Economic League (UK)
| Successor |
The Consulting Association (TCA) CAPRiM |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1919 |
| Extinction | 1993 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | political advocacy |
|
Key people
|
William Reginald Hall |
|
Formerly called
|
National Propaganda |
The Consulting Association (TCA)
The Economic League was an organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to opposing what they saw as subversion and action against free enterprise. As part of this the organisation maintained a list of alleged leftwing troublemakers for decades, which corporate members of the League used to vet job applicants, often denying jobs on the basis of the list. In the late 1980s press investigations revealed the poor quality of the League's data, and following a 1990 parliamentary inquiry and further press reporting, the League closed down in 1993. However, key League personnel continued similar vetting activities through organizations including The Consulting Association.
The organisation was founded in December 1919 to January 1920 by a group of industrialists and then MP William Reginald Hall under the name of National Propaganda. Hall had been Director of the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty from 1914 to 1919. The organization's chief function was to promote the point of view of industrialists and businessmen, as well as to keep track of communist and leftwing organizations and individuals. Predating McCarthyism, it worked closely with the British Empire Union. John Baker White worked as the league's Assistant Director, and then from 1926 to 1939 as Director. In 1925 the Economic League was organised into a policy-making Central Council of 41 members, with 14 district organizations covering most industrial areas of the UK. Income came from tax-deductible company subscriptions and donations. The Council in 1925 included two Lords, 15 knights, high-ranking military officers, directors of newspapers, and Lord Gainford, chair of the BBC. Hall, the first chair of the organization, had by 1925 been succeeded by Sir Auckland Geddes. The Central Council of the Economic Leagues was a member in the International Entente Against the Third International.
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