Record

StorageSiteUCL Special Collections
LevelSeries
Reference Number GAITSKELL/C
TitleGaitskell, Political Career
Date1931-1963
DescriptionPolitical papers, 1931-1963, of the Rt Hon Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell, comprising papers, 1931-1953, from his time as parliamentary candidate for Chatham, Kent, and South Leeds, including notes for political speeches and lectures, and correspondence about constituency cases and visits; papers, 1940-1953, from when he was Member of Parliament for South Leeds and Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Fuel and Power, including letters and constituency circulars, 1945 General Election addresses and handouts, and notes for political speeches; papers, 1947-1951, from when he was Minister of Fuel and Power, including those concerned with nationalised industries, speeches by Gaitskell, and correspondence, discussion papers and notes; papers, 1950, from his time as Minister of Economic Affairs, including the establishment of a European Payments Union; papers, 1948-1951, from his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, including Labour Party correspondence and papers, papers concerning United States aid and rearmament, speeches and broadcasts, and the 1951 General Election papers; papers, 1951-1953, relating to the year 1951, including speeches, articles 'Economic planning today', and 'Economic planning, inflation and employment' for the 'New York Times', 1952, 'The Sterling Area'; reprinted from 'International Affairs', 1952, papers on the Budget and the economic situation, newspapers and cuttings; papers, 1951-1953, relating to the year 1952, including Labour Party papers, papers mainly on the nationalised industries including British Railways, British Broadcasting Corporation radio broadcasts, and articles for newspapers and magazines; papers, 1951-1956, relating to the year 1953, including papers concerning the 1953 Budget and Budget leaks, the Labour Party policy statement 'Challenge to Britain' the European movement and Centre Europeen de la Culture, House of Commons business, correspondence with Labour Members of Parliament including Clement Attlee, Leader of the Labour Party, correspondence and papers on finance, economics, industry and education; papers, 1953-1955, relating to the year 1954 (Gaitskell became Labour Party Treasurer from October 1954), including papers concerning the 1954 Budget, notes and texts for speeches, parliamentary correspondence and letters, including correspondence with Denis Healey, Labour Member of Parliament for South East Leeds, enclosing a copy of his speech in Strasbourg 'The Neutralisation of a United Germany'; 1954, and correspondence with Anthony Eden, Deputy Prime Minister, 1954, articles for newspapers, and papers on agriculture, pensions, America and Anglo-American relations; papers, 1950-1963, relating to the year 1955 (Gaitskell became Labour Party Leader from December 1955), including papers on the Commonwealth and colonies, the 1955 General Election, the Finance Bill and autumn Budget 1955, the Labour Party treasureship, newspapers and press cuttings, articles and pamphlets including 'The high cost of Toryism'; a speech made in the House of Commons [1955], and other speeches; papers, 1955-1962, relating to the year 1956, including records of conversations with Anthony Eden, Prime Minister, and others, papers about the Suez crisis, Parliamentary Committee papers including correspondence with James Callaghan, Opposition Spokesman for Colonial Affairs; papers, 1957-1962, relating to the year 1957, including papers concerning the renationalisation of steel; papers, 1957-1959, relating to the year 1958, including a letter from Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol South East, concerning the Bill to alter the composition of the House of Lords, National Executive Committee papers; papers, 1958-1960, relating to the year 1959, including General Election papers 1959, Italian Political Situation 1958-1960, defence papers; papers, 1960-1961, relating to the year 1960, including correspondence following the 1960 Scarborough Conference, National Executive Committee papers; papers, 1960-1962, relating to the year 1961; papers, 1961-1963, relating to the year 1962, including correspondence with Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Labour Member of Parliament for Bosworth Division of Leicester, concerning his plans for a Lib-Lab pact, papers about the Common Market, correspondence concerning the Cuba missile crisis 1962; Parliamentary Committee papers, 1956-1962; records, 1949-1963, including correspondence with Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Agent, Labour Party Officers and Trade Unions; records, 1954-1962, about Socialist International;records, 1955-1958, of the Co-operative Independent Commission; correspondence, 1955-1963, with members of the Lords and Commons.
Extent127 boxes
ArrangementThe 'economic' group arranged by Philip Williams, of Nuffield College Oxford, has been absorbed, with the 'political' papers, into sections B and C. The 'utterances' group, of Gaitskell's speeches, lectures, broadcasts and articles, has mostly been absorbed into section C. There is some overlapping with other sections, considering most of the collection is predominantly political.
AccessStatusCertain restrictions apply
AccessConditionsThe papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.
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