Peter Cadogan
Encyclopedia
Peter Cadogan was an English
writer
and political activist
Cadogan was born into a middle-class family in Newcastle upon Tyne
, where his father was employed by a shipping company. He was educated at The King's School, Tynemouth
in the 1930s. After working as an insurance clerk, he joined Royal Air Force
Air Sea Rescue
in 1941, in which he served until 1946. On his demobilisation, he joined the Communist party
, drawing inspiration from its historians' group, which included Christopher Hill
, Eric Hobsbawm
and E.P. Thompson.
He married Joyce Stones in 1949.
He studied history at King's College, Durham and taught in Northampton and Cambridge.
Cadogan disliked the Communist party's authoritarian style and support of the Soviet Union
. He was suspended in 1956 for publicly criticising the party's failure to denounce the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising
. He then joined the Labour Party
.
Influenced by Trotskyist
ideas, he took part in the 1959 founding conference of the Socialist Labour League (SLL) under the leadership of Gerry Healy
. He was expelled from the Labour party when it added the SLL to its list of proscribed organisations in 1959, and expelled in turn from the SLL, whose leadership style he found to be no different from that of the Communist party. In 1960 he joined the editorial board of the Trotskyist publication International Socialism (IS) and contributed subsequently to its more populist paper Labour Worker (now Socialist Worker
), only to be expelled from that group as well.
He was national secretary of the anti-nuclear Committee of 100 in the 1960s.
He became an advocate of the breakaway state of Biafra
during the Nigerian civil war. In 1968 he set up the Save Biafra Campaign
He was chairman of the South Place Ethical Society
from 1970 to 1981. He took the controversial decision, on the grounds of freedom of speech and despite his hatred of fascism
, to permit the British National Front
to meet at the society's premises.
He taught the history of ideas in the extramural department of the University of London
(later part of Birkbeck College
) between 1981 and 1983.
Cadogan was a long-standing member of the Blake
Society and served as both its chairman and president.
He wrote a book on direct democracy in 1974 and many pamphlets and articles. He was a founder of New Consensus/New Dialogue in 1990, co-founder of Values and Vision, 1991, and chairman of the London Alliance for Local Democracy from 1998.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and political activist
Cadogan was born into a middle-class family in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, where his father was employed by a shipping company. He was educated at The King's School, Tynemouth
The King's School, Tynemouth
The King's School is a co-educational, independent day school in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England with over 800 pupils aged between 4 and 18. The current headmaster is Mr Edward Wesson . The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference...
in the 1930s. After working as an insurance clerk, he joined Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Air Sea Rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
in 1941, in which he served until 1946. On his demobilisation, he joined the Communist party
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, drawing inspiration from its historians' group, which included Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill may refer to:*Christopher Hill , English bishop*Christopher J. Hill, International Relations scholar, Professor and Director of the Cambridge Centre of International Studies*Christopher R. Hill, U.S. Ambassador in Iraq...
, Eric Hobsbawm
Eric Hobsbawm
Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm , CH, FBA, is a British Marxist historian, public intellectual, and author...
and E.P. Thompson.
He married Joyce Stones in 1949.
He studied history at King's College, Durham and taught in Northampton and Cambridge.
Cadogan disliked the Communist party's authoritarian style and support of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He was suspended in 1956 for publicly criticising the party's failure to denounce the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising
Hungarian Uprising
Hungarian Uprising can refer to:*Hungarian Revolution of 1848 *Hungarian Revolution of 1956...
. He then joined 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...
.
Influenced by Trotskyist
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
ideas, he took part in the 1959 founding conference of the Socialist Labour League (SLL) under the leadership of Gerry Healy
Gerry Healy
Thomas Gerard Healy, known as Gerry Healy , was a political activist, a co-founder of the International Committee of the Fourth International, and, according to former prominent U.S. supporter David North, the leader of the Trotskyist movement in Great Britain between 1950 – 1985...
. He was expelled from the Labour party when it added the SLL to its list of proscribed organisations in 1959, and expelled in turn from the SLL, whose leadership style he found to be no different from that of the Communist party. In 1960 he joined the editorial board of the Trotskyist publication International Socialism (IS) and contributed subsequently to its more populist paper Labour Worker (now Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
), only to be expelled from that group as well.
He was national secretary of the anti-nuclear Committee of 100 in the 1960s.
He became an advocate of the breakaway state of Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
during the Nigerian civil war. In 1968 he set up the Save Biafra Campaign
He was chairman of the South Place Ethical Society
South Place Ethical Society
The South Place Ethical Society, based in London at Conway Hall, is thought to be the oldest surviving freethought organisation in the world, and is the only remaining Ethical society in the United Kingdom...
from 1970 to 1981. He took the controversial decision, on the grounds of freedom of speech and despite his hatred of fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, to permit the British National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
to meet at the society's premises.
He taught the history of ideas in the extramural department of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(later part of Birkbeck College
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
) between 1981 and 1983.
Cadogan was a long-standing member of the Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
Society and served as both its chairman and president.
He wrote a book on direct democracy in 1974 and many pamphlets and articles. He was a founder of New Consensus/New Dialogue in 1990, co-founder of Values and Vision, 1991, and chairman of the London Alliance for Local Democracy from 1998.