Economic League

Summary

Established in 1919 by conservative politicians and industrialists, the Economic League was a pro-capitalist and anti socialist propagandist group. In public it conducted a “Crusade for Capitalism” targeted at the workforce of local members’ factories, and a against the ‘subversion” of trade union activism and left of centre political parties. Behind closed doors it set up and ran a blacklist of allegedly “subversive” workers, available to member companies. After the Second World War the League continued both strands of propagandist activity and continued to campaign for capitalism especially through partisan apprentice training, and against activism through pamphlets and media stories and more clandestinely through a blacklist made available to members. However from the 1970s its role in pro-capitalism lobbying became less important as a result of the changes to the structure of the workforce in the UK and the demise of Industrial training and apprenticeships, . The League focused on campaigning against trade union activism and continued to provide a blacklisting service for member companies. Construction and Engineering Companies paid an additional premium for this service in their industries and became subscribers to the Economic League Services Group. The League’s income and importance as a pro capital and anti-activist lobbyist declined during the 1980s with an economic recession that reduced the number of corporate members, and Government sympathetic to their political views. Attempts to rationalise and restructure the League lead to internal disputes and at least one discontent employee leaking information and documents to journalists about the Leagues’s continuing blacklisting activities. There was a series of damaging media exposes, notably by World in Action and by Journalist Richard Norton Taylor writing in the guardian, and Paul Foot writing in the “Mirror”. This investigations led the UK Parliament’s Employment Select Committee to conduct a public inquiry into the League’s activities. Its final report in 1992 was highly critical of their blacklisting activities. In 1993 the Economic League was placed in liquidation and wound up. It claimed that the blacklist had been destroyed. The Employment Relations Act 1999 made provision for blacklisting to be made illegal through regulations, these were not however enacted. In 2009 the Information Commissioner’s Office raided the offices of an trade association called The Consulting Association run by a former employee of the Economic League This group had continued to run the Services Group blacklist on behalf the construction companies who had subscribed to it, and he was prosecuted and fined for breaches of the data protection laws. Following this prosecution the Employment Relations Act 1999(Blacklists) Regulations 2010 were finally enacted making Blacklisting Illegal in the UK. There were more than 3,000 workers on The Consulting Association blacklist. A Blacklist Support Group was established with support from trade unions and trade unionist with high profile campaigns against blacklisting companies and private prosecutions. These are continuing. In the UKParliament another Select Committee - The Scottish Selected Committee - decided to examine the current reality of the blacklisting calling number of former Economic League Employees and corporate supporters to give evidence.

History, People & Companies

Origins & Early Organisation

In 1919 a meeting of senior conservative industrialists and politicians was held at the offices of National Publicity Agency, lobbyists for the brewery owners. It was convened by Admiral William Reginald Hall who had retired as the wartime head of naval intelligence to become a Conservative MP for a Liverpool constituency in the hastily called post-war election.

Founders

Also at the meeting were:

• Major Richard C. Kelly Director of the National Publicity Agency lobbyists for the Brewery Industry
• John Gretton Chairman of the Bass Brewery and MP representing the brewing town of Burton in Staffordshire
• Evan Williams President of the mine owners' Mining Association
• Cuthbert Laws of the Ship Owners' Association
• Arthur Balfour The leading Sheffield steel manufacturer, became Lord Riverdale
• Sir Allan Smith Director of the Engineering Employers Federation.

National Propaganda

The outcome of this meeting was the creation of a new group to confront and undermine what they saw as a trade union, socialist and communist threat to capitalism within the workplace. This new group was placed within an existing group with anti socialist objectives called the British Commonwealth Union as its National Propaganda Committee but quickly acquired an identity of its own - becoming known simply as National Propaganda. National Propaganda seems to have acted as part co-ordinating body, part public relations agency for a large number of groups campaign for right wing causes and single issues - the British Empire Union, National Citizens Union, National Alliance of Employers and Employed, Industrial League and Council, Industrial Welfare Society, Christian Counter Communist Crusade, Children’s Faith Crusade, the Economic Study Clubs. The League’s main early functions were propagandist. It conducted a “Crusade for Capitalism” targeted at the workforce of local members’ factories, and a wider public campaign campaign against the ‘subversion” of trade union activism and left of centre political parties. To support its campaign against activists, the League gathered information from a variety of public and private sources. It published pamphlets naming activists and organisations of which it regarded as subversive. Under the enthusiastic direction of Reginald Hall and Richard Kelly, National Propaganda developed a regional structure, with membership made up of conservative politicians and/or employers.

Early Organisation

By 1924 the League’s local Structure included:

• Lancashire and Cheshire Economic League

Royal Central Chambers, Manchester Chairman: Sir William Clare Lees Central Council Representative: Lieutenant Col. Sir Alan J Sykes. Executive members: F. W Astbury, MP In 1923- 24 it held 1,417 meetings of various sorts attended by 333,497 people.

• Liverpool Economic League

10 Hatton Gardens Chairman: Sir Max Muspratt Executive members: J. Sandeman Allen, MP. It claimed to have held 200 meetings. Greater London Economic League: 2 Millbank House Chairman: Neville Gwynne. In 1923- 24 it held 595 meetings were attended by 145,000 people. "A special feature of propaganda in London", it claims "Dinner- hour talks" to employees inside factories". The work of the League's paid workers was by 1923 being augmented by "25 working men, all of whom are trades unionists and constitutionalists”.

• South Wales Economic League

46 Stuart Street, Cardiff. Chairman: Frank Shearman Executive members: James Miles.

• Leeds Economic League:

In 1923- 24 it held 751 meetings attended by 111,000 people.

• Sheffield Economic League:

In 1923- 24 it held more than 1,000 meetings

• Huddersfield Economic League:

In 1923- 24 it held 347 meetings attended by 32,000

• Keighley Economic League:

In 1923- 24 it held 295 meetings with a total attendance of 32,000

• Women’s Work (West Riding):

In 1923- 24 it held 133 meetings attended by 5,400 women and 74 study circles with a total attendance of nearly 1,000. A potentially fascinating area of the League's work, it disappears in subsequent reports.

• North East Coast - National Propaganda;

10 Leazes Terrace, Tyne and Wear Branch Branch Office for Newcastle,Tees and Hartlepool. Central Council Representative: Launcelot E. Smith Tyne and Wear executive members: Clive Cookson, Major General Sir R A Kerr Montgomery

• Hull and East Riding Economic League:

5, Myrtle Street, Hessle. Chairman: G. F. Robinson It noted its gratitude to the local press for "the very comprehensive reports they have given of the meetings in the area". They also recorded the establishment of a branch of the "Children's Faith Crusade" in February 1923. "Results to date are encouraging" and reports ".... The largest Communist Sunday School has been closed".

• Barrow-in-Furness Economic League:

Hector House, Newbarns, In 1923- 24 it held 1578 meetings included afternoon classes for the unemployed.

• Midland Counties Economic League

Chairman: Gilbert Vyle This regional branch of the Economic League operated over a massive area which included Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. It claimed to have been particularly active 1923- 24 in mining areas during a ballot of miners on the National Wages Agreement - "it being of interest to note that in all areas where the League concentrated the vote was for acceptance of the terms submitted”.

• North Wales Economic League:

A small and short-lived branch of the League run from the Lancashire and Cheshire and Liverpool offices.

The First Labour Government, and the Leadership of Aukland Geddes

In October 1922 the the post-war coalition collapsed. and the liberal Prime Minister, Lloyd George, was replaced briefly by Bonar Law and then, in May 1923, by Stanley Baldwin. One of the first things Law had done was to appoint Reginald Hall as Principal Agent of the Conservative Party. He was the only serving MP ever to be Principal Agent of the Conservative Party. Following he election on December 6 1923 the Conservatives were the largest party, but they had lost their overall majority and Hall was one of 90 Conservative MPs to lose their seat. They couldn’t secure the support of the Liberals so in January 1923 the Labour Party formed it first minority government under Ramsay MacDonald. In March Baldwin sacked Hall as Principal Agent of the party, and the leadership of National Propaganda was passed to Sir Aukland Geddes. The former government minister and US ambassador was only in charge of the Economic League for a year before going to head up the Rio Tinto mining company, Later Rio Tinto Zinc. His Brother Eric Geddes, another former Conservative minister, was at the same time President of the Federation of British Industries. Under his brief stewardship Geddes was a major reorganisation of the League.Geddeschanged the name of National Propaganda to The Central Council of the Economic Leagues and in 1926 it became The Economic League. He was the President of the Central Council on a salary of 4,000 gbp. Geddes also consolidated the blacklisting of workers whom they believed to be political and trade union activists or supporters: "One of the first tasks initiated by Sir Auckland Geddes was the compilation of a chart and dossier of socialist and subversive organisations and their interlocking directorates. Arrangements are in hand for a permanent clearing house of information in connection with alien organisations and individuals. A document containing a considerable body of information on "red" ramifications and methods had already been circulated in confidence to district Economic Leagues. Supplements to the documents will be circulated from time to time.”

"The National Campaign to Combat Socialism"

Geddes’ salary as President of the League was 4000gbp , a very substantial sum for the time, indicating the level of investment that was going into the League and it satellite organisations. On April 8th of 1924 the British Empire Union launched an appeal for £100,000 per year to support a "National Campaign to Combat Socialism". That income would today be worth around £2.5m. Contributors were asked to mark subscriptions for either the General Fund, British Empire Union or National Citizens Union. The appeal was signed by Colonel O. G. Armstrong, president of the Federation of British Industries; Sir Vincent Caillard, of Vickers; Lord Gainford, coal owner; Lord Invernairn; Sir Allan Smith, chairman of the Engineering Employers Federation; Sir Alan Sykes, chairman of the Bleachers association; and Evan Williams, president of the Mining Association of Great Britain. It was to be a fighting fund for the the next election, which would be th third in two years. The League’s 5th annual report reflected their role in opposition to the Labour Government: "The period covered by the Annual report witnessed the establishment in office of the first Labour-Socialist Government. The question whether or not "Labour" is fit to govern has thus become academic. "Labour" HAS governed and a cabinet of Socialists is tacitly accepted by the nation as a potential alternative to a Cabinet of Constitutionalists.” It goes on to argue: "The fact that there were found five and a half million British citizens willing to place in power as well as in office a body of men plunged in uneconomics, pledged to the nationalisation of industry, and plighted in troth to subsidise Russian Bolshevism with British savings, is a measure of the educational work that remains to be done.”

The "Zinoviev Letter"

MacDonald’s minority government only lasted until November. during which most of its activity was devoted to attempting to reach an agreement with the Russian go

Companies

Companies Making Subscribing to the Economic League

Those marked + had a Director on the League's Central Council 1975-1989

• 600 Group
• A Anderson & Sons
• A Longworth & Sons +
• A E Symes
• A. Monk & Co
• A. P. C. M. +
• Acme Signs and Displays
• Acrian (UK) +
• Addle Shaw & Latham
• AEGT Pension Trust +
• Air UK +
• Air Holdings +
• Airwork +
• Akroyd and Smithers +
• Alcan Enfield Alloys
• Alder & Mackay
• Alexanders Discount +
• Alldee Nominees +
• Allied Lyons +
• Allmay & Layfield
• Alpine Double Glazing
• AMEC Construction Services
• Amey Roadstone
• Anchor Chemical Co +
• Anthony Gibbs Holdings
• Arbuthnot & Savory Mills +
• Ardon Contractors
• Ashton Court (Sale) +
• Associated Engineering
• Associated Fisheries
• Augustus Barnett
• Automotive Products
• Avenfield (Pty) Limited - South Africa +
• B.A.C.
• Babcock Power Engineering
• Babcock & Wilcox +
• Baker Perkins Holdings
• Balfour Beatty Construction
• Bankers I T +
• Barclays Bank
• Barfab Reinforcement
• Barrow Hepburn Group
• Bass Charington
• BAT Industries
• Battle Farm Lands +
• Baxter Bros (1920) +
• Baxter Fell International
• Beagle Nominees +
• BEC
• Beecham Products
• Benson Turner
• Berkley Hambro Property
• Bernard Sunley
• BICC
• Biggs Wall
• Birmid Qualcast
• Blue Circle Group +
• Boddingtons
• Bomag (GB)
• Border & Southern Stockholders IT +
• Bovis Construction
• Bowater +
• BPB Industries
• Bradford & District Newspapers
• Braithewaite Engineering
• Brammer
• Brewers Society
• Bricomin Farms +
• Bricomin Investments +
• Bridon
• Bridon +
• Brintons
• Britannic Finance Trust +
• British Telecom
• British Manufacture & Research
• British Engine
• British Commonwealth Investment Co +
• British Ropes
• British Leyland
• British & Commonwealth (Group Management) +
• British & Commonwealth Shipping Co (Hotel & Travel
• Enterprise) +
• British & Commonwealth Shipping Co PLC +
• British Air Transport (Holdings) +
• British & Commonwealth Shipping Co (Aviation) +
• British And South American Steam Navigation +
• British and Commonwealth
• British Vita Co
• British United Industrialists +
• British Aluminium
• British Investment Trust Bullock Construction
• Brocklehurst Mews Maintenance +
• Brooke Bond Leibig
• Brooklands House +
• Bryant Construction
• Brymo Steel
• Building Joinery Components +
• Building Employers Federation
• Burmah Oil
• C T Bowring
• C.B.I. Management Education Committee +
• Caledonia Investments +
• Cambrian Soft Drinks +
• Cape Industrial Products
• Cape Boards
• Capital and Countries Property
• Carlton Mansions +
• Carpets International Clayton Dewandre
• Cawoods Holdings
• Cayzer Irvine Shipping +
• Cayzer Ltd +
• Cayzer Gartmore Investments +
• Cayzer Irvine (Investments) +
• Cayzer Irvine (Property Management) +
• Cayzer Irvine (Group Finance) +
• Cayzer Irvine (Insurance Management) +
• Cayzer Irvine & Co +
• Cayzer Trust - The +
• Cedar IT
• CEGB
• Cementmakers Federation
• Centre for Policy Studies - The +
• Chanton Engineering
• Chapel Court (Ashton) +
• Charles Stephenson Funeral Directors
• Charlton Leslie Construction
• Chartered Trust Agency +
• Chevron Foods +
• Chloride Industrial Batteries
• Christian Coull Consultants +
• Chritian Salvessen PLC +
• Chrysler UK
• Ciba Geigy
• City National Investment Trust +
• Clan Line Investments +
• Clan Line Steamers - The +
• Clanair +
• Clos-o-mat (Great Britain) +
• Clothing & Allied Products Industrial Training Board
• Clyde Nominees +
• Coalite
• Coates Bros & Co
• Coldflow
• Commercial Union +
• Commercial Street Nominees +
• Compair Broomwade
• Compaq Computer Corporation
• Concrete
• Consolidated Goldfields +
• Consumer & Video Holdings +
• Continental Union Agricultural Holdings +
• Continental Union Finance Co +
• Cookson Group
• Corals Racing
• Costain (UK)
• Courage +
• Courthaulds
• Coutts & Co
• Crabtree Vickers
• Crane Fruehauf Trailers
• Crewkerne Investments +
• Dalepak
• Daniel Thwaites
• Davidsons Ltd
• De La Rue
• Dean Craft Fahey +
• Delta Enfield Cables
• DFM Holdings +
• Dickinson Robinson Group
• Distillers
• Dock & Airport Services +
• Dominion General Trust
• Doncasters Shefield(Inco Europe)
• Donkin & Co +
• Dow Scandia
• Dowsett Engineering Construction
• Dowty Communications
• Drake & Skull Holdings
• Drayton Japan Trust +
• Drummonds Branch Nominees +
• Dundee Office Royal Bank Of Scotland Nominees +
• Dunlop
• Dupont Plastic Gas Pipes
• Duritas Trustees +
• E C Stenson
• Eagle Star
• East Lancashire Papers Group
• Eastman Kitchens
• Edbro (Holdings)
• Edgar Allen Balfour
• Edifice Trustees +
• Edinburgh West End Nominees +
• Edmund Nutall
• Electra IT +
• Engineering Employers Federation +
• English and New York Trust
• English Electric
• English China Clays
• Equity Capital Trustees +
• Evans Medical
• Ever Ready Holdings +
• Everards Breweries +
• Faber Prest Holdings
• Fairclough Construction
• Fairey Co
• Fairey Group
• Fairport Engineering
• Fasco
• Federated Employers' Press +
• Field Tanksteamship Co +
• Field Industries Ltd - Zimbabwe +
• Field Industries Africa Ltd - South Africa +
• Field Aviation Co Ltd - Canada +
• Fitch Lovell
• Flemming Technology IT +
• Flemming Far East Trust +
• Fluor
• Ford Motor Company
• Foreign And Colonial IT +
• Formica
• Forthaven +
• Forward Chemicals +
• Fraser House commercial Developments +
• Frederick Robinson +
• Freemantle & Co +
• French Kier
• Friends Provident Life Office +
• Frobisher Gardens Maintenance +
• Fry Construction
• Furness Withy & Co
• G Percy Trentham
• G.K.N +
• Gallagher
• Galliford Sears
• Gartmore Investment Management +
• Gartmore Securities +
• GEC
• Geest Holdings
• General Combustion
• Geoffrey Osborne
• George Wimpey
• Gerrard & National Discount
• GES
• Gibson Crude Oil Purchasing Co Ltd - Canada +
• Gillinghm Woodcraft
• Glasgow Stockholders
• Glass Bulbs
• Glaxo
• Goldsmiths Research Foundation +
• Gordon Street Nominees +
• Grand Metropolitan Contract Services
• Greater Manchester Economic Development Corporation +
• Greater Manchester Residuary Body +
• Green's Economiser +
• Greenall Whitley +
• Greene King
• Greene King +
• Greenhalls +
• Group 4 Total Security
• Guardian IT
• Guardian Royal Exchange
• H & J Quick
• H J Heinz
• Hall Engineering (Holdings) +
• Halmatic +
• Hampton's Wholefoods +
• Hanley Economic Building Society +
• Hanson Engineering
• Hanson Trust
• Hardys & Hanson
• Harlands of Hull Hambros
• Harry Neal
• Harrytown Hall Maintenance +
• Hartwells of Oxford
• Hawker Siddeley +
• Hazleton UK
• Head Office Nominees +
• Hector Whaling +
• Helix
• Hepworth Ceramic Holdings Henry Barratt
• Herbert Ferryman
• Hereford English Wine
• Hewden Stuart Crane
• Hiram Walker & Sons (Sctl)
• Hogg Robinson +
• Homfray & Co +
• Hotpoint
• Houlder Bros
• Howard Doris Construction
• Howson Algraphy
• Huntaven Properties Ltd +
• Hunters Foods
• Huntfield Trust Ltd +
• Hunting & Son +
• Hunting Firecracker +
• Hunting Associated Survey Holdings +
• Hunting Associated Industries +
• Hunting Group +
• Hunting (Eden) Tankers +
• Hunting Petroleum (America) +
• Hunting Survey & Photographic +
• Hunting Painting Contractors +
• Hunting International (Holdings) +
• Hunting Gibson +
• Hunting Investments +
• Hunting Surveys and Consultants +
• Hunting Steamship Co +
• Hunting Aviation Management +
• Hunting Engineering Management +
• Hunting Associates Limited - Canada +
• Hunting Composites +
• Hunting Oil & Gas +
• Hunting Holdings +
• Huntley & Sparks (Lands) +
• Huntley Cook & Co +
• Huwood
• Hyphen Fitted Furniture
• ICI
• Ilford
• Imperial Group
• Inner Guard
• Institute of Personnel Management +
• Institutional Fund Managers +
• Insulated Buildings Ltd Interiors
• Intercosmetics +
• International Shipping Information Services +
• International Westminster Bank +
• Iron Trades Insurance +
• J H Fenner & Co
• J Bibby & Sons +
• J R Govett
• James Longley
• James Galt & Co
• James Neill Holdings +
• James Walker
• Jenks & Cattell +
• John Jones Excavations
• John E Wiltshire
• John Mowlem
• John I Jacobs
• John Laing Construction
• John Wilmott Group
• Johnson Matthey
• Jonas Woodhead & Sons
• Jones Laing Wootton
• K Wool Products
• Keeton & Sons
• King Line +
• King Investigation Bureau
• Kingsway Nominees +
• Kleinwort Overseas IT +
• Kleinwort Charter IT +
• Kleinwort Benson Lonsdale +
• Komatsu UK
• Kyle Stewart
• L.D.C. Trust Management +
• Lake View IT +
• Lamson Industries
• Law Debenture Overseas +
• Law Debenture Trust Corporation PLC +
• Law Debenture Intermediary Corporation +
• Law Debenture Corporation PLC +
• Laycock Engineering Lloyds Bank +
• Lead Industries Group
• Legal and General
• Lincoln Woodworking
• Lindsay Oil Refinery
• Lindustries
• Lister Peter
• Lloyds
• Lombard Street Nominees +
• London & Southhampton Stevedoring Co. +
• London-American Maritime Trading +
• London Brick Co
• London Prudential IT
• Low & Bonar
• Lyon & Lyon
• M & G
• M & G Group +
• M J Gleeson
• Magnet Joinery
• Magnet Metals
• Main Gas Appliances
• Maintenance Chemicals +
• Management Search International +
• Manchester Chamber of Commerce +
• Manor House Hotel (Castle Combe) - The +
• Markham Systems
• Marlar International +
• Marley Group
• Marples International Holdings
• Massey Ferguson
• Matthew Hall Engineering
• Matthew Clark & Son +
• Maxwell UK
• McCarthy & Stone
• McGlauchlin & Harvey
• McKenhie Bros
• Meldrum Investment Trust PLC +
• MEPC +
• Metal Box +
• Midland Bank +
• Miller Buckley
• Miller Construction
• Mineral Drilling International +
• Missouri Maintenance +
• MJN Newcastle
• Mono Pumps
• Morgan Crucible +
• Morgan Grenfell +
• Mount Nelson Hotel +
• National & Commercial +
• National Westminster Bank +
• Neepsend
• NEI
• Nestle & Co
• Nicholas Lane Nominees +
• Nico Construction
• North British Hire Purchase +
• Northern Petroleum and Bulk Freight +
• Northern Engineering Estates
• Norwest Holst
• Norwich Union Insurance
• Norwood Estates (Stretford) +
• Ocean Transport & Trading +
• Ondawel (GB) +
• Oxford University Appointments Committee +
• P C Harrington Contracts
• P Hassall
• Parkfield Jersey +
• Pauline Hyde & Associates +
• Pegler-Hattersley
• Penrith Door Co
• Pentland IT
• Phoenix Steel Tube
• Phoenix Assurance +
• Picadilly Nominees +
• Pilkingtons
• Plaxtons (Scarboro)
• Plessey Group +
• Plessey Group
• Pochins
• Portland Group Factors +
• Powell-Piggott
• Powell Duffryn
• Power Steels
• Powers Samas
• Precision Cast Parts Corporation
• Press Offshore
• Project Direction Ltd +
• Provincial Insurance
• Ptarmigan (Nove Leather)
• R & M Fabrications
• R R & J Willan +
• R W Willan (Estates) +
• R M Douglas Construction
• R.B. Property Nominees +
• Racal Guardall (Sctl)
• Radio Forth +
• Rank Hovis McDougall Royal Insurance
• Ransome Sims & Jefferies
• RCO Contract Services
• Readicut International +
• Reckitt & Colman
• Record Ridgeway +
• Redhill Aerodrome +
• Redhill Flying Club +
• Redland Engineering
• Regent Street Nominees +
• Reliance Security ServicesRuberoid
• Rexodan +
• Rexshire Ltd +
• Richard Costain
• Rockware Group +
• Rockwell (UK) +
• Roland Long Associates +
• Ross Foods
• Rosser & Russell Building Services
• Royal Bank of Scotland & Prosper Nominees +
• Royal Insurance
• Royal Bank of Scotland - The +
• Royal Bank of Scotland Group - The +
• Royal Bank of Scotland (Aberdeen) Nominees - The +
• Royal Bank of Scotland (Central Branch, Glasgow) Nominees - The +
• Rudolf Wolff & Co +
• Rush & Tomkins Group +
• Samuel Webster Breweries
• Samuel Jones
• Sanderson Walker & Sons (Sctl)
• Sanderson Kayser
• Sankey Sugar +
• SBAC (Farnborough) +
• Scandura
• Schreiber
• Scotcom Nominees +
• Scottan Investments +
• Scottish Council for Development and Industry - The +
• Scottish Lion Insurance Co - The +
• Scottish Lion Investments +
• Scottish National Trust +
• Scottish and Newcastle Breweries
• Scottish United Investors +
• Scottish Shire Line - The +
• Scottish lion Holdings +
• Scottish Tanker Co. - The +
• Sea Lion Investments +
• Seabridge Shipping +
• Seapool +
• Secdee Nominees +
• Second Industrial Trust +
• Securites Limited +
• Senior Engineering
• Sheffield Testing Works +
• Shell Petrol +
• Shell
• Shephard Hill
• Shepherd Neame +
• Sinclair & Collis
• Singer & Friedlander +
• Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons
• Sir Alfred McAlpine
• Skefco
• SKF (UK)
• Slough Estates
• Slough Newspaper Printers
• Smiths Warehousing Group +
• Smiths Industries
• Society of British Aerospace Companies - The +
• South Wales Electricity Board +
• Spath Holme +
• Spear & Jackson
• Spirax-Sarco +
• St Vincent Street Nominees +
• St Mary Axe Holdings +
• Stag Line +
• Standard Broadcasting Corporation of Canada +
• Standard Continuous
• Staveley Industries +
• Sterling Industries +
• Stockbridge Engineering Steels
• Stockholders IT
• Stone Platt Industries
• Storreys of Lancaster
• Streed Ltd
• Sulzer (UK)
• Sun Alliance +
• Swan Hunter Group
• Symbol Biscuits
• Symmonds English Wine +
• Syntex Pharmaceuticals
• T C Harrison
• T S Overy
• Tabuchi Electrical UK
• Tanganika Concessions
• Tanks Consolidated IT +
• Tarmac Construction
• Taskman Security Services
• Tate & Lyle +
• Taylor Woodrow
• Thermal Syndicate
• Thirsk Racecourse Ltd +
• Thomas Borthwick & Sons
• Thomas Grice & Co Tallent Engineering
• TI Domestic Appliances
• Tilbury Contracting
• Total Oil Marine
• Touche, Remnant & Co +
• Touche, Remnant Holdings +
• TR Industrial & General Trust PLC +
• TR North American Investment Trust PLC +
• [[TR Technology Investment Trust PLC+
• TR City of London Trust +
• TR Pacific Basin IT +
• TR Holdings (1974) +
• TR Natural Resources +
• TR Trustees Corporation +
• TR Australia Investment Trust PLC +
• Trafalgar House +
• Tragen Finance +
• Trans Oceanic Trust +
• Transmanche Link
• Transport Development Group
• Travel Savings (I) +
• Travel Savings +
• Travel Savings (XII) +
• Trico Folberth
• Tube Investments +
• Tube Investments
• Turner & Newall
• Turner & Newall +
• Turriff Corporation
• Twill
• Tysons (Contractors)
• Tytherington Court +
• Union Castle Mail Steamship Co - The +
• Union Street Nominees +
• Union castle Line +
• Union Discount Co of London
• Uniroyal Englebert Tyres
• United Kingdom Temperance and General Provident Institution +
• United Molasses
• Urquhart Engineering +
• Valour Heating
• Varian TEM
• Vaux Breweries
• Venesta International Components
• Vickers Instrument Co
• Vickers
• Victor International Plastics
• W & T Avery
• W H Smith Electrical Engineers Group
• Wadkin
• Wagon Industrial Holdings +
• Walsall Conduits
• Walter Lawrence
• Walter Llewelyn & Sons
• Wandel & Halterman & Co
• Wardle Court +
• Wardley Group
• Weir Group
• West George Street Nominees +
• Western Royal Bank of Scotland Nominees +
• Westments +
• Westminster Contractors
• Westminster Bank +
• Westminster Press
• Wests Group International
• WGI
• Whalley House +
• Whinney Murray & Co +
• Whitbread +
• Wilkinson Match
• Willan Home Improvements +
• Willan Bros (Sale) +
• Willan Properties +
• Willans of Macclesfield +
• William H Herbert +
• William Baird & Co
• William Latimer & Co +
• William Boulton Group +
• William Jackson
• Williams and Glyns +
• Wilmot Breeden +
• Wilsons Breweries
• Wm Teacher Ltd +
• Woodhunt Property +
• Woolsey house +
• Worthington Simpson
• Y J Lovell Construction
• Yorkshire Bank PLC +
• Yorkshire Post Newspapers +

Resources

Publications on the Economic League

• “Spies At Work”, Mike Hughes, Turnpike Publications, London, 2012 ISBN 9781291044911
• “Spies at Work”, Mike Hughes, e-book, 2014, ISBN 9781291045079, http://www.lulu.com/shop/mike-hughes/spies-at-work/ebook/product-20912431.html
• “The Economic League: The Silent McCarthyism”: Mark Hollingsworth, Charles Tremayne, Civil Liberties Trust, 1989, ISBN 9780946088355

“Blacklist: Inside Story of Political Vetting”, Mark Hollingsworth, Richard Norton-Taylor, The Hogarth Press, London, 1988, ISBN 9780701208110

• Labour Research Department What is the Economic League? Labour White Papers No. 23, Labour Research Department, London, 1927.
• Labour Research Department What is the Economic League? Revised Edition, Foreword by Ebby Edwards, Secretary, Mineworkers Federation of Great Britain, Labour Research Department, London, 1937.
• Labour Research Department Who is Behind Them?, May 1953.
• Labour Research Department A Subversive Guide to the Economic League 1969.

Parliamentary Reports:

Scottish Affairs Committee - Thirteenth Report: Blacklisting in Employment-Update: Incorporating the Government's Response to the Sixth Report of Session 2013-14, May 2014, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmscotaf/1291/129102.htm

Scottish Affairs Committee  - Oral and Written Evidence, Blacklisting in Employment, February 2013, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmscotaf/156/contents.htm, see also http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmscotaf/writev/blacklisting/winder/contents.htm and http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmscotaf/writev/blacklisting/kerrcontents.htm

2nd report, session 1990-91 : recruitment practices. Vol. 1, Report Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Employment Committee. Employment Committee, London : HMSO, 1991. ISBN 0 10 273691 X

This is not available online. The full recommendation reads: "Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, any consumer denied credit can obtain the name of any credit reference agency consulted, and can thereafter obtain details of the information held about them. WE BELIEVE THE SAME SHOULD BE TRUE OF INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES SUPPLIED TO THE EMPLOYER BY ORGANISATIONS KEEPING SUCH INFORMATION; IF THE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE IS REFUSED EMPLOYMENT THE INFORMATION SHOULD BE PASSED ON TO THE EMPLOYEE; INDEED IT SHOULD BE PUT TO THE EMPLOYEE SO AS TO PROVIDE A CHANCE FOR THE EMPLOYEE TO REFUTE IT. "WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT LEGISLATION SHOULD PROVIDE THAT, WITH THEEXCEPTION OF PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS PROVIDING REFERENCES, ALL ORGANISATIONS SUPPLYING INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO LICENSING AND TO A CODE OF PRACTICE, PERHAPS SIMILAR TO THE LICENSING SYSTEM FOR EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES ACT 1973. "We believe that the recommendations we have made would go some way to lessening the disadvantages faced by those who apply for jobs at companies using the services of organisations who provide information about them."

Web Page: http://spiesatwork.org.uk/

Economic League publications

• Economic League, Subversion in Industry, Economic League (London and South Eastern Region), February 1958
• Economic League, The Agitators: Who the are. How they work. What they want. Service To Industry Series, Booklet No. 3, London: Economic League Central Council, No date. Most propably published in the latter half of 1974.