Richard Henry Tawney (1880-1962) - historian and Christian Socialist who equated the class struggle with a struggle against privilege - was the source of inspiration for the Tawney Society, set up in 1982 in conjunction with the establishment of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Throughout its lifespan the Tawney Society maintained close links with the SDP and was widely regarded as the SDP's main unofficial think-tank, equivalent to Labour's Fabian Society. Members of the Society's steering committee felt that the Society served to complement the SDP's in-house policy committees. The Tawney Society did however sponsor independent studies, such as a study on the cost of withdrawing from the EU (then the EEC). The close links maintained with the SDP ensured that this collection also contains documentation originating from the SDP.
From the guide to the Archives of the Tawney Society, 1981-1988, (University of Essex: Albert Sloman Library)
