Editing Neil Hamilton (politician) (section)

===Student activity and early political career===
At the 1970 Conservative Party conference, Hamilton called for mass [[privatisation]]. The following year, he opposed the plan for Britain to join the [[European Communities]]. In 1972, after several years' membership, Hamilton was elected to the executive council of the [[Conservative Monday Club]]. He left the Club in 1973, and stood as chairman of the [[Federation of Conservative Students]] against [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], but lost. In the early 1970s, Hamilton was the founder of the [[Eldon League]], a right-wing social organisation given to having picnics and dinners 'and having a good time'.<ref>Guy Rais, "Goose-step not backing Nazism says Tory MP", ''Daily Telegraph'', 16 October 1986.</ref> He appointed himself its "Grand Imperial Prior" and called for the abolition of the internal combustion engine and plastic.<ref name="Eldon">{{cite news |date=26 May 1985 |title=Eldon League Wants To Abolish 20th Century |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61059246/eldon-league/ |work=Logansport Pharos-Tribune |agency=United Press International |page=7}}</ref> Hamilton stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate in the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 general election]] in [[Abertillery (UK Parliament constituency)|Abertillery]]<ref>[http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i01.htm UK General Election results February 1974] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006132154/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i01.htm |date=6 October 2014 }} at ''politicalresources.net''.</ref> and in the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]] in [[Bradford North (UK Parliament constituency)|Bradford North]],<ref>[http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge79/i04.htm UK General Election results May 1979] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811162703/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge79/i04.htm |date=11 August 2011 }} at ''politicalresources.net''.</ref> but failed on both occasions.