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British Library of Political and Economic Science

WILLIAMS, Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys-, 1927-1988, 2nd Baronet, politician

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0097 RHYS WILLIAMS B

Held at: British Library of Political and Economic Science

Title: WILLIAMS, Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys-, 1927-1988, 2nd Baronet, politician

Date(s): 1965-1988

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 29 boxes

Name of creator(s): Williams | Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys- | 1927-1988 | 2nd Baronet | politician

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born 1927; educated at Eton; served in Welsh Guards, 1946-1948, as a Lieutenant; worked for ICI Ltd; contested Pontypridd, 1959, and Ebbw Vale, 1960 and 1964; Assistant director, Spastics Society, 1962-1963; Consultant, Management Selection Ltd, 1963-1971; Conservative MP for Kensington South, 1968-1974 and Kensington, 1974-1988; Member, British Delegation to the Council of Europe, 1970-1972; Nominated Member, European Parliament, 1973-1979; Member of the European Parliament for London South-East, 1979-1984; Vice-Chairman, European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, 1973-1979; died 1988. Publications: The new social contract (Conservative Political Centre, 1967); More power to the shareholder (1969); 'Redistributing income in a free society' from Economic Age, Sep 1969. Stepping stones to independence: national insurance after 1990 (Aberdeen University Press, 1989) was published after his death.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Brandon Meredith Rhys-Williams, 1965-1988, including political appointment diaries, 1980-1988; correspondence, press cuttings and printed material relating to various Kensington constituency issues, 1979-1988, including local health facilities, education funding, drugs, police and community relations, immigration and refugees, and homosexuality; general constituency correspondence, 1985-1988; papers relating to various Parliamentary campaigns, 1968-1988, notably on child benefit, housing, pensions, and social security; material concerning finance and taxation, 1968-1988, including note, speeches, reports and correspondence relating to finance bills, budgets and taxation; material concerning the many attempts of Rhys-Williams to pass a Companies Bill through Parliament, 1967-1988, including correspondence, draft bills, reports and press cuttings; papers relating to Europe, 1968-1988, including material on domestic opinion, the European Parliament, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the European League for Economic Co-operation, the European Democratic Group, the European Conservative Group and the European Economic Community; papers concerning Rhys-Williams' interest in social security reform, 1965-1988, including correspondence, printed reports, pamphlets, notes and drafts on subjects such as child benefit, taxation, pensions, basic income guarantee and European social security.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The collection follows Rhys-Williams' own arrangement, and is sorted by subject as outlined in the Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Open, though some confidential files remain closed. Apply to Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright is held by the donor and their family. Most documents may be photocopied.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Printed handlist and on-line catalogue available.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Given by the family in 1992. Four boxes of material relating to her son were transferred from the papers of Lady Juliet Rhys-Williams.

Immediate source of acquisition:

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

The British Library of Political and Economic Science holds further material relating to Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams in the papers of John Parker (Ref: Parker 3/5 and 5/8), and in various election ephemera (Ref: Coll Misc 0738 and 0711). The Library also holds the papers of his mother Dame Juliet Evangeline Rhys-Williams (Ref: Rhys-Williams J).

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Sources: Who's Who 1897-1996 (A & C Black, 1996); British Library On-Line Public Access Catalogue 97; Historical Manuscripts Commission National Register of Archives. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.