Conservative Party was withdrawn in the mid-1990s , with the group then widening its membership to include those from the United Kingdom Independence Party
and the Democratic Unionist Party
to reflect the division in the Conservative Party over Europe
and the maintenance of the Union
. This led to the later infiltration of the group by members of the National Democrats such as Ian Anderson
, Gary Cartwright and Bill Binding. Revelations about Binding's extreme right past led to a motion in Parliament
. During the noughties members of the Circle were involved with the Conservative Democratic Alliance
and the Springbok Club both of which Robertson was associated with.
The Circle publishes a monthly members' newsletter Tough Talking From The Right.
's historical revisionist
Focal Point website
began using the Swinton Circle name in 2009 as a front for the 'Springbok Club'; the Club has been described by Johann Hari
as a "racist organisation". Harvey "claimed he was in charge of the Swinton Circle and even called meetings, however as they rapidly degenerated into occasions for him to attack anyone he felt like, they have not been a great success". Whilst engaging in mediation on wikipedia
Harvey made a false claim about Cartwright's National Democrat's canditature and a false claim regarding the name of the Swinton Circle, it being Harvey's group who had dropped the 'London' prefix. The two groups clashed at a meeting featuring Philip Hollobone
MP, with members of the London Swinton Circle being barred from attending. Harvey later told Searchlight magazine
that he had "won" in his struggle against the Swinton Circle.
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...
pressure group with links to the 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...
. It states that it stands for "traditional Conservative and Unionist
British unionism
British unionism is a political ideology favouring the continued existence of the United Kingdom as a sovereign state, consisting of four constituent countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland....
principles"
History and membership
The London Swinton Circle was founded in 1961 by Conservatives who had attended Party training schools at Swinton Castle in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and who wished to maintain contact through regular meetings in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A prominent early member was Roger Moate
Roger Moate
Sir Roger Denis Moate is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.Moate was educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith and was an insurance broker. He first stood for Parliament for the Faversham constituency at the 1966 general election, losing to Labour's Terence Boston...
MP.
The Swinton Circle was run for many years by Mrs Bee Carthew. Carthew had previously run the Powellight Association in support of Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
during the late sixties and early seventies. An executive member of the Monday Club with George Kennedy Young
George Kennedy Young
George Kennedy Young, CB, MBE, M.A. was a deputy director of MI6, and later involved in British right-wing politics. He was also a merchant banker....
, she was expelled from the Club in 1974 as part of a purge made by Jonathan Guinness
Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne
Jonathan Bryan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne is a British peer and businessman. A member of the Guinness family, he is the elder of the two sons of Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne and his first wife Diana Mitford , and until his retirement was a merchant banker for Messrs Leopold Joseph.-Early...
. She briefly joined 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 ....
before later rejoining the Conservative Party. During the seventies and eighties the Swinton Circle was aligned with the Monday Club, Tory Action
Tory Action
Tory Action was a right-wing pressure group within the British Conservative Party, founded by in November 1974 by George Kennedy Young and Airey Neave and right-wing defectors from the Monday Club.-Activities:...
and WISE (Welsh Irish Scottish English), all of which Carthew was associated with. At the beginning of the nineties the Swinton Circle was run by Adrian Davies
Adrian Davies
Adrian Davies is a barrister and a member of Lincoln's Inn, London. He was formerly a solicitor with the magic circle firm, Slaughter and May...
of Tory Action.
Since 1992 the Swinton Circle has been run by Allan Robertson, a former Chairman of the Scottish Monday Club and a former contributing editor of Right Now! magazine. Under Robertson the restriction on members also being members of the Conservative Party was withdrawn in the mid-1990s , with the group then widening its membership to include those from the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
and the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
to reflect the division in the Conservative Party over Europe
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the maintenance of the Union
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...
. This led to the later infiltration of the group by members of the National Democrats such as Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (politician)
Ian Hugh Myddleton Anderson was a leading figure on the British far-right in the 1980s and 1990s.- Early background :Anderson was born in Hillingdon...
, Gary Cartwright and Bill Binding. Revelations about Binding's extreme right past led to a motion in 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...
. During the noughties members of the Circle were involved with the Conservative Democratic Alliance
Conservative Democratic Alliance
The Conservative Democratic Alliance was a United Kingdom pressure group. The CDA referred to itself as the "authentic voice of conservatism"...
and the Springbok Club both of which Robertson was associated with.
The Circle publishes a monthly members' newsletter Tough Talking From The Right.
Right-wing pressure group
The chief significance of the Swinton Circle today is that, following the repudiation of the Monday Club by the Conservative Party Leadership, the Circle is now the only right-wing pressure group to enjoy the favour of the Party, which permits MPs and other senior figures to address its meeting. (Conservative MPs are forbidden to be members of the Monday Club or to address its meetings)Rival group
Following his expulsion from the Swinton Circle in 2008, Alan Harvey along with Gary Cartwright, a former National Democrats candidate and organiser and regular contributor to holocaust denier David IrvingDavid Irving
David John Cawdell Irving is an English writer,best known for his denial of the Holocaust, who specialises in the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany...
's historical revisionist
Historical revisionism (negationism)
Historical revisionism is either the legitimate scholastic re-examination of existing knowledge about a historical event, or the illegitimate distortion of the historical record such that certain events appear in a more or less favourable light. For the former, i.e. the academic pursuit, see...
Focal Point website
began using the Swinton Circle name in 2009 as a front for the 'Springbok Club'; the Club has been described by Johann Hari
Johann Hari
Johann Hari is an award winning British journalist who has been a columnist at The Independent, the The Huffington Post, and contributed to several other publications. In 2011, Hari was accused of plagiarism; he subsequently was suspended from The Independent and surrendered his 2008 Orwell Prize...
as a "racist organisation". Harvey "claimed he was in charge of the Swinton Circle and even called meetings, however as they rapidly degenerated into occasions for him to attack anyone he felt like, they have not been a great success". Whilst engaging in mediation on wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
Harvey made a false claim about Cartwright's National Democrat's canditature and a false claim regarding the name of the Swinton Circle, it being Harvey's group who had dropped the 'London' prefix. The two groups clashed at a meeting featuring Philip Hollobone
Philip Hollobone
Philip Thomas Hollobone is a British Conservative Party politician who is both a Member of Parliament for the Kettering constituency and a member of Kettering Borough Council for the Piper's Hill ward .-Early life:Hollobone was educated at Dulwich College, London, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford...
MP, with members of the London Swinton Circle being barred from attending. Harvey later told Searchlight magazine
Searchlight (magazine)
Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK....
that he had "won" in his struggle against the Swinton Circle.