# British Commonwealth Union

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The '''British Commonwealth Union''' (BCU) was a [protectionist](/source/protectionism) organisation formed in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) in 1916 to "found a solid [business](/source/business) group in [parliament](/source/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom)" and to "press for the protective tariffs and restrictions on [import](/source/import)s discussed at the [Paris Economic Conference of 1916](/source/Paris_Economic_Conference_of_1916) and in the [Balfour of Burleigh Committee](/source/Balfour_of_Burleigh_Committee) on post-[World War I](/source/World_War_I) commercial policy." Conservative [Patrick Hannon](/source/Patrick_Hannon) was a key figure.<ref>Capie, F. (1998) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=EtKAmC4TcOUC&dq=british+commonwealth+union+1916+FBI&pg=PA250 The Sources and Origins of Britain's Return to Protection, 1931-2]", in {{cite book | title=Freedom of Trade and its Reception: 1815-1960: Freedom and Trade - Volume 1 | author=Parry, G. ''et al.'' (eds) | publisher=Routledge | isbn=0-415-15527-4 | pages=''pp''246–261 | year=1998 }}, ''p.''250 ([Google Books](/source/Google_Books))</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=The British Commonwealth Union and the General Election of 1918 | author=Turner, J. A. | journal=English Historical Review | volume=93 | year=1978 | pages=528–559 | doi=10.1093/ehr/XCIII.CCCLXVIII.528 }}</ref>

As well as being protectionist, the BCU was strongly opposed to [trade unionism](/source/trade_unionism), and supported a number of [anti-socialist](/source/anti-socialist) and [anti-labour](/source/Opposition_to_trade_unions) activities.<ref name="Thomas">{{cite book|last=Linehan|first=Thomas|title=British fascism, 1918-39 : parties, ideology and culture|date=2000|publisher=Manchester University Press|location=Manchester|isbn=0719050243|page=43}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{reflist}}

Category:Organizations established in 1916
Category:Economic history of the United Kingdom
Category:Political history of the United Kingdom
Category:Business organisations based in the United Kingdom
Category:1916 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Protectionism

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [British Commonwealth Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Union) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Union?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.