France Littlewood was a British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 socialist activist.

Born in Honley

Honley

Honley is a large village in West Yorkshire, England near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield situated on the banks of the River Holme in the Holme Valley. In 2001 it had a population of 5,897 according to the census.-Education:...

, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire

West Riding of Yorkshire

The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...

, Littlewood studied at Almondbury Grammar School

Almondbury Grammar School

King James's Grammar School was a grammar school on Saint Helen's Gate in Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.-History:The school was founded as chantry school in 1547 and received its name and a royal charter in 1608 by three men who travelled on horseback to London to get a royal...

 before working in his father's dye works. He joined the Liberal Party

Liberal Party (UK)

The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

, which he represented on Honley Local Union, but left in 1891 to join the new Colne Valley

Colne Valley

The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....

 Labour Union. In 1893, he was a founder member of the Independent Labour Party

Independent Labour Party

The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...

 (ILP), and he rapidly rose to prominent, becoming national treasurer in 1896, serving until 1902 . He held a seat for the party on Honley Urban District Council from 1895 to 1896. His family's firm was declared bankrupt in 1899, although he and his brothers managed to retain ownership of the mill.

At the Colne Valley by-election, 1907, Littlewood was a leading supporter of Victor Grayson

Victor Grayson

Albert Victor Grayson was an English socialist politician of the early 20th century. A Member of Parliament from 1907 to 1910, his sudden and still-unexplained disappearance in 1920 is widely believed to have been the result of his intention to reveal evidence of corruption at the highest levels...

, an ILP member who was refused national support because he did not support the Labour Party

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

. Grayson was successful, and Littlewood regained his seat on the Urban District Council, in addition to one on the Board of Guardians

Board of Guardians

Boards of guardians were ad hoc authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930.-England and Wales:The boards were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish Overseers of the Poor established under the old poor law, following the recommendations...

. However, the newly-renamed Colne Valley Socialist League followed Grayson in moving away from the ILP and towards syndicalism

Syndicalism

Syndicalism is a type of economic system proposed as a replacement for capitalism and an alternative to state socialism, which uses federations of collectivised trade unions or industrial unions...

, a position which Littlewood opposed. In 1910, Grayson lost his seat, and the local group split from the ILP, joining the British Socialist Party

British Socialist Party

The British Socialist Party was a Marxist political organisation established in Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of factional struggle, in 1916 the party's anti-war forces gained decisive control of the party and saw the defection of its pro-war Right Wing...

 on its formation, the following year. Littlewood sided with a minority loyal to the ILP.

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Littlewood served as a sergeant with the Volunteer Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment

Duke of Wellington's Regiment

The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...

. He remained an ILP supporter until 1928, when he resigned in support of Philip Snowden's economic policies.