WISER Social Sciences 25 th February 2008 Conservative

WISER Social Sciences, 25 th February 2008: Conservative Party Archive Modern Political Papers Section, Dept of Special Collections & Western Manuscripts

Introduction • Created at the Bodleian as a source for academic study in 1978 • Complements existing holdings of private papers of prominent Conservatives such as Disraeli and Macmillan • Also a worthy resource in its own right, and preserves the thinking behind the party’s policymaking

Contents of the Conservative Party Archive: 1 Party Leader Elected: Shadow Cabinet, 1945 -present Whips’ Office, 1923 -1951 1922 Committee, 1922 -present Voluntary: National Union, 1867 -present Area Offices, 1886 -present Professional: Conservative Central Office & CCO Departments, 1911 -present Cons. Research Dept, 1918 -present

Contents of the Conservative Party Archive: 2 n Key departments of Conservative Central Office: n n n n n Chairman’s Office 1940 -1997 Local Government 1953 -1992 Conservative Political Centre 1947 -1973 Women’s Organisation 1928 -1991 Public Opinion Research 1948 -1983 Education 1944 -1990 Youth 1906 -1985 International Office 1945 -1976 Conservative Research Department 1918 -present

Contents of the Conservative Party Archive: 3 Sample subject-based files from Conservative Central Office & the Conservative Research Department Party matters Cinema vans, 1920 s-1950 Party Agents, 1920 s-1966 Party membership, 1956 -1971 Party funding By-elections; Party colours, 1949 -1967 Political education Honours 1930 s-1954 Conservative trade unions, 1940 s-1975 Propaganda, broadcasting & the Press, 1940 s-1986 Political rumours, 1940 s-1952 Recruitment campaigns, 1946 -1966 Party reorganisation, 1946/7, 1966 Second World War and the Party truce Political partisanship of BBC, 1930 s Domestic Affairs Post-War reconstruction Rationing, 1940 s-1958 Equal pay for Women 1940 s-1966 Communism in the UK, 1949 -1974 Wales, 1949 -1981 Scottish devolution, 1975 -1981 Housing, 1919 -1975 Electoral reform, 1948 Northern Ireland, 1971 -1981 Industry & industrial policy, 1927 -1970 Anti-semitism, 1940 s-1961 Crime, 1961 -1966 Terrorism, 1974 -1979 Capital punishment, 1956 -1969 Economics & Finance, 1930 -1989 Health, 1930 -1966 Nationalisation & de-nationalisation, 1940 s 1966 Child welfare, 1940 s-1954 Railways, 1955 -1959 Protection and tariffs, 1923 -1936 Education 1929 -1986 Agriculture & agricultural policy, 1930 -1989 Aviation, 1930 -1964 Immigration, 1954 -1984 New towns, 1950 -1966 Unemployment, 1929 -1966 Vivisection, 1954 -1961 Planning & the environment, 1946 -1964

Contents of the Conservative Party Archive: 4 Sample subject-based files from Conservative Central Office & the Conservative Research Department Commonwealth Affairs Imperial & colonial policy, 1932 -1966 New Zealand 1940 s-1966 Guyana, 1957 -1964 Lesotho, 1966 -1968 Rhodesia, 1961 -1973 India 1930 s Aden & Yemen, 1967 Australia, 1940 s-1961 Suez, 1956 -1964 Canada 1940 s-1961 Kenya, 1950 -1964 South Africa 1940 s-1970 Nigeria, 1968 -1970 Tanzania, 1965 -1969 Foreign Affairs League of Nations, 1930 s United Nations, 1946 -1966 Palestine and Israel, 1949 Foreign Affairs, 1937 -1964 Suez, 1955 -1958 West Germany, 1961 -1966 Spain, 1938 -1940 Guatemala, 1956 -1958 Vietnam, 1965 -1970 US Presidential elections, 1949 -1958 Europe & NATO, 1959 -1968 Hungary, 1956 -1958 Greek elections, 1946 Portugal, 1970 s Middle East, 1966 -1973 EEC, 1946 -1975 Central African Federation, 1960 -1964 Latin America, 1972 Co-operation with right-wing parties, 1949 -1961

Contents of the Conservative Party Archive: 5 n n n Library of Published & Printed Material: n printed Party literature n Manifestos n press releases n speech transcripts Election posters: Conservative, Labour and Liberal, c 18862007 Photographs: Senior Party figures and events, c 1903 -2007 Audio-visual material: Party election broadcasts and recordings of Party Conferences, c 1980 s-2007 Podcasts: oral history interviews Theses

Recent areas of postgraduate study: n n n n n Race relations policies in Britain, 19451970 Opposition to the Falklands War & its influence on the 1983 General Election Labour and Conservative Party organisational reform British relations with Europe, 1956 -1963 Government policy towards road development and the promotion of cars British national identity and opposition to membership of Europe, 1961 -1963 Decline of the Labour Party and rise of the Conservative Party in Wales c 1960 s 1970 s and its opposition to devolution Conservative Party policy towards Germany 1933 -1936 Political rhetoric of the 20 th century n n n n Collaboration and resistance by local authorities over major changes in housing policy, 1971 -1983 Anglo-American relations during the Rolls-Royce Lockheed crisis of 19701971 The rise of neo-liberal politics in the US & UK in the post-War period, using housing, economic strategy, social security as case studies Radical Right activism and the transformation of the Conservative Party, 1910 -1924 The Campaign to abolish capital punishment in Britain, 1955 -1969 Conservative Backbench pressure, the Macmillan Government and the Congo Crisis, 1960 -1963 Perceptions of finance capital between 1918 and 1944: ideological criticisms of banking in the inter-war years

Access restrictions n n n Material dated up to 31 December 1977 is available for research. Material from 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1992 can be viewed only with permission from Conservative Campaign Headquarters Material dated after 31 December 1992 is closed.

Using the Conservative Party Archive n Consulted in Room 108, Special Collections Reading Room in the New Bodleian n Online catalogue: n www. conservativepartyarchive. org n For advice and to request files in advance: Jeremy Mc. Ilwaine, Conservative Party Archivist Tel: (01865) 277 181 Email: jeremy. mcilwaine@bodley. ox. ac. uk

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