The Scottish Protestant League (SPL) was a political party in Scotland during the 1920s and 1930s. The League was led by Alexander Ratcliffe, who founded it in 1920.[1]
The SPL was launched by Ratcliffe in Edinburgh on 28 September 1920, at a large meeting of representatives from various Protestant Evangelical denominations at the Edinburgh Free Gardeners Institute. The group proclaimed itself to be ‘evangelical, undenominational, and non-political,’ and would oppose ‘spiritualism, Christian Science, and various other systems of anti-Scriptural teaching.’[2]
While the focus was broad, the group was essentially anti-Catholic, being formed days after a Sinn Féin rally in Edinburgh, amidst the backdrop of the early stages of the Irish War of Independence. At the founding meeting the group specifically claimed that responding to the Sinn Féin 'campaign' in Scotland would form a core part of the groups remit.[3][2]
Ratcliffe served for a short time on the Edinburgh Education Authority. While he accomplished little, his membership brought him additional attention, and by the late 1920s his following had grown, including the Unionist Lord Scone. Frustrated by what he saw as a lack of strong Protestants in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Ratcliffe contested the 1929 United Kingdom general election in Stirling and Falkirk. Ratcliffe chose the seat as the incumbent Labour MP, Hugh Murnin, was Catholic, and the constituency had seen a dispute in Bonnybridge over the creation of a Catholic school. Ratcliffe attacked both Murnin for his Catholicism, and the Unionist candidate Douglas Jamieson on the strength of his Protestantism. Despite this, Ratcliffe offered to Jamieson to withdraw if Jamieson pledged to support amending the Education (Scotland) Act 1918. Jamieson refused, losing the constituency by 5,244 votes to Murnin, with Ratcliffe receiving 6,902 votes. Following the election, Lord Scone broke with Ratcliffe and resigned from the SPL.[2]
Growth and electoral success
In 1930, Ratcliffe moved to Glasgow, and began contesting local elections.[2] Ratcliffe was elected as a councillor to Glasgow Corporation in 1931 for Dennistoun (previously a safe Moderate Party seat) and the League won another seat in Dalmarnock (previously a safe Labour seat) by an ex-communist, Charles Forrester. The third seat it contested failed to unseat the Moderate but it did come second, pushing Labour into third place. In these three seats (which had the highest turn outs in the election) the League gained 12,579 votes (44%).[4]
In 1932 the League stood in eleven wards and gained one more seat (Kinning Park) and 12% of the total vote.[5]
In 1933 the League saw its greatest success when it stood in twenty-three wards and gained over 71,000 votes (23% of the total vote). Again the League did best in seats with the highest turn outs.[5] In the same year Ratcliffe joined the Scottish Fascist Democratic Party for a brief period, but left when the party softened its line on anti-Catholicism.[6] Following a visit to Nazi Germany in 1939, Ratcliffe became a fully fledged convert to fascism.[6]
Party platform
The main policy of the League was to campaign for the repeal of the Education (Scotland) Act 1918 and specifically Section 18 of that Act which allowed Catholic schools into the state system funded through education rates, which led to the slogan: "No Rome on the Rates!"[4] The League wished to stop Irish immigration to Britain, repatriate Irish immigrants already settled and deport Irish immigrants on welfare.[7] The League also opposed cuts in teacher's pay, campaigned for lower wages for top council workers, and was in favour of building more council housing and for reduced rents and rates.[5] Ratcliffe also voiced support for Scottish Home Rule, writing in the party organ Vanguard that "if Home Rule works in Ulster, why cannot it work in Scotland?" Ratcliffe argued that Home Rule would not undermine protestant interests in Scotland, and declared himself willing to support it in principle.[8]
Relationship with Ulster Unionists
The painting of William III, attacked by SPL members.
The Scottish Protestant League inspired the formation of the Ulster Protestant League in Northern Ireland, after Radcliffe embarked on a speaking tour of Northern Ireland in March and April 1931.[9]
Relations between the SPL and UPL were therefore extremely close to begin with, however they soured after an incident on the afternoon of 2 May 1933, when SPL members Mary Radcliffe (wife of SPL leader Alexander Radcliffe) and Charles Forrester attacked and damaged a painting when being given a tour of the Northern Irish Parliament by John William Nixon. The painting depicted Pope Innocent XI celebrating King William's victory at the Battle of the Boyne, which although accurate, was deemed blasphemous by the SPL members (particularly given its location within the Northern Irish parliament).[9] Forrester threw red paint over Innocent XI, whilst Radcliffe slashed it with a knife. Both were arrested, before being fined £65. The painting had caused discord in the Northern Irish Parliament when first unveiled, due to the realisation that it featured the Pope, with Nixon raising the issue in the Northern Irish Parliament.[10][11]
Decline
However from 1934 the League declined. Protestant churches opposed it and internal splits hampered it.[12] The majority, including Ratcliffe, voted with Labour on the council, with two voting with the Moderates. After disagreements with Ratcliffe's control of the League, four councillors left and designated themselves independent Protestants.[13]Lord Scone, the League's honorary President, resigned from the group in 1934.[8] In the 1934 election for Glasgow Corporation, the League only put up seven candidates and none were elected (Ratcliffe lost his seat even though there was no Moderate candidate and the independent Protestants lost their seats also), although they did gain a considerable number of votes.[13] In 1937, Ratcliffe failed to be elected for Camphill. Although there are reports that the League was virtually defunct by the late 1930s,[14] its Vanguard newspaper was still running as late as 1939 and reporting that "Hitler and the Pope are a pair...much in common...plotting together with Mussolini, also in the plot, to smash Protestantism throughout Europe",[6] and as late as March 1945 a leaflet advertising Vanguard was being sent to politicians.[15]
Ratcliffe himself remained active during the Second World War; complaints were raised in Parliament in 1943 about an antisemitic pamphlet he had published,[16] though no action was taken against him.[17] Ratcliffe has been described as 'one of the very first Holocaust deniers in the country and perhaps even the world.'[18] He died in Glasgow in 1947.[19]
^ abcMaitles, Henry (2003). "Blackshirts Across the Border: The British Union of Fascists in Scotland". Scottish Historical Review. 82: 92–100. doi:10.3366/shr.2003.82.1.92.
^ abProtestant Extremism in Urban Scotland 1930-1939: Its Growth and Contraction pg.154
^ abWalker, Graham (December 1985). "'Protestantism before Party!': The Ulster Protestant League in the 1930s". The Historical Journal. 28 (4): 961–967. doi:10.1017/S0018246X00005161. JSTOR 2639331. S2CID 154437919.
^Rutherford, Adrian (27 December 2013). "State papers: Ian Paisley demanded a picture of the Pope blessing King Billy for his office". Belfast Telegraph.
^"King Billy painting a 'mixed blessing'". BBC News. 18 August 2006.
^Paul Freston, Protestant Political Parties: A Global Survey (Ashgate, 2004), p. 51.
Steve Bruce, No Pope of Rome!: Militant Protestantism in Modern Scotland (Mainstream, 1989), pp. 42–82.
Mulhall, Joe (2021). British Fascism After the Holocaust: From the Birth of Denial to the Notting Hill Riots 1939–1958. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN978-1-138-62414-6.
February 21, 2023
scottish, protestant, league, alexander, ratcliffe, redirects, here, german, soldier, list, knight, cross, iron, cross, recipients, political, party, scotland, during, 1920s, 1930s, league, alexander, ratcliffe, founded, 1920, abbreviationsplleaderalexander, r. Alexander Ratcliffe redirects here For the German soldier see List of Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross recipients R The Scottish Protestant League SPL was a political party in Scotland during the 1920s and 1930s The League was led by Alexander Ratcliffe who founded it in 1920 1 Scottish Protestant LeagueAbbreviationSPLLeaderAlexander RatcliffeFounderAlexander RatcliffeFounded1920DissolvedEarly 1940sMerged intoScottish Democratic Fascist PartyNewspaperThe VanguardIdeologyRight wing populismReligious conservatismFascismAnti Irish immigrationScottish Home RuleAnti Catholicism Anti semitism from late 1930s Political positionFar right politicsReligionProtestantismPolitics of ScotlandPolitical partiesElections Contents 1 Creation and initial years 2 Growth and electoral success 3 Party platform 3 1 Relationship with Ulster Unionists 4 Decline 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Further readingCreation and initial years EditThe SPL was launched by Ratcliffe in Edinburgh on 28 September 1920 at a large meeting of representatives from various Protestant Evangelical denominations at the Edinburgh Free Gardeners Institute The group proclaimed itself to be evangelical undenominational and non political and would oppose spiritualism Christian Science and various other systems of anti Scriptural teaching 2 While the focus was broad the group was essentially anti Catholic being formed days after a Sinn Fein rally in Edinburgh amidst the backdrop of the early stages of the Irish War of Independence At the founding meeting the group specifically claimed that responding to the Sinn Fein campaign in Scotland would form a core part of the groups remit 3 2 Ratcliffe served for a short time on the Edinburgh Education Authority While he accomplished little his membership brought him additional attention and by the late 1920s his following had grown including the Unionist Lord Scone Frustrated by what he saw as a lack of strong Protestants in the Parliament of the United Kingdom Ratcliffe contested the 1929 United Kingdom general election in Stirling and Falkirk Ratcliffe chose the seat as the incumbent Labour MP Hugh Murnin was Catholic and the constituency had seen a dispute in Bonnybridge over the creation of a Catholic school Ratcliffe attacked both Murnin for his Catholicism and the Unionist candidate Douglas Jamieson on the strength of his Protestantism Despite this Ratcliffe offered to Jamieson to withdraw if Jamieson pledged to support amending the Education Scotland Act 1918 Jamieson refused losing the constituency by 5 244 votes to Murnin with Ratcliffe receiving 6 902 votes Following the election Lord Scone broke with Ratcliffe and resigned from the SPL 2 Growth and electoral success EditIn 1930 Ratcliffe moved to Glasgow and began contesting local elections 2 Ratcliffe was elected as a councillor to Glasgow Corporation in 1931 for Dennistoun previously a safe Moderate Party seat and the League won another seat in Dalmarnock previously a safe Labour seat by an ex communist Charles Forrester The third seat it contested failed to unseat the Moderate but it did come second pushing Labour into third place In these three seats which had the highest turn outs in the election the League gained 12 579 votes 44 4 In 1932 the League stood in eleven wards and gained one more seat Kinning Park and 12 of the total vote 5 In 1933 the League saw its greatest success when it stood in twenty three wards and gained over 71 000 votes 23 of the total vote Again the League did best in seats with the highest turn outs 5 In the same year Ratcliffe joined the Scottish Fascist Democratic Party for a brief period but left when the party softened its line on anti Catholicism 6 Following a visit to Nazi Germany in 1939 Ratcliffe became a fully fledged convert to fascism 6 Party platform EditThe main policy of the League was to campaign for the repeal of the Education Scotland Act 1918 and specifically Section 18 of that Act which allowed Catholic schools into the state system funded through education rates which led to the slogan No Rome on the Rates 4 The League wished to stop Irish immigration to Britain repatriate Irish immigrants already settled and deport Irish immigrants on welfare 7 The League also opposed cuts in teacher s pay campaigned for lower wages for top council workers and was in favour of building more council housing and for reduced rents and rates 5 Ratcliffe also voiced support for Scottish Home Rule writing in the party organ Vanguard that if Home Rule works in Ulster why cannot it work in Scotland Ratcliffe argued that Home Rule would not undermine protestant interests in Scotland and declared himself willing to support it in principle 8 Relationship with Ulster Unionists Edit The painting of William III attacked by SPL members The Scottish Protestant League inspired the formation of the Ulster Protestant League in Northern Ireland after Radcliffe embarked on a speaking tour of Northern Ireland in March and April 1931 9 Relations between the SPL and UPL were therefore extremely close to begin with however they soured after an incident on the afternoon of 2 May 1933 when SPL members Mary Radcliffe wife of SPL leader Alexander Radcliffe and Charles Forrester attacked and damaged a painting when being given a tour of the Northern Irish Parliament by John William Nixon The painting depicted Pope Innocent XI celebrating King William s victory at the Battle of the Boyne which although accurate was deemed blasphemous by the SPL members particularly given its location within the Northern Irish parliament 9 Forrester threw red paint over Innocent XI whilst Radcliffe slashed it with a knife Both were arrested before being fined 65 The painting had caused discord in the Northern Irish Parliament when first unveiled due to the realisation that it featured the Pope with Nixon raising the issue in the Northern Irish Parliament 10 11 Decline EditHowever from 1934 the League declined Protestant churches opposed it and internal splits hampered it 12 The majority including Ratcliffe voted with Labour on the council with two voting with the Moderates After disagreements with Ratcliffe s control of the League four councillors left and designated themselves independent Protestants 13 Lord Scone the League s honorary President resigned from the group in 1934 8 In the 1934 election for Glasgow Corporation the League only put up seven candidates and none were elected Ratcliffe lost his seat even though there was no Moderate candidate and the independent Protestants lost their seats also although they did gain a considerable number of votes 13 In 1937 Ratcliffe failed to be elected for Camphill Although there are reports that the League was virtually defunct by the late 1930s 14 its Vanguard newspaper was still running as late as 1939 and reporting that Hitler and the Pope are a pair much in common plotting together with Mussolini also in the plot to smash Protestantism throughout Europe 6 and as late as March 1945 a leaflet advertising Vanguard was being sent to politicians 15 Ratcliffe himself remained active during the Second World War complaints were raised in Parliament in 1943 about an antisemitic pamphlet he had published 16 though no action was taken against him 17 Ratcliffe has been described as one of the very first Holocaust deniers in the country and perhaps even the world 18 He died in Glasgow in 1947 19 See also EditUlster Protestant League Protestant Action Society Scottish Democratic Fascist PartyNotes Edit J J Smyth Labour in Glasgow 1896 1936 Socialism Suffrage Sectarianism Tuckwell 2000 p 194 a b c d Rosie Michael 2004 The Sectarian Myth in Scotland p 126 143 doi 10 1057 9780230505131 8 A New Protestant League Edinburgh Evening News pg 4 Edinburgh 29 September 1920 a b Smyth p 195 a b c Smyth p 196 a b c Maitles Henry 2003 Blackshirts Across the Border The British Union of Fascists in Scotland Scottish Historical Review 82 92 100 doi 10 3366 shr 2003 82 1 92 Smyth pp 195 6 a b Protestant Extremism in Urban Scotland 1930 1939 Its Growth and Contraction pg 154 a b Walker Graham December 1985 Protestantism before Party The Ulster Protestant League in the 1930s The Historical Journal 28 4 961 967 doi 10 1017 S0018246X00005161 JSTOR 2639331 S2CID 154437919 Rutherford Adrian 27 December 2013 State papers Ian Paisley demanded a picture of the Pope blessing King Billy for his office Belfast Telegraph King Billy painting a mixed blessing BBC News 18 August 2006 Paul Freston Protestant Political Parties A Global Survey Ashgate 2004 p 51 a b Smyth p 199 Freston p 51 The Scotsman Friday 30 March 1945 Anti Semitic Pamphlet Hansard HC Deb 22 April 1943 vol 388 c1809 The Scotsman Friday 23 April 1943 Mulhall 2021 p 53 The Scotsman Tuesday 14 January 1947Further reading EditSteve Bruce No Pope of Rome Militant Protestantism in Modern Scotland Mainstream 1989 pp 42 82 Mulhall Joe 2021 British Fascism After the Holocaust From the Birth of Denial to the Notting Hill Riots 1939 1958 Abingdon UK Routledge ISBN 978 1 138 62414 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scottish Protestant League amp oldid 1140732962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
