Robert Forgan | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament forWest Renfrewshire | |
| In office 30 May 1929 – 7 October 1931 | |
| Preceded by | Archibald Douglas MacInnes Shaw |
| Succeeded by | Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1891-03-10)10 March 1891 Scotland |
| Died | 8 January 1976(1976-01-08) (aged 84) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | ILP(until 1929) Labour(1929–1931) New Party(1931–1932) BUF(1932–1934) |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen,University of Cambridge |
| Occupation | Public Health Officer |
| Profession | Physician |
Robert Forgan (10 March 1891 – 8 January 1976[1]) was a British politician who was a close associate ofOswald Mosley.
TheScottish-born Forgan was the son of aChurch of Scotland minister.[2] Educated up to doctorate level atAberdeen Grammar School and theUniversities of Aberdeen andCambridge, he entered the medical profession and served in that capacity in theFirst World War.[3] Forgan became a leading light in his field, served as vice-president of the Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases and became recognised as a leading expert onsexually-transmitted diseases.[2] He served as a public health officer inGlasgow and in that capacity adoptedsocialism because of the city's poor conditions.[2]
Forgan entered local politics as a member ofGlasgow Council after he had seen active service in the war.[3] Initially a member of theIndependent Labour Party, he was elected to Parliament forWest Renfrewshire in the1929 general election. An early triumph saw him secure the installation of a ventilation system into theHouse of Commons, but he afterward became a fairly marginal figure.[4] Forgan was one of the signatories of the Mosley Memorandum, which outlined his political vision and soon followed Mosley into theNew Party when it was set up.[5] He had officially left theLabour Party on 24 February 1931[6] and sometime that year co-authored withAdam Marshall DistonThe New Party and the ILP (written as an appeal to ILP members[7]).[8] He was appointed to a council for policy and strategy formation that was set up to decide the running of the party and also acted asChief Whip during the New Party's brief run in Parliament.[9]
At the1931 general election, Forgan polled 1,304 votes in West Renfrewshire in what represented one of the best results for the New Party in a disappointing election.[10] A close friend ofOswald Mosley, Forgan was godfather to his son Michael.[11]
With Mosley having embraced fascism, Forgan followed his lead and on Mosley's behalf led unsuccessful talks with theBritish Fascists that were aimed at having that movement taken over by the New Party.[12] Forgan joined Mosley'sBritish Union of Fascists and was initially Director of Organisation.[4] The administrative role did not prove suitable, and soon, he became an important background figure who arranged private functions with leading businessmen in an attempt to secure support for Mosley and organised theJanuary Club to this end.[13] Forgan was keen to stress that the BUF had no ban onJews despite the activities ofAdolf Hitler.[14] Indeed, Forgan attempted to court influential Jews, such asLiberal MPHarry Nathan andSir Philip Magnus-Allcroft, 2nd Baronet, through the January Club and even held meetings with the leaders of theBoard of Deputies of British Jews.[15] Forgan was also keen to keep the BUF aloof from rivalfar-right groups such as theImperial Fascist League as he felt that it was essential to avoid making the BUF seem too foreign in ideological terms.[16]
As a result of his work, Forgan was promoted to deputy leader.[4] He held that position until 1934, when he left the BUF because of its drift towardsanti-Semitism.[4]Robert Skidelsky has argued that Forgan's conversion to fascism had always been at best half-hearted and had more to do with his personal loyalty to Mosley, which had largely disappeared.[17] Forgan particularly disliked the growing influence ofWilliam Joyce, a staunch anti-Semite,[18] who replacedWilfred Risdon, a colleague of Forgan from the ILP and the New Party, as Director of Propaganda the same year. Forgan took no further role in politics.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forWest Renfrewshire 1929–1931 | Succeeded by |