Primrose Club
Encyclopedia
The Primrose Club was a short-lived political London
gentlemen's club
founded in 1886. It was aligned to the Conservative
party, with members having to pledge support. It was launched as a bid to combine the explosion of the popularity of clubs in London at the end of the nineteenth century with the phenomenal success of the Conservative-aligned Primrose League
.
At first it proved highly successful, with Whitaker's Almanack
reporting 6,500 members, but within a decade this had already shrunk to 5,500, and by 1910 it had just 350 members, and was disbanded shortly afterwards.
"Our historical inspiration is the political philosophy and career of Benjamin Disraeli, and in taking his lead we are looking to embark on the next steps of the ongoing British Revolution that began at the signing of the Magna Carta.
We represent a political gathering of like-minded individuals who want to repair the damage to the social fabric that has been done by unrestricted and deregulated free enterprise. We believe that the best hope for a national renaissance lies in a serious investment in the education and skills of the disadvantaged people of Britain."
The current club’s primary goal is to be a virtual web based political club and ginger group that will enliven the wider political scene with its view of one nation radicalism.
It is also non exclusive and membership is open to anyone who broadly shares the political agenda outlined by the club on its website; and although the club has a strong affinity for the Conservative party, membership of the Conservative party is not a requirement of membership.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
founded in 1886. It was aligned to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
party, with members having to pledge support. It was launched as a bid to combine the explosion of the popularity of clubs in London at the end of the nineteenth century with the phenomenal success of the Conservative-aligned Primrose League
Primrose League
The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883 and active until the mid 1990s...
.
At first it proved highly successful, with Whitaker's Almanack
Whitaker's Almanack
Whitaker's Almanack is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office, from 2003 to 2010 by A & C Black and from 2011 by .-Content:...
reporting 6,500 members, but within a decade this had already shrunk to 5,500, and by 1910 it had just 350 members, and was disbanded shortly afterwards.
2009
A new virtual Primrose Club with no links to the original London gentlemen's club was formed in January 2009, and the club biography on its website states:"Our historical inspiration is the political philosophy and career of Benjamin Disraeli, and in taking his lead we are looking to embark on the next steps of the ongoing British Revolution that began at the signing of the Magna Carta.
We represent a political gathering of like-minded individuals who want to repair the damage to the social fabric that has been done by unrestricted and deregulated free enterprise. We believe that the best hope for a national renaissance lies in a serious investment in the education and skills of the disadvantaged people of Britain."
The current club’s primary goal is to be a virtual web based political club and ginger group that will enliven the wider political scene with its view of one nation radicalism.
It is also non exclusive and membership is open to anyone who broadly shares the political agenda outlined by the club on its website; and although the club has a strong affinity for the Conservative party, membership of the Conservative party is not a requirement of membership.