Correspondence received by Robert Saunders, concerning the Union Movement, following his decision to resign as Union Movement Constituency Organiser at the end of 1951 and the subsequent reduction in his involvement in local activities by the middle of 1953. There are also letters concerning his involvement in the National Farmers Union.

Including letters from:

[Mosley's Union Movement]

Union Movement circular titled “Memorandum of Union Movement” (D2/63). Including “A message from the Leader to all Officials”, with an analysis of propaganda and training by “a skilled and experienced observer” (n.d.)

Union Movement circular titled, “Constitution of Union Movement” (30 September 1956) (D2/64)

Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, Leader, Union Movement (D2/65-67). Includes unsigned memorandum to Row on articles in “Union” (circa. 1956) [Not certainly from Mosley] (65); Mosley election leaflet for North Kensington, dated 6 October 1959 (66); circular statement on the rationale of the Union Movement 1966 Election campaign; with attached notice “Get Ready, next election fights...” and “Special campaigns - Peace with Rhodesia - Stop Sanctions” (14 April 1966) (67)

Geoffrey Vernon, Sales Manager of Euphorian Books, London (D2/68), concerning request for Saunders to check advertising of “The European” in W.H. Smiths, Dorchester (27 May 1955) (68)

Alf Flockhart, Secretary / Directory of Organisation / City and East London Area (D2/69-75). Includes thanks for donation to East London Election Fund (31 January 1955) (69); Saunders to assist at poll in East London election (21 March 1955) (70); request by Mosley for Saunders to accommodate son of ‘Dr N.’ before going to stay with Mosley in Ireland (11 June, 29 June 1955) (71, 72); Saunders’ confidential letter to Elliott, and mention of Wynn (2 January 1956) (73) and suggested dates for Saunders to meet Mosley (10 April and 20 April 1956) (74, 75)

Keith Gibson, Acting Organising Secretary / National Organiser / Manager, Sanctuary Press Bookshop (D2/76). Includes holding reply to Saunders letter of resignation from Union Movement (19 August 1963)

E. Jeffrey Hamm, Secretary, Union Movement (D2/77-95). Includes references to re Mosley confidential plan on European movement, imminent publication of “Action”, dinner and Conference on 6-7 October, and Mosley to speak in Kensington Town Hall (8 August 1957) (77); reply to Saunders letter of resignation from Union Movement, and forthcoming announcement by Mosley of Union Movement General Election plans (28 August 1963) (78); appeal for donations to support “Action” (5 February 1964) (79); thanks for donation to Action Support Fund, and Mosley working on “My Life” (11 April 1967) (80); note as Hamm is in France with Mosley, and search for new offices (20 February 1968) (81); publication of Mosley’s “My Life”, search for new offices, article in “Action” on Enoch Powell speech, and part played by “our men” in marches by dockers and market porters against coloured immigration (26 April 1968) (82); appeal for donations to “Action”, and invitation to visit new offices (17 December 1968) (83); thanks for donation to Action Support Fund (23 December 1968) (84); suggestion for Saunders to contact former member Hawke on agriculture (21 February 1969) (85); appeal for donation to “Action” (10 April 1969) (86); thanks for donation, and the place of “Action” in promoting Union Movement (15 April 1969) (87); Saunders appointment to dine with Mosley at Ritz Hotel (23, 29 April 1969) (88, 89); note mentions “Big Ben”, Bill Cathles (1 August 1969) (90); thanks for donation to Action Support Fund (5 August 1969) (91); “Action” dinner arrangements (5 December 1969) (92) and (24, 27 April 1970) (93-94) and invitation to a “Discussion of Union Movement Policies” led by Mosley [March 1971] (95)

Robert Saunders Bournemouth Branch membership cards: 1953 (96), 1955 (97), 1956 (98), 1959 (99), 1960 (100). 1956 card includes “European Marching Song”, with words in English to the tune of the Horst Wessel Lied, and slogan “Europe a Nation, Africa the Empire”.

Robert Saunders National Headquarters membership cards: 1961 (101), 1962 (102), 1963 (103)

Maurice T. Pacey, Treasurer, Union Movement (D2/104-112). Includes reference receipt of 500 copies of “None Need Starve” (4 October 1952) (104); Elliott, Batchelor and Bournemouth Branch deficiencies (6 June (105); 17 June (106); 22 June (107); 23 July (108); 6 August (109); 29 October 1953 (110); problems with Bournemouth Branch and Saunders 1956 membership card, and request to transfer membership to HQ (27 February 1956) (111) and Saunders subscription, and proposed tax on inactive Union Movement branches (8 Mar 1956) (112)

“Sir Oswald Mosley” leaflet published by Sanctuary Press Ltd. [1963] (D2/113)

Alexander Raven Thomson, Editor, “Union”, and Secretary of the Union Movement (D2/114-129). Includes references to problems with Bournemouth Branch, and Batchelor should be replaced by Mrs. Elliott (30 October 1953) (114); danger of publishing Saunders’ offices, and “discordant elements of last year removed” (11 November 1953) (115); invitation to meeting with Mosley on infiltration and political strategy, 12 Dec 1953 (4 December, 7 December 1953) (116; with note regarding Union Movement City and East London Branches Christmas Reunion (117); “health slowly improving”, and meeting with Saunders, Row and Jenks (7 December 1953) (118); Mosley pleased with success of meeting on infiltration (17 December 1953) (119); WH Smiths and “The European” (2 March 1954) (120); Saunders to attend Mosley dinner on 6 April 1954 (12 March 1954) (121); recent illness, and Saunders letter to “Union” on farm produce prices (3 November 1954) (122); appeal for support in London County Council elections in East London following success of Harry Jones in Shoreditch by-election (27 January 1955) (123); thanks for donation to East London Election Fund for forthcoming election and possible outcome (31 January 1955) (124); details of “Friends of Union” Dinner to be addressed by Mosley, 30 Apr 1955 (7 April and 20 April 1955) (125-126); thanks for Saunders donation to City Guide advertisement, and “Union” Support Fund (4 July 1955) (127); invitation to Saunders to address Annual Conference on local government (30 August 1955) (128); Mosley suggestion that Saunders’ address to recent Annual Conference on local government should be followed by an agreed policy to be presented to next Annual Conference, and Saunders should submit an article for “The European” (13 October 1955) (129)

Robert Row, Editor, “Union” / “Action” / Director, Sanctuary Press Ltd. / Editor, “National European” / in charge of Research and Policy, Union Movement. Row joined the staff of “Union” in November 1953 (D2/130-202). Includes references to agricultural matters and Union Movement Agricultural Group, inc. “None Need Starve” (5 August (130), 19 August (131), 24 August (132), 16 September (133), 28 September (134), 13 October (135) 1953); Raven Thomson heart attack, Saunders on Dorchester Rural District Council and National Farmers Union, and son of F. D. Hill (5 November 1953) (136); Raven Thomson heart attack, Row working on “Union”, Union Movement Research Dept., and son of F. D. Hill (17 November 1953) (137); National Farmers Union matters, Jordan on Central Committee of Communist Party, and “permeation methods” (17 November 1953) (138); meeting with Raven Thomson (2 December 1953) (140); letter from John Wynn, Price-Heywood, Major Griffiths of Ministry of Agriculture (17 December 1953) (142); Mosley and “Illustrated” and “Picture Post” (1 January 1954) (143); to circulate “Food and Farming” and “None Need Starve” to National Farmers Union officials, mentions Bellamy, Creasey, Irvine, Hill, Hickman, Dowty, Clarke and Wynn (2 March 1954) (144); request for 500 copies of “Food and Farming” and “None Need Starve” for circulation (18 March 1954) (145); price review and article for “Union”, and meeting on 6 April with Jenks, Creasy, and mentions Bellamy (24, 31 March 1954) (147-148); Crichel Down (18 August 1954) (149); Saunders donation to Support Fund, agricultural politics and UM Agricultural Group defunct (27 September 1954) (150); proposal for local UM newspapers (7 October 1954) (151); proposed meeting with Irvine and Jenks (13 October 1954) (152); mentions Irvine, Jenks, Hickman and George (October 1954) (153-154); proposed pamphlet on agriculture, and letter “Who Pockets the Difference?” for “Union” (October 1954) (155); “East Anglian Press” to cut obvious contact with UM, mentions Irvine and Price-Heywood (11 December 1954) (157); proposed meeting of West Country members re agriculture (30 December 1954) (158); mentions George, Barrow, Elliott, Hickman, Jenks re meeting (15 January 1955) (159); meeting widened to include general propaganda, for 30 [Jan] 1955 (23 January 1955) (160); meeting cancelled, London County Council elections and Row candidate in Brixton, and result of Moorfields election ([Jan] 1955) (161); Saunders’ “Feeding the Fifty Million” pamphlet, to be reviewed in “The European”, Perlman and printing of the “East Anglian Press”, and Mosley taking part in East London elections campaign [February 1955] (162); acknowledgement of Saunders article for “The European”, and death of Raven Thomson (4 November 1955) (163); request for article on food, and comments on current political situation, with Mosley “full of confidence” (18 January 1956) (164); invitation to Friends of “Union” dinner (25 January; 1February 1956) (165-166); thanks for article, current content of “Union”, and Union spring campaign to follow (8 February 1956) (167); thanks for copy of Sir James Turner address to National Farmers Union (17 February 1956) (168); need to draft Union Movement local government policy (21 Apr 1956) (169); proposed meeting for Mayday weekend (25 April 1956) (170); copy of transcript of Mosley’s comments on “Credit Policy outlined by the Leader” (15 June 1956) (171); submission of report on Credit Policy, prepared by Saunders, Lovene Grundy, Elliott, Dods and Row, to Mosley (27 June 1956) (172); request for information to include in article on consequences of export-trade breakdown (10 July 1956) (173); news of engagement to Lovene Grundy, and appeal for loan (25 July 1956) (174); thanks for wedding present (31 July 1956) (175); engagement of Row and Miss Lovene Grundy announced in “Union” [n.d.] (176); proposals on local government to go to Mosley (6 September 1956) (177); appeal for further donation to City Guide advertising (20 September 1956) (178); copy of “Proposals for Local Government Policy” to go to Mosley (26 September 1956) (179), with copy of memo on “Conference on Proposals for Local Government” submitted to Mosley dated 6 May 1956 (180), and brief “Proposals RR” (181); personal appeal for loan for Sanctuary Press and “Action” financial difficulties (20, 23 September 1957) (182-3); wage-price mechanism proposals for “when we take over” (16, 23 October 1957) (184, 185); indications of Conservative Party favour against Communism in North London, and failure of Row court case (10 April 1958) (186); congratulations on Saunders success in local elections (12 April 1958) (187); appeal for help on drafting of preface to Mosley’s “Europe Faith and Plan” on conflict between Common Market and Union Movement food policies (3 January 1962) (188); Common Market; Mosley query on farming arrangements, and Row comment on rejection of Britain’s application (1 February 1963 (189); request for comments on land prices for building development for policy declaration (5 October 1964) (190); request for land policy statement for Mosley Election address, and for article on forthcoming price review for “Action” (12 February 1966) (191); article on annual price review to appear in “Action”, with copy of draft, for comment (27 March 1969) (192, 193); request for further comments, Mosley’s comments, Mosley wishes to see Saunders, and discussion of Hawke (31 March 1969) (194); Saunders forthcoming meeting with Dr. Mansholt (11 April 1969) (195); Mosley enquiries about agricultural subsidies and wish to protect small French farmers (29 April 1969) (196); request for, and thanks for, information for Mosley towards article on agriculture in “Action” (11 September and 19 September 1969) (197-198); note mentions David Ashton (22 December 1969) (199); request for comments on agricultural production and small farms (12 February 1970) (200) and request for comments on enclosed article on “Entry into EEC” (14 February, 18 February 1970) (201, 202)