Henry Drummond Wolff (Basingstoke MP)
| Henry Drummond Wolff | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Basingstoke |
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In office 1934–1935 |
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| Preceded by | Viscount Lymington |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Donner |
| Majority | 6,885 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Henry Maxence Cavendish Drummond Wolff 16 July 1899 |
| Died | 8 February 1982 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Relations | Henry Drummond Wolff (grandfather) |
| Profession | Industrialist |
Henry Maxence Cavendish Drummond Wolff (16 July 1899 – 8 February 1982), commonly known as Henry Drummond Wolff, was a British Conservative Party politician. Drummond Wolff was known for his close ties to the far right.
From early in his political career Drummond Wolff's outlook was defined by his twin hatreds for laissez-faire capitalism and socialism, opinions that would lead him to become sympathetic towards fascism as an alternative.
In 1934, Viscount Lymington resigned as MP for Basingstoke, after becoming disillusioned with party politics. Nonetheless he helped to ensure that his successor as Conservative candidate would be Drummond Wolff, a close political associate. Drummond Wolff was duly elected in the resulting by-election although he held the seat for only a year, resigning ostensibly due to ill health, although in fact because he shared Lymington's lack of faith in democracy. Nonetheless both men were involved in the selection of the next MP, Patrick Donner, who also had close links to the far right.
A notorious supporter of anti-Semitism and known for supporting the British Union of Fascists (BUF), Drummond Wolff also donated £1,000 to the BUF. During his brief parliamentary career he had spoken in support of Oswald Mosley, along with other BUF-linked Tories such as Patrick Hannon, John Moore-Brabazon, Vice-Admiral E. A. Taylor and Thomas Moore. Correspondence between Drummond Wolff and an election agent also indicates that before Donner's selection as Conservative candidate for the 1935 general election could be ratified he had had to be interviewed by Oswald Mosley, with the Basingstoke Conservative Party as a whole closely linked to the BUF.
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