London Society of West India Planters and Merchants

The London Society of West India Planters and Merchants was an organisation established to represent the views of those engaged in the trade with the Caribbean that held a diverse range of views on the region, ranging from London-based merchants to British West Indian planters, including both pro and anti-abolitionists.‍ The Society was formed in 1775 and brought together three different groups: British-based sugar merchants, absentee planters and colonial agents.‍ == Background == Estimates of the size of the West India Lobby vary between 20 and 60 Members of Parliament, the wide variance arising from whether tight or loose criteria are used to define what was an informal lobby. This informal way of organizing was effective prior to 1763 while their interest was aligned with the mercantilist approach which dominated British thinking: by supplying tropical staples, they did not compete with produce grown in Britain, and they provided a market for the produce they imported from within the empire.

Source: Wikipedia — London Society of West India Planters and Merchants (CC BY-SA 4.0)