British Housewives' League

The British Housewives' League is a right-wing, non-party group that seeks to act as the voice of the British housewife, providing advice and encouraging active participation in society. The League seeks to defend the UK's independence and constitution, to promote Christian values, and to discourage excessive state control. In the past the League has campaigned against rationing, identity cards, anti-fluoridation campaigns in the 1950s and UK membership of the European Union.

The newsletter of the League has been called Housewives Today, and Home but now produces a magazine called The Lantern.

The League was founded by Irene Lovelock, née Northover-Smith (1896-1974), who became its first chairman. As a housewife during the Second World War, Lovelock encountered at first hand the problems of rationing, shortages and queueing. In April 1946 Lovelock resigned from the chair of the League to become its president. Lovelock wrote an unpublished memoir of the League.

Another prominent chairman of the League was Dorothy Crisp, a journalist and writer of provocative articles in the Sunday Dispatch. Under her direction it developed a campaigning posture on women, the state and the dangers of socialism, similar to that of the Conservative party in the 1940s. Crisp had been a member of the Conservatives and published books promoting both conservatism and Christianity. She had sought the Conservative nomination for the by-election held in Acton in 1943, and when unsuccessful, she stood as an independent candidate. However the Housewives' League has as a founding principle that it is not party political and will not be used to promote any political party. Crisp was subject of a patronising article referring to her as "the buxom, brown-eyed, voluble little woman", by Gordon Beckles, published in the 12 July 1947 issue of Leader Magazine under the title of "Housewife of England!". It featured a photo of her giving a speech on behalf of the League. It has been said that Dorothy Crisp is the historical figure who most resembles Margaret Thatcher. The League's membership was more than 70,000 in 1948.

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