International Brigade Memorial Trust
Courtesy of John McDonnell MP and the House of Commons Library, listed below are debates and mentions of the Spanish Civil War and International Brigades in Hansard, the official report of parliamentary debates.
It’s not necessarily an an exhaustive listing of all mentions in Hansard. For further detailed research, use the search field in Hansard.
1 / Antony Eden, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, statement on foreign affairs, 19 January 1937: Mr Eden set out the Government’s policy towards the Spanish Civil War, arguing that intervention would 'prolong the horrors of that war and increase the sufferings of the unhappy Spanish people’.
He argued it was not for Britain to dictate what form of government Spain should have: 'The form of government in Spain should be a matter for the Spanish people, and no one else. It is for that reason that we have discouraged, and shall continue to discourage, outside intervention in her internal affairs.’
Mr Eden also discussed the 'problem of volunteers' and explained 'our own efforts have been consistently bent to stop the flow of these volunteers from every source.' Several Members discussed British volunteers in their contributions.
2 / Antony Eden, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, statement on foreign affairs, 21 October 1937: Mr Eden led a debate on foreign affairs, concentrating his speech on attacks on shipping in the Mediterranean Sea during the Spanish Civil War and the recently held Nyon Conference (and also on the situation in the Far East). Mr Eden discussed the Government’s policy of non-intervention (c61): 'I am convinced that the people of this country are united and emphatic in not wishing the Government of this country to take sides in what should be a matter for the Spanish people.’
3 / Viscount Halifax, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, addressed the civil war in the context of a statement on the Anglo-Italian Agreement on 3 November 1938. He outlined UK support for Spanish refugee children and assistance in helping to facilitate the exchange of prisoners and hostages.
4 / On 31 January 1939, Clement Attlee led a debate on the Spanish question.
5 / 27 February 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s made a statement recognising General Franco’s government as the government of Spain.
6 / On 28 February 1939 the House of Commons debated a motion on the civil war. William Gallacher (described as 'Scotland’s last Communist MP') mentioned having had some members of the International Brigade 'to tea here’.
7 / On 1 October 1941, in response to a question about the interning of members of the International Brigade in France, Mr Eden suggested all British members of the Brigade had returned to the UK before the end of the civil war: 'In view of the fact that before the end of the Civil War the Spanish Republican Government repatriated all those members of the International Brigade who were British subjects, there are, according to my information, no British members of the Brigade now interned in France.'
