Political Collections at Hull History Centre
Hull History Centre is a national repository for political papers. We hold collections relating to associations and campaign groups, members of parliament, political figures and political parties. Collections cover the 19th-21st centuries, with a strong focus on the mid-late 20th century.
For a detailed overview, you can download a PDF version of our source guide: Anti-vivisection to Zeitgeists - An intro to political collections at HHC
Associations and Campaign Groups
We have many collections, both large and small, relating to political organisations and campaigns formed around a specific issue. These collections include records of:
Collections in this area generally contain subject files, publicity material, publications, correspondence, press cuttings, photographs, minutes and reports.
See our "Sources for Studying Pressure Groups and Political Campaigns" (655kb, PDF) for a quick reference list of collections covering this area.
Members of Parliament
We have a significant number of MPs' papers. These include records of:
- James Johnson (U DJJ)
- Kevin McNamara (U DMC)
- Anne Patricia Kerr (U DMK)
- John Prescott (U DMR)
- Chris Mullin (U DMU)
Collections in this area generally contain subject files, constituency files, speeches, and correspondence.
See our "Sources for Studying Politicians and Political Parties"(642kb, PDF) for a quick reference list of collections covering this area.
Political Figures
We have many small collections relating to individuals involved with various political causes. Causes represented are Socialism, Communism, the Labour movement, civil rights and human rights. We have significant collections for:
- John Platts-Mills, a hard left New Zealand-born barrister (U DPM)
- Robin Page Arnot, a Communist Party Executive member (U DAR)
- Jock Haston, a Trotskyist and former Communist Party member (U DJH)
- John Saville, an academic and founding member of the New Left (U DJS).
Collections in this area generally contain correspondence, publications, writings, speeches, subject files, research files, and ephemeral material relating to organisations of which the individual has been a member.
See our "Sources for Studying Political Individuals" (785kb, PDF) for a quick reference list of collections covering this area.
Political Parties
We have a number of small collections relating to Left-leaning political parties of Labour, Fabian, Social Democrat, Marxist and Communist persuasions. These collections include records of:
- the Hull Fabian Society (U DX217)
- the Social Democratic Federation (U DX78)
- the Revolutionary Communist Party (U DX211)
- the Hull branch of the Communist Party of Great Britain (U DCP).
Collections in this area generally contain publications, campaign material, minutes, reports, correspondence and press cuttings.
See our "Sources for Studying Politicians and Political Parties" (642kb, PDF) for a quick reference list of collections covering this area.
Trade Unions
We have a number of small collections relating to various trade unions, mostly local Hull and East Riding branches. These include records for:
- the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (Hull and District Branch) (U DSA)
- the TUC General Council (U DTU)
- Transport and General Workers Union (U DTG)
- the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (Hull Branch) (U DX116).
Collections in this area generally contain administrative papers such as minutes, agenda, reports, accounts, contribution books, rules and correspondence.
See our "Sources for Studying Trade Unionism" (650kb, PDF) for a quick reference list of collections covering this area.