The Free Trade Union, later known as the Free Trade League, was a British

trade organisation A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. Through collaboration between compani ...

extant between July 1903 and the 1970s. It was founded in opposition to the campaign for

Imperial Preference Imperial Preference was a system of mutual tariff reduction enacted throughout the British Empire and British Commonwealth following the Ottawa Conference of 1932. As Commonwealth Preference, the proposal was later revived in regard to the member ...

which had been launched by Board of Trade chairman

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually was a leading New Imperialism, imperial ...

in May 1903. This scheme was intended to promote trade preferentially with British imperial possessions by imposing tariffs on certain classes of goods imported from outside the "preference" zone. The Union's president between 1948 and 1959 was

Andrew McFadyean Sir Andrew McFadyean (23 April 1887 – 2 October 1974) was a British diplomat, economist, Treasury official, businessman, Liberal politician, publicist and philosopher. He was born at Leith in Scotland and died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington ...

, and it had close links with the right-wing of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

.John Meadowcroft and Jaime Edwards,
Liberals and the New Right
", ''Journal of Liberal History'' (2005) By 1959 the organisation had a membership of between one and two thousand, but struggled financially. It was taken over by

Oliver Smedley William Oliver Smedley (19 February 1911 – 16 November 1989) was an English businessman involved in classical liberal politics and pirate radio. In 1966, he killed Reginald Calvert, in what was judged to be an act of self-defence. Early life ...

and

Stanley Walter Alexander Stanley Walter "S. W." Alexander (16 November 1895 – 23 March 1980) was a British journalist and political activist. Early life During the First World War, Alexander served as a Sergeant Major in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infant ...

prompting the resignation of several prominent

members.

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He had influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic ...

was a speaker on behalf of the group. The organisation was renamed the "Free Trade League" in 1962, in an effort to prevent confusion with

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s, and was finally wound up in about 1972, although some members around David Wedgwood established a new organisation of the same name.About Us
, Free Trade League

References

{{Authority control British Empire 1903 establishments in the United Kingdom 1973 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1903 Organizations disestablished in 1972