Frank Erni Dawkins

Frank Erni Dawkins (b. August 1873 – d. 26 December 1945) was an English socialist revolutionist known for advocating wealth redistribution, strong public programs, and policies supporting the nationalisation of key industries. His political career included a 1909 assault in Ilford, highlighting the tensions between socialism and religious views. Dawkins later relocated to Southend-on-Sea, introducing socialism to the local community and organising meetings on Marine Parade. Dawkins' advocacy for socialism spanned from economics to community engagement. He represented the Labour Party in Hampstead in the 1929 general election.

Early life

Dawkins was born in Blackpool, and as the son of a Methodist minister, he was relocated over ten times during his childhood due to the Methodist circuit system, primarily in the North of England.

Political awakening

He began his career as a shop worker and was dismissed by his employer when he tried to organise shop assistants into the NASU in the North of England. He moved to London and became active in the North West Ham branch of the Independent Labour Party and later the Ilford Socialist Party. Dawkins continued his interest in championing the cause of shopworkers, particularly the so-called ‘living-in’ system.

Political views

Economics

As a socialist, Dawkins consistently advocated redistributing wealth and resources to reduce income inequality and promote social welfare. He believed in the importance of strong public programs, such as healthcare and education, funded by progressive taxation. Dawkins was critical of free-market capitalism, arguing that it led to exploitation and widening income disparities. He often called for nationalising key industries to ensure that essential services would be accessible to all citizens.

Ilford Socialist Party

The Ilford Socialist Party held meetings to protest against the living-in system for shopworkers, chaired by Dawkins.ref

In 1904 the Ilford Socialist Party reported the establishment of the Socialist Party of Great Britain and the stronger discipline of the SPGB attracted ISP Members such as Jack Kent.

Dawkins also joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain in 1905 having previously been Sec. N.W. Ham Branch of the Independent Labour Party., and Organising Sec. Ilford Socialist Party. (Ref a1). This effectively established the Romford Branch of the SPGB with J H Kennett Chairman of the Ilford Socialist Party becoming Chairman of this SPGB Branch.

Socialist Party of Great Britiain

Dawkins was member number 244 and he became active in the public speaking activities of the party. Regular speaking SPGB schedules noting F E Dawkins also included Jack Fitzgerald, Hans Neumann, Jack Kent, Thomas A Jackson and Alexander Anderson.

The Commune of Paris was regularly celebrated by Dawkins and the SPGB with such talks including the 21st March 1907 at Latchmere Baths, Battersea.

1929 General Election

In the 1929 general election, F.E. Dawkins represented the Labour Party in the Hampstead constituency. Dawkins received 8,473 votes, amounting to 21.1% of the total votes cast, a slight increase of 0.2% from the previous election. However, Dawkins was unsuccessful in securing the Hampstead seat, as the Unionist candidate George Balfour won the election with 23,370 votes, representing 58.3% of the total votes. The Liberal candidate, M. Leon Freedman, finished closely behind Dawkins with 8,273 votes, accounting for 20.6% of the votes. The Unionist party maintained its hold on the Hampstead seat with a majority of 14,897 votes or 37.1% of the total. The voter turnout for this election was 62.8%, a decrease of 4.4% compared to the previous election.

Debating

F.E. Dawkins participated in debates as a representative of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB). On April 4th, 1910, F.E. Dawkins debated against Mr Wimbourne from the Liberal Party in Manor Park, London.

Debate was also undertaken between socialist factions. The Bishopsgate Institute holds a handbill advertising a debate headed Revolution or Reform and scheduled for 18th November 1908 with F. H. Gorle of the formative British Socialist Party tagged as a reformer and Dawkins of the SPBG tagged as a revolutionist. The debate took place at the Labour Church in Durban Road Watford that Gorle had founded.

Debates became a more significant part of the SPGB's activities in the 1930s and continued to be crucial until the 1980s. F.E. Dawkins was an early participant. Dawkins's involvement in the 1910 debate suggests they played a part in promoting the SPGB's doctrines and message during the early stages of the party's history.

1909 assault

At a meeting in Ilford, a Protestant lecturer A. M. Stones began criticising socialism, associating it with anarchism, atheism, and free love. Dawkins criticised the use of religion to support capitalism and argued that "free love" was not exclusive to socialism and using a news story of an alleged scandal implied that his interlocutor was involved in such activities, regardless of his religious beliefs. This revelation was met with mixed reactions from the audience.

While Dawkins' arguments persuaded some audience members, others, primarily the Christian attendees, reacted with hostility. This caused a furore that forced the meeting to be disbanded. To protect Dawkins from potential harm, around thirty to forty Dawkins supporters escorted him to a local club. However, later that night, three individuals Dawkins attacked Dawkins. One of the assailants struck him with a cudgel.

Despite the assault, Dawkins continued participating in socialist activities, appearing at a subsequent event. The incident served to weaken Ilford's anti-socialist campaign.

Relocation to Southend-upon-Sea

In 1911, upon moving to Southend-on-Sea, Dawkins quickly introduced the Socialist Party to its local community. Dawkins began holding regular propaganda meetings on Southend's Marine Parade. These events attracted large audiences and generated demand for socialist literature.

Cycling Tour

In the November 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard, an account of a cycling tour promoting the interests of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) was documented. The author, who initially hoped to be accompanied by a fellow party member, embarked on the journey alone due to unforeseen circumstances.

The account, in a diary format, details the various stops and experiences during the week-long cycling tour. On August 11th, the author travelled 53 miles to Bedford, where they failed to secure a meeting place or a stall for literature sales. On August 12th, they reached Northampton and engaged with the audience during a local Social Democratic Federation (SDF) meeting, critiquing the organisation's inconsistent political stance.

On August 13, the author arrived in Leicester and held a meeting in the marketplace, where they faced opposition from a supporter of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) and Ramsay MacDonald. On August 14th, the lack of available literature prevented them from holding a meeting in Loughborough. Heavy rain on August 15th in Derby forced them to abandon their planned meeting there as well.

On August 16th, the author held a successful meeting in Nottingham, answering numerous audience questions. They had intended to hold another meeting in Nottingham on August 17 but were deterred by persistent rain. In Kettering on August 18, the author attempted to hold a meeting twice but was overshadowed by a band and a glee party. On August 19, they arrived in Luton but couldn't hold a meeting due to the lack of literature and the presence of two bands in the town.

The author concluded their tour by expressing hope for a more ambitious journey the following year, highlighting the potential for successful socialist propaganda in Leicester and Nottingham. They also suggested the possibility of a "Party Outing" to Nottingham and encouraged other members to join in future endeavours.