The 1930s: Hostility on the Horizon
War and the Refugee Crisis
In an effort to stand up for those threatened by oppression, Eleanor Rathbone was one of the first politicians to realise the potential danger from the Nazi party in the 1930s. During this period, she was a relentless critic of the government's policy of appeasement and worked tirelessly to combat the actions of Francoist Spain and Nazi Germany. Eleanor’s political and humanitarian commitment to the ‘refugee question’ consumed much of her time and energy during this period, and earned her the sobriquet ‘MP for refugees’.
The Rathbone archive at the University of Liverpool includes correspondence and papers concerning British merchant shipping in Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War, showing the depth of Eleanor's practical involvement with the rescue of refugees (below).
Anthony Eden resigned as Foreign Secretary in February of 1938, a move largely attributed to his growing dissatisfaction with the government policy of appeasement. Here (left), Eleanor writes to him to illustrate the depth of support for his position within her constituency.
"I have received more telegrams and letters [...] urging me to oppose the Government's policy and support you - and none in the contrary sense - than I have ever received on any one subject during the eight years I have been in Parliament"
Standing Up for Those Displaced
Eleanor strongly believed that - as Britain had failed to help Europe's vulnerable democracies stand up to fascism - it was a moral responsibility to shelter those who suffered as a consequence. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees in late 1938, and became its Honorary Secretary. Though the work of the Committee helped many refugees - mostly Jewish people fleeing Nazi persecution - it also attracted opposition from government officials.
Rathbone also clashed repeatedly with the Home Office over their internment of ‘enemy aliens’. However, the persistence and expertise which made Eleanor a formidable opponent also meant she was respected by both officials and ministers.
These chronological lists (above) record the dates, subjects, and digests of speeches made - and questions asked - by Eleanor Rathbone in parliament. In this extract, we can see her preoccupation with refugees and foreign affairs in the run up to the outbreak of war. In her own words, she "besieged" the Prime Minister with questions as to his knowledge of Hitler's motives.
A visit to Prague (left), furthermore, informed her relentless campaigning on behalf of Czech refugees. As a result of her efforts, the British government promised a Czech loan.
As always, much of the work Eleanor Rathbone undertook was funded from her own pocket. Her efforts on behalf of refugees won her a reputation for devotion and integrity amongst displaced communities.
"I felt it my duty to express our sincere gratitude and our admiration for the courageous stand you have always taken in the interest of true peace, and for the great work you have done for the refugees in this country"
Despite her exertions on behalf of refugees abroad, the war also affected her at home: included in a letter to her family, this pen-and-ink sketch made by Eleanor (below) depicts a shelter near the London home just off Smith Square which Eleanor shared with Elizabeth Macadam.
