#abdication crisis
British Union of Fascism graffiti in Aylsham
Graffiti showing the insignia of the British Union of Fascists on the walls of a building in Aylsham, Norfolk, UK, reading Stand By The King, referring to the 1936 abdication crisis . The BUF political movement enjoyed some popularity in rural East Anglia during the 1930s as it opposed the Queen Anne’s Bounty, a tax that was laid upon farmers by the Church of England. If the farmer refused to pay the tithe the church commissioners would send bailiffs to enforce the debt, removing livestock or farm machinery. BUF members known as Blackshirts and led by Oswald Mosley could be called upon by the landowner to defend the property, by force if necessary. The longevity of the markings is attributed to the fact the are made in bitumen.
These images have been digitally retouched