The Labour Party Manifesto Group

The papers in this collection comprise records of three separate bodies: the Manifesto Group, the Campaign for Labour Victory and the Labour Defence and Disarmament Group.

The Manifesto Group of the Labour party was formed in December 1974 in an effort to support the government, uphold its manifesto against attacks from the Left and balance the Tribune Group after the latter's success in the elections to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) Liaison Committee and in view of its domination of other PLP subject groups. While not a descendant of, the Campaign for Democratic Socialism, it occupied the moderate centre ground of the party through the second half of the Seventies and the beginning of the Eighties. The Manifesto Group ended in 1984.

The Campaign for Labour Victory (CLV) was established in 1977. The CLV shared similar views, supporting the Labour government of the time while upholding a social democratic perspective. The two worked together on a number of occasions, notably at the issue of a joint statement, Reform and Democracy (see LP/MANIF/5), although they had no formal connections. The CLV, however, worked at the level of the Constituency Labour Parties and held as part of its aims the regeneration of the party membership and organisation.

The collection also contains papers of the Labour Defence and Disarmament Group, which was officially launched on the 26th May 1982. Its aims were study issues in defence and disarmament by providing research papers to encourage a realistic discussion of the question and to campaign in the Labour Movement for multilateralism with the aim of preserving peace and promoting disarmament. It put forward loyalty to NATO as the basis of defence policy and accepted the need of both nuclear and conventional weapons. Membership was open to all Labour Party Members, including ordinary party members, and by 1984 included former ministers, members of parliament, local councillors, Trades Union Officers and local party officers.