SHORE, Peter David, 1924-2001, Baron Shore of Stepney, politician

Scope and Content

Political papers of Lord Shore including material relating to the governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, Labour Party politics, opposition to Europe and the single currency and papers relating to constituency affairs.

Administrative / Biographical History

Peter Shore (1924-2001) was born in Great Yarmouth, the son of a commercial sea captain. He attended Quarry Bank Grammar School, Liverpool and King's College, Cambridge, where he studied History; he served in the RAF as a flying officer from 1943-1946. In 1948 he joined the Labour Party and was employed in the Research Department, producing the tract 'Industry and Society' (1957), and becoming its head from 1959-1964. Shore stood for St Ives, Cornwall, in 1950 and Halifax in 1959 before being elected for Stepney in 1964. He retained the seat, which became Bethnal Green and Stepney, until 1997. He was Harold Wilson's private paliamentary secretary from 1965-1966, then beoming joint parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Technology (Tony Benn) from 1966-1967 and at the Department of Economic Affairs in 1967. He joined the Cabinet in 1967 upon his appointment as Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (1967-1969). When the Department for Economic Affairs was dissolved in 1969 Shore remained in the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio and Deputy Leader of the House (1969-1970). While the Labour Party was in opposition Shore became opposition spokesman on Europe (1971-1974) and with the Labour Party's return to power he was Secretary of State for Trade (1974 - 1976) and Secretary of State for the Environment (1976-1979). During the Labour Party's period in opposition from 1979-1987 Shore services as opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Treasury and Economic Affairs and Trade and Industry as well as being Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He was a member of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs (1987-1997) and the Committee on Standards in Public Life (1994-2001). He was created Baron Shore of Stepney in 1997.

Arrangement

The papers are arranged in the following series: 1. Diaries 2. Master speech files 3. Labour Party Research Department, 1939-1959 4. Head of Labour Party Research Department, 1959-1964 5. MP and PPS to the Prime Minister, 1964-1966 6. Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Technology, 1966-1967 7. Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, 1967-1969 8. Minister without Portfolio, 1969-1970 9. Opposition Spokesman on Europe, 1972-1974 10. Secretary of State for Trade, 1974-1976 11. Secretary of State for the Environment, 1976-1979 12. Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, 1979-1980 13. Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs, 1980-1983 14. Opposition Spokesman on Trade and Industry, 1983-1984 15. Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, 1984-1987 16. House of Commons, 1987-1997 17. House of Lords, 1997-2001 18. Constituency Party Affairs, 1966-1996 19. Constituency Affairs, 1964-2001 20. Constituency Correspondence, 1964-1997 21. Bangladesh, 1968-2000 22. Personal Papers, 1941-1984 23. Photographs, 1943-2000 24. Publications: Entitled to Know 25. Publications: Leading the Left 26. Publications: Separate Ways 27. Lord Balogh Papers, 1963-1976 28. Cris Shore Papers, 1972-1998

Access Information

OPEN

Other Finding Aids

A full catalogue is availale via the online Archives Catalogue.

Archivist's Note

Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on July 15, 2002 Amended February 2006

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