288 printed pages and 16 patially unopened publisher's adverts at end.
Written in pencil on front free endpaper, 'Labour Party Library,Transport House, Peter Shore'. Comparing the handwriting to a later (1976) signature by Peter Shore, there are strong similarities and this could be in Shore's own hand.
Former Labour Party library book with white hand written shelfmark on lower spine, cancelled oval ink stamp on title page and handwritten buff accessions card in original pocket on front free endpaper.
Together with a torn portion of House of Commons notepaper with contemporary ink handwriting on both sides including the following ""...Bradford, Liverpool and Birmingham, which I had mentioned, and six others. This was a pretty complete triumph for my proposals, except that Ede [stet] would do nothing for Plymouth. But I had saved three seats in London, and fourteen in towns and cities outside London, which Ede had wished to do away with."
Irene Wagne was the senior Labour Party archivist, historian and former Party Chief Librarian. She helped found the International Association of Labour History Institutions. Irene was also a key supporter of the People s History Museum in Manchester. During the 2nd World War Irene worked at Woburn Abbey, in the political intelligence department of the Foreign Office, helping the Special Operations Executive distribute propaganda over Germany. This book has impeccable provenance: it comes from Irene's personal library that I purchased in 2016 from her Grand-daughter at the Bloomsbury flat where she had lived for 72 years. In 1990 the Labour Party had deposited its archive and library at the People's History Museum (formerly National Museum of Labour History) in Manchester. The collection is now held at the Labour History Archive and Study Centre inside the People's History Museum, Manchester.
Peter David Shore, Baron Shore of Stepney, (1924-2001) was a Labour politician and Cabinet minister, remembered partly for his opposition to the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Commumity.