Scottish Democratic Fascist Party | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SDFP |
| Leader | William Weir Gilmour |
| Founded | March 1933 |
| Dissolved | October 1933 |
| Split from | New Party (UK) |
| Preceded by | Scottish Protestant League,Protestant Action Society |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Newspaper | Commonwealth |
| Ideology | Fascism Scottish nationalism Scottish independence Fascist corporatism Anti-Catholicism Anti-Irish sentiment Anti-capitalism Anti-communism Antisemitism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Religion | Protestantism |
TheScottish Democratic Fascist Party (SDFP) orScottish Fascist Democratic Party[1][2] was apolitical party inScotland. It was founded in 1933 out of the Scottish section of theNew Party byWilliam Weir Gilmour and Major Hume Sleigh.[3][4][5]
The party charter emphasised:[5]
No Catholics were permitted to join the SDFP.[6] The party explained their anti-Catholic rationale as being that the party was "Scotland First", whereas Catholics were dismissed by the party as owing their allegiance to the Pope.[5]
The party alleged that it did not wish to establish a dictatorship.[5] While not publicly advocating violence, the party had a "Defence Corp" to keep order at party meetings. Members of the Defence Corp wore black shirts, whilst the party uniform was a blue shirt.[5]
Later in 1933 the party removed the more anti-Catholic elements from its platform, resulting in Alexander Ratcliffe (leader of theScottish Protestant League) leaving the party. The party folded soon afterwards.[7]
The monthlyCommonwealth was launched as the SDFP organ on Monday 12 June 1933.[5] Only two issues were published though, and the party failed to attract wide support.[3]
Despite being formed out of the Scottish section ofOswald Mosley's New Party, the SDFP was at odds withMosley's largerBritish Union of Fascists, particularly over the issue of Catholicism. In contrast to the SDFP, the BUF was accepting of Catholics, with Catholics making up a high percentage[citation needed] of the BUF membership, particularly inNorthern England. This led to William Weir Gilmour denouncing the BUF as "run by Roman Catholics, organised by Roman Catholics, in the interests of Roman Catholics." Gilmour later opined that the SDFP's virulent anti-Catholicism may have unintentionally undermined fascism in Scotland by putting off prospective Catholic recruits.[8]
