The Independent Parliamentary Group was a

right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...

political organisation in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It was founded in 1920 by

Horatio Bottomley Horatio William Bottomley (23 March 1860 – 26 May 1933) was an English financier, journalist, editor, newspaper proprietor, swindler, and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his editorship of the popular magazine ''John Bull (maga ...

, elected in the 1918 general election as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

. In 1919, Bottomley founded the People's League. He hoped the League would become "a great Third Party" which would represent "the People" against

organised labour The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...

and organised

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

. The 4th Marquess of Salisbury was also initially involved in the League. According to

Sir Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980) was a British politician during the 1920s and 1930s who rose to fame when, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was a member ...

, he and

Leslie Hore-Belisha Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, PC (; 7 September 1893 – 16 February 1957) was a British Liberal, then National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet Minister. He later joined the Conservative Party. He proved highly su ...

were also active members. In 1920, Bottomley complemented the League by forming the "Independent Parliamentary Group" with other MPs sympathetic to his ideas, while still using the People's League to stand George Makgill in the 1920 Leyton by-election. Several

Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

joined the group, including Bottomley,

Cecil Beck Sir Arthur Cecil Tyrrell Beck (3 December 1876 – 22 March 1932) was a British Liberal Party politician. Background He was born in Bloemfontein South Africa and was the son of Arthur William Beck and Annie Tyrrell. He was educated at Haileyb ...

, Christopher Lowther,

Claude Lowther Colonel Claude William Henry Lowther (1870 – 16 June 1929) was an English Conservative politician. Early life Lowther was the only son of Capt. Francis William Lowther and Louise Beatrice de Fonblanque; Francis William was the illegitimate so ...

F. W. S. Craig Frederick Walter Scott Craig (10 December 1929 – 23 March 1989) was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compilin ...

, ''Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections''

Charles Frederick Palmer Charles Frederick Palmer (9 September 1869 – 25 October 1920) was a British journalist and newspaper editor, closely associated at the end of his career with the politician and business fraudster Horatio Bottomley. Palmer sat briefly in the Hous ...

and Sir C. V. F. Townshend. It also sponsored several candidates; John Nicholson accepted its support, but after winning the

1921 Westminster Abbey by-election The 1921 Westminster Abbey by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 25 August 1921 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster Abbey in London. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament ( ...

, did not join the group.

Murray Sueter Rear-Admiral Sir Murray Fraser Sueter (6 September 1872 – 3 February 1960) was a Royal Naval officer who was noted as a pioneer of naval aviation and later became a Member of Parliament (MP). Naval career Sueter was born in Alverstoke. Comi ...

, who was co-sponsored by the group and by the Anti-Waste League, was elected in the 1921 Hertford by-election. Later in 1921, a business venture of Bottomley's, the John Bull Victory Bond Club, was sunk by fraud and mismanagement. In the ensuing scandal, the group was disbanded, and the following year, Bottomley was expelled from Parliament.

References

*David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''British Political Facts'' Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom Political parties established in 1920 1921 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 1920 establishments in the United Kingdom {{UK-party-stub