Henry W. Lee

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Henry W. Lee, often known as H. W. Lee (10 July 1865 - fl. 1935) was a prominent British socialist.

Born in London, Lee joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) around 1883 and soon became the Secretary of the party. He held this position until the organisation dissolved itself into the new British Socialist Party. Again appointed the Secretary, he held the post for only two years, in 1913 taking over from Harry Quelch as editor of Justice.

Lee supported British involvement World War I, alongside such prominent party members as H. M. Hyndman and Will Thorne. However, this proved to be a minority position in the party, and Lee was a member of the right-wing split of 1916 which founded the National Socialist Party. This group opposed the October Revolution, and Lee wrote a pamphlet entitled "Bolshevism: A Curse and Danger to the Workers"[1]

Lee stepped down from his editorial post in 1923,[2] but remained on the national executive of the associated group, now again known as the "Social Democratic Federation".[3]

In 1935, Lee wrote Social-Democracy in Britain, a history of the movement to date.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Labour Anti-Bolshevism in 1919
  2. ^ Tamiment Institute, Labour History
  3. ^ Nesta Helen Webster, The Socialist Network
Political offices
Preceded by
Henry Hyde Champion
Secretary of the Social Democratic Federation
188x-1911
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
New position
Secretary of the British Socialist Party
1911-1913
Succeeded by
Albert Inkpin
Media Offices
Preceded by
Harry Quelch
Editor of Justice
1913-1923
Succeeded by
Tom Kennedy?