Retro: Founder of British Fascism addresses meeting in Belfast (1927)
A meeting under the auspices of the Ulster Command of British Fascists was held in the Ulster Minor Hall under the presidency of Mr Herbert Jackson during this week in 1927, reported the News Letter.
The chairman said they were there to put forward the claims of Fascism before the people.
He remarked: “We have been in operation for a year and a half in Belfast, and we have been fighting since the beginning of the organisation. We are fighting under great difficulties, while others are slacking, we still intend to go on to promote Fascism in Ulster.
“The meaning of Fascism is unity and the honouring of the religion of Ulster, and to stand up against any attempt against it.
“We stand for the King as binding us together, and for loyalty, and we are working as far as we can to bring back prosperity to the country.”
He continued: “It is our intention to put out back into it. When men are hungry and their wives and children are hungry the Communists promised everything, but they gave nothing.
“We are determined to destroy Communism and Bolshevism in Ulster no matter what the difficulties might be in the future.
“Our aim is to help those in authority to maintain law and order. We stand for our country and we are working for our country, and our movement is composed largely of working men.”
Miss Rotha Lintorn-Orman, founder of British Fascism, said that they were “out to fight against the Reds and Bolshevists”.
She remarked: “We have 250,000 men and women who constituted not only a great moral force but a great physical one as well.”
She added that she wished to point out that British Fascists had no connection with the Black Shirts which had been a failure.
“There is a need,” she said, “for Fascism in this country to save it from Bolshevism. If we are not prepared to fight with the Reds we will find that the coming revolution will be a very much worse than the affair which happened in 1914.”
She added: “The Fascist movement started in 1923, and it now has branches throughout the Empire, and we are out to stop any attempt to dethrone the King or destroy the British Empire.”