TheEnglish National Association (ENA) was a political group active in theUnited Kingdom during theSecond World War. It was accused of havingfascist sympathies.
Formed by John Webster in 1942, the ENA was led by Edward Godfrey, a former member of theBritish Union of Fascists who had served under Admiral SirBarry Domvile in theRoyal Navy.[1] The ENA, which sought to regroup former members of the British Union of Fascists, was originally called theBritish National Party (BNP).[2] The group was funded by theDuke of Bedford, a veteran supporter of right-wing movements, most notably theBritish People's Party.[1] Calling for a negotiated peace, the group attempted to march on theCenotaph in 1942 but the demonstration was banned by the authorities and the group came under suspicion.[2] The BNP, which emphasisedanti-Semitism, initially gained some support and not long after its foundation claimed to have 50 branches across the country.[3] It also enjoyed the support of a number of right-wing journals, such as those of CaptainBernard Acworth andJoseph Ball, as well as the backing of theBritish League of Ex-Servicemen and Women, a group that had been associated with the BUF and which was later taken over byJeffrey Hamm.[1] William Craven, a farm worker fromGloucester who was sentenced to life imprisonment for twice writing to government agencies ofNazi Germany to offer his services, was also a BNP member following his expulsion from the BUF for extremism.[4]
In order to avoid the attentions of the government Godfrey disbanded the BNP in 1943 before recreating the group immediately as the ENA. Like most groups in existence at the time however many supporters were loath to join as they feared that active groups were too easily infiltrated byMI5.[5] Before long Webster had left to form his own English Legion and they did not survive the war.[2]
The group contested the1943 Acton by-election with Godfrey officially running asindependent, although he finished bottom of the poll with 258 votes.