British Communism through Committee Work, 1926-1992

The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) spawned many different committees throughout its turbulent lifetime. This collection contains the papers of numerous different committees established to advise the Executive Committee on party policy and ongoing developments in their respective fields. The material is varied in scope and demonstrates the totality of the CPGB’s ambitions in developing policy for their political programme.

The collection includes material from the following committees and departments; the Parliamentary Department; the Unemployment Committee; the Health Advisory Committee; the Jewish Committee; the West Indies Committee; the Science and Technology Sub-Committee; as well as many more.

The collection is accompanied by three contextual essays written by Professor Kevin Morgan.

The Tory Government has demonstrated what it thinks about the need to fight against the menace of racialism and discrimination by introducing the Immigration Bill which quite blatantly treats black people worse than white and which will make race relations in Britain increasingly difficult.

Communist Party of Great Britain, 'Unite against racialism' pamphlet

Insights

Much of the collection material is derived from specialised committees of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). These bodies were established to research specific topics and advise the ruling Executive Committee on the CPGB’s policy positions.

A large section of the material comes from the Health Advisory Committee and its related publications. As such, the collection offers an extensive look into not only the establishment of the National Health Service, but also how the service changed through the years of Thatcherism.

The Parliamentary Department contains files from the CPGB’s most influential period, with membership peaking at 60,000 in 1942 and two communist MPs being present in parliament. Files from this department show how the CPGB sought to use its parliamentary power to champion certain causes.

Documents from the Race Relations Committee and West Indies Committee examine the implications of British colonialism and mass migration in the post-war period.

Material from various Jewish committees examines the sufferings of Jewish people during and beyond the Second World War, as well as wrestling with the contentious issue of antisemitism in the USSR.

Highlights

Document

The 'Jewish Bureau' during the Second World War, 1937-1945

Document

Parliamentary activities of William Gallacher MP and Phil Piratin MP, 1940-1949

Document

Papers and publications of the National Health Advisory Committee, 1960-1992

Document

‘Science bulletin’ series, 1972-1980

The Archives of the Communist Party Of Great Britain: An Introduction

The Departments of the Communist Party of Great Britain: A Detailed Guide

Notable Individuals of the Communist Party of Great Britain

Editorial Board

Professor Kevin Morgan Professor of Politics and Contemporary History https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/kevin.morgan.html Kevin Morgan is the Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Manchester and recipient of an AHRC Fellowship for the project ‘Communism and the cult of the leader’. Professor Morgan is also the editor of the journal 'Twentieth Century Communism' and a trustee of the Communist Party of Great Britain Archives Trust and the Working Class Movement Library.