Anti-Socialist Union facts for kids

The Anti-Socialist Union was a British political group that worked to support free trade and oppose socialism. Free trade means that goods can be bought and sold between countries without many taxes or rules. Socialism is a political idea where the government has more control over the economy and public services.

The group was active from 1908 until 1949. It was most active before the First World War.

How the Anti-Socialist Union Started

The Anti-Socialist Union (ASU) was formed in 1908. It was started by R. D. Blumenfeld, who was the editor of the Daily Express newspaper. The ASU believed in laissez-faire economics. This means they thought the government should interfere very little with the economy.

The group said it was non-political. However, most of its members were from the Conservative Party. The ASU campaigned against new social programs. These programs were brought in by the Liberal Party governments. The ASU called these programs "socialist ideas." These governments were led by Prime Ministers Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith.

What the Anti-Socialist Union Did

The ASU was very active during the general elections in January and December 1910. Some of their meetings and rallies even became violent. They often focused their activities on Keir Hardie, a leader of the Labour Party.

The ASU had its own journal, which sold about 70,000 copies. A young Stanley Baldwin was a member of the group. He later became a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Other important members included William Hurrell Mallock, Walter Long, and Samuel Hoare.

The group paused its activities during the First World War. After the war, it started up again. First, it was called the Reconstruction Society. Later, it became the Anti-Socialist and Anti-Communist Union. It criticized thinkers like Harold Laski and Maurice Dobb. The group also tried to show links between the Labour Party and the Soviet Union.

By this time, another group called the British Empire Union was doing similar work. The ASU did not have local branches, so it struggled to have much influence. Still, the group claimed it held about 10,000 meetings between 1918 and 1922.

The ASU was a free-trade group. However, it became linked with fascist movements that appeared in the 1920s. This was mainly because both groups strongly opposed communism. The British Fascists (BF) group made connections with the ASU. Some ASU members with military backgrounds joined the BF. Important ASU figures like George Makgill, John Baker White, and even Blumenfeld became connected to the BF. Nesta Webster, a key thinker for the BF, was also an ASU member. She wrote many of its publications. The chairman of the ASU was Wilfrid Ashley. He later also chaired the Anglo-German Fellowship. Harry Brittain, who was a close friend of Joachim von Ribbentrop, was on the ASU's Executive Committee.

To fight against growing support for socialism among workers, the ASU also suggested some ideas like profit-sharing schemes. These schemes would give workers a share of company profits. But generally, the ASU did not support fascism. It did not formally work with any fascist groups.

When the Anti-Socialist Union Ended

The Anti-Socialist Union continued until 1949. At that time, it closed down. It gave all its money and property to another group called the Economic League.

See Also

• Economic League (UK)
• Liberty and Property Defence League