Liverpool Vs Oswald Mosley

Many will already be familiar with the story of the scumbag fascist leader Oswald Mosley, he rose to fame in the 1920s while serving as Tory MP for Harrow, before going on to be elected Labour MP for Smethwick in the West Midlands.

While Mosley's anti-Semitic and racist politics found some success in some pockets of London, they failed spectacularly in trying to establish a foothold among Liverpool's voters.

In 1937, his followers were growing and he decided to visit parts of the country where he didn't have as much support, with the aim of converting people to a new, fascist ideology.

Unfortunately for Mosley, he didn't realise what kind of a reception he would receive when he tried to peddle his hateful views in Liverpool.

On October 10, Mosley arrived in Liverpool with the intention of holding a rally starting on Queens Drive. His plan was to stand on top of a loudspeaker van and tour the city, preaching to the masses.

He got up on the van, gave the crowd a fascist salute but before he could even speak a single word, stones were thrown from the crowd and hit Mosley in the head.

Mosley was taken to Walton Hospital where he was patched up and discharged a week later after treatment for concussion and a minor head wound.

A report published on December 11 in the Glasgow Herald newspaper said: "Sir Oswald Mosley was hit on the head by a stone and knocked semi-conscience immediately he stood on the top of a loud-speaker van to address an open-air meeting at Queens Drive, Liverpool, yesterday.

"As the van was being driven to a piece of wasteland, hundreds of missiles were thrown, Sir Oswald, had not had time to utter a word when a large stone hit him on the temple and he fell on his face.

"Mounted police who were standing by in a neighbouring yard, immediately rushed out and charged the crowd back.

"A Fascist bodyguard stood by to guard Sir Oswald in spite of showers of bricks from large sections of the crowd."

Liverpool wasn't the only place that kicked out fascists in the 1930s - Mosley’s fascists were also attacked by workers, anti-fascists and communists in Devon, Manchester, Newcastle, London and Stockton.

The BUF was disbanded in 1940 when it was proscribed by the British government after the start of World War II.

After the war Mosley formed new fascist groups, but again these faced stiff opposition and were again chased off the streets by anti-fascists.