My Life

My Life - Oswald Mosley5 - Entry into PoliticsTHE opportunity to enter politics soon came. There were two chances to be adoptedas Conservative candidate, the first in the Stone Division of my native Staffordshireand the second in the Harrow Division of Middlesex. It seemed improbable that Ishould succeed in Harrow, as two strong local candidates were in the field and a thirdwas a personal friend of Bonar Law, then leader of the party, who was understood tohave indicated privately his hope that this candidate would be adopted. I knew no onein the constituency, but the Central Office was willing to put forward my name and itseemed worthwhile to try for a seat so near London. I was still in the army in 1918,though seconded to work at the Foreign Office, so my opportunities for politicalactivity were limited, but it was not forbidden to stand in the post-war election.I decided to see what could be done in Harrow before taking long and necessarily rarejourneys to Stone, where I had many friends and a better chance of being adopted.Each evening I went by train to call on the dignitaries of the Harrow ConservativeAssociation, mostly old men. They were amiable but not encouraging. However, theydecided to have what was called a singing competition, to give the four prospectivecandidates a chance to show what they could do as speakers. This was for me anominous occasion as I had never made a speech in my life. It was rather like myprevious daunting experience of arriving on the Western Front as an accomplishedaviator, having never before left the ground in an aircraft.I decided to write out my fifteen-minute speech and learn it by heart. It was quite agood speech but shockingly bad in delivery. As one of the old politicians present saidafterwards, good stuff, but badly chanted. I was far from having acquired the range ofvoice and variation in rhythm and tempo in which I later attained some competence. Idid not even realise the necessity. To stand up and say something sensible seemed tome adequate. The speech consequently fell flat, though they applauded politely,possibly in sympathy with a very young man in uniform. Then came questions, and inthat hour I was launched into politics. They were good, pointed, often expertquestions, for Harrow was a dormitory of London where men and women lived whoworked in the city and were versed in every intricate question of Britain and theEmpire. I had by then read enormously and was vastly interested in politics; thefascination of the argument brought me alive and evoked some latent power ofexposition. Questions ended in a scene of considerable enthusiasm. I was adopted asprospective candidate by over ninety per cent of the votes of those present.Next arose the question of programme at the coming election. I knew little ofConservative sentiment, and cared less. I was going into the House of Commons asone of the representatives of the war generation, for that purpose alone. Yet Harrowwas a traditional stronghold of the Conservative Party and among the older peoplethere began to be much talk of far-off things, of pre-war politics. I had joined theConservative Party because it seemed to me on its record in the war to be the party ofpatriotism, and that was the first principle, but patriotism to me was not somethingstatic, a sentiment of good things to be conserved. It was something dynamic andcreative, seeking to build a better and more modern nation, constantly adapted to thedevelopment of the age and inspiring it. Particularly was this the case when so muchneeded to be done in providing a fair livelihood and above all good homes for oursurviving companions of the war.77 of 424