The Public Order Act 1936 and the Greenshirt Movement for Social Credit

The Greenshirt Movement for Social Credit - to give its full and official title - is the only example, in twentieth century British history, of a movement made up of members who were regularly in uniform, and suspected of being at the fringes of the law, throughout the interwar period. During that time, the character of the movement altered radically. Its 1930s manifestation as a shirted political movement, marching on the streets, agitating amongst the unemployed in favour of the heretical social credit theories of the Scottish engineer, Major C.H. Douglas ¹ , had travelled some distance from its 1920s origins as a left-wing, peace-and-woodcraft alternative to mainstream scouting.