Francis Ambrose Ridley, usually known as Frank Ridley (22 February 1897 – 27 March 1994) was a

Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

and

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

of the United Kingdom.

Life

Ridley was educated at Sedbergh School and

Salisbury Theological College Sarum College is a centre of theological learning in Salisbury, England. The college was established in 1995 and sits within the cathedral close on the north side of Salisbury Cathedral. The Sarum College education programme ranges from sh ...

. He did not enter the Church, though he did gain a theology licentiate at

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

in 1920. He later abandoned Christianity completely.

Political activities

From 1925 to 1964, Ridley spoke every week at Speakers' Corner in London's

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

. Ridley was one of the founders of the

Marxian League Marxian is a term generally used to refer to things related to Karl Marx other than Marxism. It can refer to: * Marxian economics * Marxian class theory See also * Marxism Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, ...

(aka Marxist League) in 1929. This small group might have become the British Section of Trotsky's

International Left Opposition International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

, but in 1931 Ridley and another member, Chandu Ram (H.R. Aggarwala) wrote ''Thesis on the British Situation, the Left Opposition and the

Comintern The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...

'', with which Trotsky disagreed. Ridley then joined the Independent Labour Party, writing regularly in their paper. Following the Second World War, he was in close contact with the Council communist Anton Pannekoek.

Secularist activities

Ridley was president of the National Secular Society from 1951 to 1963. He edited '' The Freethinker'' from 1951 to 1954.

Selected bibliography

* ''The Green Machine'', (London: Noel Douglas, 1926) * ''The Assassins'' (London, 1935 – reprinted by Socialist Platform, 1988) * ''Mussolini over Africa'' (London: Wishart, 1935). * ''At the Cross Roads of History: On the Present Social and Economic Crisis'' (London: Wishart Ltd, 1935) * ''Next Year's War?'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1936) * ''

Julian the Apostate Julian ( la, Flavius Claudius Julianus; grc-gre, Ἰουλιανός ; 331 – 26 June 363) was Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplato ...

and the Rise of Christianity'' (London: Watts & Co. Ltd, 1937) * ''The Papacy and Fascism: The Crisis of the Twentieth Century'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1937) * ''The Jesuits: A Study in Counter Revolution'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1938) * '' Fascism – What Is It?'' (London: Freedom Press, 1941) * ''Socialism and Religion'' (Engels Society, 21 Lime Tree Road, Heston, Middlesex, undated, assumed to be published around 1940s) * ''Revolutionary Tradition in England'' (London:

National Labour Press The National Labour Press (NLP) was founded in 1909 to undertake printing for the Independent Labour Party (ILP). It published the ''Labour Leader'' as well as other ILP material. It was originally located at 30 Blackfriars Street. In July 1915 ...

, 1947) * ''The Evolution of the

Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

'' (London: Pioneer Press, 1949) * ''

Pope John Pope John may refer to: # Pope John I (523–526) #Pope John II (533–535) # Pope John III (561–574) #Pope John IV (640–642) #Pope John V (685–686) #Pope John VI (701–705) # Pope John VII (705–707) #*''Antipope John VIII'' (844) # Pope ...

and the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

'' (Kenardington: Frank Maitland, 1961) * '' Spartacus'' (Kenardington: Frank Maitland, 1961) * ''Reminiscences of Hyde Park'' (

Pamphlet no. 7) (London: Leslie Jones, 1985) * ''Fascism Down The Ages: from Caesar to Hitler'' (London: Romer, 1988 – 2nd ed. 1991)

Articles

* "A Communist Party – The Problem of the Revolution in England" (''

The Militant ''The Militant'' is an international socialist newsweekly connected to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and the Pathfinder Press. It is published in the United States and distributed in other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Aus ...

'', Vol. IV No. 29 (Whole No. 88), 31 October 1931, p. 1.) * "Marxism, History and a Fourth International" (''The Adelphi'', May 1932)

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, F. A. 1897 births 1994 deaths British Trotskyists Independent Labour Party National Administrative Committee members People educated at Sedbergh School Alumni of Durham University British secularists British Marxists Freethought writers