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British Library of Political and Economic Science

Independent Labour Party


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0097 COLL MISC 0702

Held at: British Library of Political and Economic Science

Title: Independent Labour Party

Date(s): c1908-1945

Level of description: collection

Extent: 2 boxes

Name of creator(s): Independent Labour Party

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Independent Labour Party: The activities of the Manchester Independent Labour Party (established in 1892) inspired Liberal-Labour MPs to consider setting up a new national working class party. The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was consequently formed in 1893 under the leadership of James Keir Hardie (1856 - 1915). The chief objective of the ILP would be "to secure the collective ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange". The ILP had 35,000 members at the time of the 1895 General Election, and put forward 28 candidates, but only won 44,325 votes. The party had more success in local elections, winning over 600 seats on borough councils. The ILP joined the Social Democratic Federation in 1898 to make West Ham the first local authority to have a Labour majority. On 27th February 1900 representatives of all the socialist groups in Britain (the Independent Labour Party, the Social Democratic Federation and the Fabian Society, joined trade union leaders to form the Labour Representation Committee.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of the Independent Labour Party comprising Files 1-13 - National Administrative Council minutes 1932-1937; Files 14 - Policy of the ILP, memos by John Paton and A Fenner Brockway. Report of the Sub-Committee on policy. Undated. Files 15-17 - Bradford (?) branch minutes, including executive, group and annual general meeting, meetings committee, propaganda committee, and social committee 1922-1945. File 18 - ILP conference photograph, Bradford, c 1908. File 19 - ILP Scottish Divisional conference agenda and resolutions, annotated by a member of the conference, 1918. File 20 - ILP Membership card with rules and constitution, belonging to Arthur Duncan of London and Edinburgh Central branches, 1926-1932.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

20 files

Conditions governing access:

OPEN

Conditions governing reproduction:

APPLY TO ARCHIVIST

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Printed handlist available

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on May 8, 2002

Date(s) of descriptions: 8 May 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Political history | History
Politics | Political science
Socialism | Collectivism | Political doctrines

Personal names
Brockway | Archibald Fenner | 1888-1988 | Baron Brockway | politician x Brockway | Baron
Duncan | Arthur | fl 1926-1932 | Independent Labour Party member
Paton | John | 1886-1976 | MP, journalist

Corporate names
Independent Labour Party

Places
Bradford | West Riding | Yorkshire | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe