| Description | The papers in this Section fall into two groups.
There is a relatively small amount of material relating to the Association of Scientific Workers, with which Blackett had a long connection and of which he was a President, 1943-1947.
The bulk of the material consists of papers relating to the work of discussion groups in the Labour Party which met under various names and sponsors with the aim of preparing a policy for science and technology to be implemented under a future Labour Government, and in particular to the development of the idea of a Ministry of Technology which was instituted after the party's victory in the General Election of October 1964.
A considerable amount of duplicated or typescript reports, research and discusion papers and similar documents, circulated to Blackett by the Labour Party or other groups, or by individuals, remain in the folders. Blackett drew upon it as background material at various times for his own papers,and it is also a record of activity in one aspect of the preparation for the 1964 General Election and the formation of the Ministry of Technology.
Although all the material in this Section is concerned with political activity, it by no means represents the whole of Blackett's involvement in political matters as recorded in the collection. Reference should be also be made to Section F, in particular to F.26-38 (The Trend Committee), and to lectures and writings in Sections G-H.
The material is presented in the following sub-sections, though there is inevitably some degree of overlap. Each sub-section, though there is inevitably some degree of overlap. each sub-section is preceded by an introductory note.
E.1-23 Association of Scientific Workers (A. Sc. W.) 1939-1948, 1963-1967
E.24-34 'The Gaitskell Group' 1956-1963
E.35-47 Miscellaneous Socialist and Labour Party activities 1956-1964
E.48-65 Ministry of technology (Mintech) 1963-1972
E.66-74 Miscellaneous Labour Party and official committees 1954-1969
E.75-76 Press-cuttings and printed matter |