New Welcome Lodge

Its founding was reported in a number of national newspapers including The Daily Telegraph,[1] and Sporting Life.

[2] It was created at the suggestion of the then Prince of Wales,[3] afterwards King Edward VIII, who was concerned by the antagonism between Freemasonry and the British left,[4] and the fact that a number of Labour MPs were blackballed when applying to join Masonic lodges.

[6] Hugh Dalton alleged that he had been approached to join the lodge, being told that the association was useful and that Greenwood (then deputy leader) was a member.

In 1989, the lodge was the subject of a House of Commons motion put down by the Labour member Max Madden, who stated that it was then meeting five times a year at Freemasons' Hall in London.

[9] In 1992 it was mentioned in parliament by Chris Mullin, who claimed that the members included Tony Baldry and Sir Gerard Vaughan.