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ABSTRACT
Britain’s Conservative Party has traditionally had a reputation for being hostile towards the trade unions, but the period from 1951 to 1964 was remarkable for the extent to which most of the Conservative leadership sought to cultivate the trust and cooperation of Britain’s trade unions. To the dismay of many on the Party’s right, Conservative Ministers consistently refused to introduce industrial relations legislation or statutory curbs on the internal affairs and activities of the trade unions, insisting instead that the key to good industrial relations lay in improving ‘human relations’ and promoting partnership in industry. As these could not be achieved by invoking Acts of Parliament, Conservatives needed to pursue a more enlightened and patient approach to industrial relations and trade unionism.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Robert Blake, The Conservative Party from Peel to Thatcher (London, 1985), 172.
2. Andrew Taylor, ‘The Party and the Trade Unions’ in Anthony Seldon and Stuart Ball (eds) Conservative Century: the Conservative Party since 1900 (Oxford, 1994), 502; Keith Middlemas, Politics in Industrial Society: The Experience of the British System, since 1911 (London: 1979), 58.
3. See, for example: Alpheus T. Mason, ‘The British Trade Disputes Act of 1927‘, American Political Science Review 22.1, 1928, 143–153; H. A. Millis, ‘The British Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act, 1927. ‘Journal of Political Economy 36.3, 1928, 305–329; Adrian Williamson, ‘The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 Reconsidered’, Historical Studies in Industrial Relations 37, 2016, 33–82.
4. Keith Middlemas and John Barnes, Baldwin: A Biography (London, 1969), 447.
5. Cited in The Times 3 August 1925.
6. See, for example: Sir Henry Betterton [Minister of Labour], cited in The Times 13 April 1932; Neville Chamberlain, cited in The Times 29 April 1937.
7. Andrew Taylor, ‘The Party and the Trade Unions’, 510.
8. Denis Barnes and Eileen Reid, ‘A New Relationship: Trade Unions in the Second World War’ in Ben Pimlott and Chris Cook (eds) Trade Unions in British Politics (London, 1982), 154.
9. The definitive study is Paul Addison, The Road from 1945: British Politics and the Second World War (London, 1975).
10. See, for example: Lord Hinchingbrooke, ‘The course of Conservative politics’, Quarterly Review (January 1946); Quintin Hogg, ‘Too many Micawbers in the Tory Party’, Daily Mail 11 September 1945; Harold Macmillan, `Strength through—what?’, Oxford Mail, 26 January 1946.
11. Cuthbert Alport, About Conservative Principles (London, 1946), 14.
12. Andrew Gamble, The Conservative Nation (London, 1974), 33. See also John Hoffman, The Conservatives in Opposition, 1945–1951 (London, 1964), 40–41; Hugh Molson, ‘The Tory Reform Committee’, New English Review, XI (1945), 250.
13. Lord Hinchingbrooke, Full Speed Ahead: Essays in Tory Reform (London, 1944), 21.
14. Quintin Hogg, The Case for Conservatism (Harmondsworth, 1947), 51.
15. Quintin Hogg, One Year’s Work (Conservative Political Centre, 1944), 80–81.
16. Conservative Party Archives, Oxford (hereafter CPA), Conservative Research Department (hereafter CRD) 2/7/29, David Eccles, ‘Forward from the Industrial Charter’, 26 January 1948.
17. CPA, Conservative Central Office (hereafter CCO) 503/1/9, ‘The Conservative Trade unionists Movement’, 1 September 1948. See also, CPA CCO 503/3/2, ‘Lecture Notes: The Conservatives and the Trade unions’, April 1947.
18. CPA, CRD 2/7/44, Minutes of the inaugural meeting of the Central Trade Union Advisory Committee, 8 March 1947.
19. CPA, CRD 2/7/41 (1), Brooke to Pierssené, 29 October 1945.
20. CPA, CRD 2/7/3, Conservative Parliamentary Labour Committee, ‘Report of the trade union problems subcommittee’, May 1951.
21. Quoted in Lord (Rab) Butler, The Art of the Possible (London, 1971), 133.
22. Leo Amery, The Conservative Future (London, 1946), 5.
23. T. F.Lindsay and M. Harrington, The Conservative Party 1918–1979 (London, 1979), 151.
24. See above 7., 513.
25. Ian Gilmour and Mark Garnett, Whatever Happened to the Tories: The Conservative Party since 1945. (London, 1997), 34.
26. Anthony Howard, RAB: The Life of R. A. Butler (London, 1987), 135.
27. Conservative and Unionist Central Office (hereafter CUCO) The Industrial Charter: A Statement of Conservative Industrial Policy (London, 1947), 2, 4, 21.
28. CUCO, Industrial Charter, 28–29.
29. CPA, CRD 2/7/1, Fraser to Clarke, 8 January 1948.
30. Harold Macmillan et al., Industry and the State (London, 1927); Harold Macmillan, The Middle Way (London, 1937).
31. Rab Butler, The Art of the Possible: The Memoirs of Lord Butler (London, 1971), 144.
32. An allusion to the ‘Manchester School’ of laissez-faire economics and the minimal State which had constituted the economic orthodoxy during much of the nineteenth century.
33. John Boyd-Carpenter, The Conservative Case (London, 1950), 11. See also Rab Butler, CPA, ACP (54) 19th meeting, 18 June 1954.
34. John Ramsden, The Making of Conservative Party Policy (London, 1980), 110.
35. CPA, CRD 2/7/1, Michael Fraser, ‘The Industrial Charter’, December 1947.
36. CPA CRD 2/7/30 (1) Day to Butler, 12 May 1947.
37. CPA CCO 4/2/83, Hutchinson to Woolton, 28 March 1949.
38. CPA, CRD 2/7/30 (1), Verity to Butler, 24 May 1947.
39. CPA, CRD 2/7/29, Sir Waldron Smithers, Save England: ‘Industrial or Magna Charter: The Conservative Industrial Charter Attacked—On Principle, July 1947. For similar right-wing castigation of The Industrial Charter, and inter alia, the Conservative leadership, see: CPA, CRD 2/7/30(1), Cooke to Butler, 20 May 1947; CRD 2/7/30(1), Jackson to Butler, June 1947; CRD 2/7/30(2) Lancaster to Butler, 18 May 1947; CRD 2/7/30(2) Marshall to Butler, 19 May 1947; CRD 2/7/30 (2) Morris to Butler, 12 May 1947; CRD 2/7/30(1), Burton to Butler, passim June–July 1947.
40. Harold Macmillan, Tides of Fortune 1945–1955 (London, 1969), 306.
41. Quoted in CPA, Conservative Agents Journal, 330 (May 1948) and 333 (August 1948).
42. CUCO, The Right Road for Britain (London, 1949), 23.
43. CPA, ACP (54), Advisory Committee on Policy, 19th meeting, 18 June 1954.
44. The One Nation Group of Conservative MPs, One Nation: A Tory Approach to Social Problems (London, 1950), 75.
45. Cited in The Times 4 November 1946. See also The Times 21 March 1947.
46. Ted Leather, Harold Macmillan, Reginald Bevins, Reader Harris, Steve McAdden and John Tilney, A New Approach To the Problem of Economic Survival for Our Generation (London, 1951), 2.
47. Michael Fraser, The Worker in Industry (London, 1948), 15.
48. CPA, CRD 2/7/6, Sub-committee on Political Education, ‘Report of the Working Party on the Approach to the Industrial Worker’, 20 July 1950.
49. CPA, CRD 2/7/14 (IRC 21), ‘Problems of Social Balance in Industry’, 15 November 1955.
50. CPA, ACP 3/10 (63) 105, ‘Report of the Industrial Relations Committee’, 8 May 1963.
51. CPA CRD 2/7/17, IRC/62/20, ‘Industrial Relations Committee—Draft Industrial Relations Pamphlet’, 11 January 1963.
52. Otto Kahn-Freund, ‘Legal Framework’; Allan Flanders, 'The Tradition of Voluntarism', British Journal of Industrial Relations, 12, 1974, 352-70; Allan Flanders, Management and Unions: The Theory and Reform of Industrial Relations (London: 1975), 288-94; Michael Rogin, 'Voluntarism: The Political Foundations of an Anti-Political Doctrine', Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 15, 1962, 521-22.
53. House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 568, col. 2127.
54. CPA, ACP 3/4 (54), ‘Industrial Relations—Draft Report’, 11 June 1954. See also The National Archives, Kew (hereafter TNA) LAB 43/280, Douglas to Carr, 30 July 1956.
55. CPA, CRD 2/7/6, PLC (54) 1, ‘Some Background Facts concerning Industrial Relations’, 15 February 1954.
56. TNA PREM 11/921, CP (55) 25, ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour: Current Industrial Relations Problems’, 2 June 1955. See also CPA, CCO 4/7/429, Poole to Brightman, 7 November 1956.
57. TNA CAB 134/1273 IR (55) 10, ‘Memorandum by Minister of Labour: Survey of Present Situation’, 25 July 1955.
58. CPA CRD 2/7/6, Douglas to Sherbrooke, 23 June 1953. See also CPA CCO 4/7/429 Poole to Baxter, 11 September 1956.
59. CPA, CRD 2/7/6, Clarke to Chapman-Walker, 5 April 1950.
60. TNA CAB 134/1273 IR (55) 10, ‘Memorandum by Minister of Labour: Survey of Present Situation’, 25 July 1955. See also TNA PREM 11/3570, Bishop to Macmillan, 17 May 1961.
61. Quoted in Lord Birkenhead, Walter Monckton (London, 1969), 276.
62. Lord Woolton, Memoirs (London, 1959), 279–280.
63. Robert Taylor, The TUC: From the General Strike to New Unionism (Basingstoke, 2000), 124.
64. Robert Taylor, The Trade Union Question in British Politics (Oxford, 1993), 81; Lord Moran, Diaries (London, 1965), 395.
65. TNA PREM 11/921, Monckton to Eden, 10 April 1955.
66. TNA CAB 134/1273, IR (55) 5, ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour: Extension of the Liability of Strikers to Legal Proceedings’, 22 July 1955.
67. TNA PPREM 11/921, Monkton to Eden, 2 June 1955.
68. CPA ACP (51) 13, Conservative Parliamentary Labour Committee—Report of Trade Union Problems Sub-committee, 2 May 1951.
69. TNA PREM 11/921, CP (55) 25, ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour: Current Industrial Relations Problems’, 2 June 1955. See also: CPA CRD 2/7/8, Dear to Pickthorn, 20 August 1956. See also CPA, CRD 2/7/6, ‘Secret Ballots before Strike Action’, 2 August 1956; CPA, ACP (59) 74, ‘Trade Union Reform’, 4 June 1959.
70. See the correspondence in CPA, CRD 4/7/429, particularly the replies sent by Oliver Poole, the Conservative Party chairman.
71. See above 68. 1951.
72. TNA CAB 134/1273, IR (55) 1st Meeting, 22 June 1955. See also: CPA CCO 503/2/21, Conservative Trade unionists’ National Advisory Committee, Conclusions of Special Meeting with Conservative Parliamentary Labour Committee, 26 July 1951.
73. House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 568, col. 1285. Winston Churchill himself had previously endorsed this perspective, maintaining that the disadvantages of introducing compulsory strike ballots would greatly outweigh any advantages which might accrue (House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 522, cols. 835–836).
74. On this point, see also, CPA, Advisory Committee on Policy, 33rd meeting, 30 April 1958.
75. CPA CCO 503/2/22, Conservative Trade Unionists’ National Advisory Committee, conclusions of the 48th meeting, 14 February 1957.
76. See, for example: TNA PREM 11/921, ‘Notes for Mr Eden—Industrial Relations’, 17 March 1954; CPA, CRD 2/7/6, PLC (54) 1, ‘Some Background Facts Concerning Industrial Relations’, 15 February 1954; CCO 4/8/358, Hailsham to Krisky, 13 November 1958.
77. CPA, ACP (55) 40, ‘Industrial Relations—A Progress Report’, 21 October 1955. See also, CPA, ACP (63) 103, John Hare, ‘Industrial Relations—Unofficial Strikes’, 28 January 1963; CRD 2/7/6, PLC (54) 1, ‘Some Background Facts Concerning Industrial Relations’, 15. February 1954; CRD 2/7/6, PLC (51) 4, ‘Draft Report on the Workers’ Charter’, 2 May 1951.
78. TNA PREM 11/1821, ‘Note by Officials: Industrial Disputes’, undated, but circa July 1957.
79. TNA CAB 21/4459, Burke Trend [Cabinet Secretariat], ‘Briefing Notes for Committee of Industrial Relations’, 25 July 1955; TNA PREM 11/921, Butler to Eden, 24 June 1955.
80. TNA CAB 134/1273, I.R. (55) 10, ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour: Survey of Present Position’, 25 July 1955.
81. Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations Handbook, revised edition (London, 1957), 16; Sir Godfrey Ince, The Ministry of Labour and National Service (London, 1960), 133; TNA PREM 11/1238, Brook [Cabinet Secretary] to Eden, 30 May 1956.
82. CPA CCO 4/2/83, Central Trade Union Advisory Committee, Minutes of 9th Meeting, 14 July 1949.
83. CPA, ACP 3/6(59)74, `Trade Union Reform’, 25 November 1959.
84. CUCO, Industrial Charter, 21, 22.
85. CPA, CRD 2/7/44, Minutes of the inaugural meeting of the Central Trade Union Advisory Committee, 10 March 1947. See also CPA, CCO 503/3/2, ‘Lecture Notes: The Conservatives and the Trade Unions’, April 1947.
86. See, for example, TNA PREM 11/921, ‘Note of a Meeting between the Minister of Labour [Walter Monckton] and representatives from the British Employers’ Federation’, 7 June 1955.
87. CPA, CRD 2/7/6, Douglas to Sherbrooke, 23 June 1953; NA PREM 11/1238, Brook [Cabinet Secretary] to Eden, 30 May 1956; CPA CCO 4/7/429, Poole to Dixon, 17 August 1956; CPA CCO 503/2/22, Conservative Trade Unionists’ National Advisory Committee, conclusions of the 48th meeting, 14 February 1957 CPA CCO 503/2/22, Conservative Trade Unionists’ National Advisory Committee, conclusions of the 48th meeting, 14 February 1957.
88. CPA, CRD 2/7/14 (IRC 21), ‘Problems of Social Balance’.
89. See, for example: Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (Harmondsworth, 2004, but originally published in 1790), 372; Christopher Berry, ‘Conservatism and Human Nature’ in Ian Forbes and Steve Smith (eds) Politics and Human Nature (London, 1983), 53–67; David Clarke, The Conservative Faith in the Modern Age (London, 1947), 14; William H. Mallock, A Critical Examination of Socialism (London, 1908), 16, 17; William H. Mallock, The Limits of Pure Democracy (London, 1918), 376–377.
90. Hansard, House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 568, col. 2127.
91. See, for example: Anthony Eden, Freedom and Order (London, 1947), 428–430; See also Clarke, Conservative Faith, 29.
92. CPA CCO 4/2/83, ‘Co-Partnership—1952’, 10 March 1952.
93. Quoted in Notes on Current Politics, 2: Economic and Industrial Affairs (Conservative Research Department, January 1956), p. 10.
94. House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 636, col. 1931.
95. Ted Leather, Harold Macmillan et al., New Approach, 4.
96. Quoted in The Times 20 October 1950. See also CRD 2/7/39 (2), Watkinson to Butler, 6 July 1951.
97. CPA, ACP (55) 39, I.R.C 18, ‘Co-Partnership—1955’, 21 October 1955. See also CPA, CCO 4/2/83, Douglas to Kaberry, 14 November 1955.
98. CPA, CRD 2/7/7, ‘Co-Partnership—1952’, 10 March 1952.
99. CPA CRD 2/7/7, Fraser to Joyce, 25 February 1954.
100. CPA, CRD 2/7/7, Heathcoat-Amory to Fraser, 28 February 1952.
101. CPA, ACP (55) 38, ‘Co-Partnership—1955’, 21 October 1955.
102. TNA CAB 134/1273, I.R. (55) 8, ‘Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer: Co-Partnership’, 21 July 1955.
103. CPA CRD 2/7/7, Douglas to Fox, 26 June 1956.
104. CPA, ACP (55) 39, I.R.C 18, ‘Co-Partnership—1955’, 21 October 1955.
105. CPA CRD 2/7/3 PLC (54) 1, Conservative Parliamentary Labour Committee, ‘Some Background facts Concerning Industrial Relations’, 15 February 1954.
106. On the issue of relative economic decline, and the political ramifications, see: Andrew Gamble, Britain in Decline: Economic Policy, Political Strategy and the British State (London, 1981), chapters 1–2; Keith Robbins, The Eclipse of a Great Power: Modern Britain 1870–1975 (London, 1983), chapter 33; Geoffrey Smith and Nelson W. Polsby, British Government and Its Discontents (New York, 1981), chapter 1.
107. CPA ACP (63) 103, John Hare, ‘Industrial Relations—Unofficial Strikes’, 28 January 1963.
108. On the Ministry of Labour’s ethos towards industrial relations throughout the 1950s, see Sir Godfrey Ince [former Permanent Secretary], The Ministry of Labour and National Service (London, 1960); Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations Handbook (London: 1957).
109. CPA, ACP 3/8 (62) 94, ‘A Tory Look at Industrial Relations’, 29 January 1962; CPA, ACP 3/10 (63) 105, ‘Report of the Industrial Relations Committee’, 8 May 1963; CPA ACP (62) 94, Edward Brown, John Page and Paul Dean, ‘A Tory Look at Industrial Relations’, 29 January 1962.
110. CPA, CCO 4/7433, Van Straubenzee to Macleod, 8 April 1963.
111. CPA, ACP 2/2/50, Minutes of meeting of Advisory Committee on Policy, 2 May 1962.
112. See, for example: Harold Macmillan, Pointing the Way, 1959–1961 (Basingstoke, 1972), 375; Harold Macmillan, At the End of the Day, 1961–1963 (Basingstoke, 1973), 66.
113. TNA PREM 11/3841, Brook to Macmillan, 1 August 1961.
114. NA PREM 11/3570, Hare to Macmillan, 14 July 1961.
115. NA CAB 129/106, C, (61) 146 ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour—Trade Union Elections’ 3 October 1961.
116. NA PREM 11/3570, Brook to Macmillan, 4 October 1961.
117. NA CAB 129/105, C (61) 64, ‘Memorandum by the Minister of Labour—Industrial Relations’, 16 May 1961.
118. CPA, ACP (59) 74, ‘Trade Union Reform’, 4 June 1959.
119. CPA, CRD 2/7/17, Butler to Whitelaw, 29 May 1963.
120. See above 50.
121. CPA, CRD 2/7/7, ‘Industrial Change—The Human Aspect’, 15 July 1963.
122. CPA, ACP 3/10/63–103, ‘Industrial Relations—Unofficial Strikes’, 28 January 1963.
123. TNA CAB 124/1618, Hare to Hailsham, 18 January 1961.
124. CPA CRD 2/7/3, ‘Note on Trade Unions and Unofficial Strikes’, 30 May 1962.
125. Ibid.
126. Ibid.
127. Keith Middlemas, Industry, Unions and Government: Twenty-one Years of the National Economic Development Office (Basingstoke, 1983).
128. Macmillan, End of the Day, 51.
129. Macmillan et al, Industry and the State; Macmillan, The Middle Way; NA PREM 11/3841, Macmillan to Lloyd, 15 July 1961.
130. Inns of Court Conservative and Unionist Society, A Giant’s Strength (London, 1958).
131. Michael Shanks’ The Stagnant Society (Harmondsworth, 1961).
132. Eric Wigham, What’s wrong with the unions? (Harmondsworth, 1961).
133. TNA PREM 11/4871, Godber to Douglas-Home, 14 February 1964.
134. CPA CRD 2/7/7, IRC 62.16, ‘Industrial Relations Committee—Notes for Mr Ray Mawby’. 6 December 1962.
135. TNA PREM 11/4871, Douglas-Home to Brooke, 7 February 1964.
136. For a concise summation, see Taylor, Trade Union Question, 121.
137. TNA PREM 11/4871, Butler to Douglas-Home, 17 February 1964; Douglas-Home to Brooke, 7 February 1964; Godber to Douglas-Home, 14 February 1964 and 29 July 1964; Shawcross to Douglas-Home, 7 February 1964; TNA CAB 128/38, Cabinet conclusions, 13 February and 17 March 1964.
138. TNA PREM 11/4871, Butler to Douglas-Home, 17 February 1964.
139. See above 134. 1964.
140. TNA PREM 11/4871, ‘Note for the Record: Trade Unions’, 3 March 1964.
141. CPA, CRD 2/7/4, PLC (64) 3, ‘Trade unions, Employers’ Associations and the Law’, 19 March 1964.
142. Peter Dorey, Comrades in Conflict: The Labour Party. The Trade Unions, and 1969's In Place of Strife (Manchester, forthcoming).
143. Peter Dorey, Dorey, ‘Weakening the Trade Unions, One Step at a Time: The Thatcher Governments’ Strategy for the Reform of Trade-Union Law, 1979–1984’, Historical Studies in Industrial Relations 37, 2016, 169–200; Keith Syrett, ‘‘Immunity’, ‘Privilege’, and ‘Right’: British Trade Unions and the Language of Labour Law Reform’, Journal of Law and Society 25.3, 1998, 388–406.
144. Enoch Powell, Conference on Economic Policy for the 1970s (London, 1968), 5.
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Peter Dorey
Peter Dorey is Professor of British Politics at Cardiff University. He is the author of over 100 articles, books and chapters on post-1945 British Politics. Many of his publications are about the Conservative Party, with two of his most recent books being British Conservatism: The Politics and Philosophy of Inequality, and (with Mark Garnett) A Marriage of Inconvenience: The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition, 2010-2015.