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Conservative Party General Election Manifestos, 1922-2017

 Series

  • How to
    request

Dates

  • Creation: 1922-2017

Language of Materials

  • English

Full range of shelfmarks:

PUB 155, PUB 156, PUB 157, PUB 158, PUB 255/1-6, PUB 255/7-10, PUB 256, PUB 257, PUB 442/1, PUB 442/2, PUB 443.

Biographical / Historical

The format of Conservative Party general election manifestos has varied considerably over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Prior to the Second World War, the manifesto often took the form of the party leader's election address, as opposed to the standalone publications that have become common in the post-war period.

Since at least 1964, the Conservative Party has also periodically produced specialist manifestos or manifesto supplements for specific nations and regions of the United Kingdom, as well as specialist manifestos focused on specific policy areas. The number and range of these specialist manifesto publications has varied from election to election.

Additionally, since at least 2005 the Conservative Party has published accessible versions of its manifesto in braille and easy read formats.

Related Materials

The Conservative Party Archive additionally holds papers relating to the development of the Party’s general election manifestos, as detailed below:-

1935 General Election:-

  1. CRD 1/7/28 - manifesto drafts, 1935.

1939/1940 General Election [not held due to the Second World War]:-

  1. CRD 1/7/37 - manifesto draft, Aug 1939.

1945 General Election:-

  1. CCO 4/2/55 - Electricity - Tory Reform Committee Report, 1945;
  2. WHIP 2/3/9 - Tory Reform Committee, Whips’ Office file on, 1943;
  3. PUB 121/9-11 - Tory Reform Committee publications, 1944-1945.

1950 General Election:-

  1. CRD 2/48/2-31 - CRD general election papers, including manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1949-1950;
  2. WHIP 1/3/4 - Conservative Consultative Committee's Policy Sub-committee's third meeting, 1949.

1951 General Election:-

  1. CRD 2/48/32-52 - CRD general election papers, including manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1951.

1955 General Election:-

  1. CRD 2/49/28-31 - Research Study Group minutes and papers, 1953-1955.

1959 General Election:-

  1. CRD 2/53/24-29 - Policy Study Group minutes and papers, 1957-1959;
  2. SC 19; CRD 2/53/30-34 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1957-1959;
  3. CRD 2/48/73-81 - manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1959.

1964 General Election:-

  1. CCO 20/31/1-2 - Chairman’s Committee minutes and papers, 1961-1963;
  2. CRD 2/52/7-9 - Chairman’s Committee minutes and papers, 1961-1963;
  3. SC 1-4; 19-20 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1964-1964;
  4. ACP 3/11 - Advisory Committee on Policy papers, 1964;
  5. CRD 3/9/1-20 - manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1964;
  6. CCO 20/17/2/11 - Chairman’s Office file on the 1964 General Election Manifesto, 1964.

1966 General Election:-

  1. CRD 3/9/26-37 - manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1965-1966;
  2. SC 18 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1965;
  3. CCO 20/17/3/10-11 - Chairman’s Office files on policy initiatives and the manifesto, 1966.

1970 General Election:-

  1. OG 1-27 - Official Group minutes and papers, 1969-1970;
  2. SC 5-9 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1968-1970;
  3. CRD 3/9/69-82 - manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1970;
  4. CCO 500/56/1; CRD 3/9/92-93 - Selsdon Park Shadow Cabinet meetings, 1970.

Feb 1974 General Election:-

  1. OG 28-49 - Official Group minutes and papers, 1970-1974;
  2. SC 9-11; 13 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1970-1974;
  3. CRD 4/30/4/1-40 - CRD general election papers, including manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1971-1974.

Oct 1974 General Election:-

  1. OG 50-57 - Official Group minutes and papers, 1974;
  2. SC 12 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1974;
  3. CRD 4/30/4/41-75 - CRD general election papers, including manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1974.

1979 General Election:-

  1. CPP/KJ 18; 26/2 - papers of Sir Keith Joseph, 1975-1979;
  2. CRD 4/17 - papers of Policy Groups, 1974-1979;
  3. SC 14-17 - Steering Committee minutes and papers, 1975-1979;
  4. CRD 4/30/5 - CRD general election papers, including manifesto drafts and correspondence, 1974-1979.

1983 General Election:-

  1. CRD 4/17 - papers of Policy Groups, 1979-1983;
  2. CCO 20/38/4 - final reports of Policy Groups and draft manifestos, 1983;
  3. CRD 4/30/6/5 - CRD file on manifesto material, 1982-1983.

1987 General Election:-

  1. CRD 4/17/29-33 - papers of Policy Groups, 1984-1987;
  2. CRD 4/30/7/4-9 - Strategy Group minutes and papers, 1986-1987;
  3. CRD 4/30/7/26-31 - CRD papers on manifesto planning, including drafts, 1987;
  4. CRD/D/10 - letter books of CRD Director Robin Harris, 1986-1987.

Papers relating to the development of the manifesto for the 1992 General Election and for subsequent general elections are closed under the 30 year-rule, and can be viewed only with permission from Conservative Campaign Headquarters. Please contact the Conservative Party Archivist for further details.

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom