British Fascists
| British Fascists | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Leader(s) | |
| Foundation | 1923 |
| Dissolved | 1934 |
| Split from | Conservative party |
| Merged into | British Union of Fascists (majority) |
| Ideology |
Fascism (declared) Ultra-royalism Social conservatism Anti-socialism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Status | Inactive |
| Size | 200,000 (1926) |
| Annual revenue |
 -£500 (1934) |
| Means of revenue | |
| Flag |  |
The British Fascists were the first political organisation in the United Kingdom to claim the label of fascist. While the group had more in common with conservatism for much of its existence, it nonetheless was the first to self-describe as fascist in Britain. William Joyce, Neil Francis Hawkins, Maxwell Knight and Arnold Leese were amongst those to have passed through the movement as members and activists.
They were formed in 1923 by Rotha Lintorn-Orman in the aftermath of Benito Mussolini's March on Rome, and originally operated under the Italian-sounding name British Fascisti. Despite their name the group had a poorly defined ideological basis at their beginning, being brought into being more by a fear of left-wing politics than a devotion to fascism. The ideals of the Boy Scout movement, with which many early members had also been involved in their younger days, also played an important role as the British Fascisti wished, according to General R.B.D. Blakeney, who was the BF President from 1924–1926, to "uphold the same lofty ideas of brotherhood, service and duty". At its formation at least the British Fascisti was positioned in the same right-wing conservative camp as the likes of the British Empire Union and the Middle Class Union and shared some members with these groups. The group had a complex structure, being presided over by both an Executive Council and Fascist Grand Council of nine men, with County and Area Commanders controlling districts below this. Districts contained a number of companies, which in turn were divided into troops with each troop made of three units and unit containing seven members under a Leader. A separate structure existed along similar lines for the group's sizeable female membership. The group became notorious for its inflated claims of membership (including the ridiculous claim that it had 200,000 members in 1926), although at its peak from 1925 to 1926 it had a membership of several thousand. It mustered 5,000 people for a London march on Empire Day in London in 1925.
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