Conservative Party Archive: Papers of Sir Michael Fraser

Table of Contents

Introduction
Financial Papers, 1929-75
    CRD Account B, 1929-70
    CRD Account C (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-62
    CRD Petty Cash (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-45
    CRD Salaries (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-30
    Files on CRD Finances, 1930-75
    Other financial material, 1930-62
    Miscellaneous, 1931
Microfilm, 1930-76
    Military Records, 1942-6
    Letterbooks, 1946-75
    Personal Correspondence, 1967-71
    Alphabetical Correspondence, 1951-76
    Conservative Party Meetings File, 1950-75
    Conservative Research Department Administrative File, 1930-74
    Conservative and Unionist Central Office File, 1964-72
    Subject File, 1950-74
    Clippings, 1939-75

Shelfmarks: MF 1-7, Reels 1-117

Extent: 166 shelfmarks

Organisational History

Richard Michael Fraser, Baron Fraser of Kilmorack (1915-96) worked in the Conservative Research Department (CRD), 1946-64. He served as Director of the CRD 1959-64. He was Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party, 1964-75. Details are given in Who Was Who.

Scope and Content

The papers of Michael Fraser held by the Conservative Party Archive consist of a small collection of original material mainly relating to the finances of the Conservative Party (MF 1-7) and a microfilm collection of the private papers of Fraser (Reels 1-117).

Alternative Form Available

The Fraser of Kilmorack Papers (Reels 1-117) are held by the Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University.

Preferred Form of Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Conservative Party Archive [followed by shelfmark, e.g. MF 1/1].

Personal names (NCA Rules)

Corporate names (NCA Rules)

Subjects (LCSH)

Financial Papers, 1929-75

    CRD Account B, 1929-70

Related Material: See CRD 1/25 or FIN

    CRD Account C (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-62

    CRD Petty Cash (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-45

    CRD Salaries (see CRD 1/25 or FIN), 1929-30

    Files on CRD Finances, 1930-75

    Other financial material, 1930-62

    Miscellaneous, 1931

Microfilm, 1930-76

The papers of Baron Fraser of Kilmorack in the Hoover Institution Archives document a career spent in the higher echelons of the British Conservative Party during the three decades following World War II. In his work as a party official, including a term as Deputy Chair, Fraser participated in nearly every aspect of Conservative politics, including the devising of campaign strategies, the selection of party leaders, the management of public relations, and the choice of day-to-day tactics in parliamentary debate. The Fraser papers provide a view of the internal and external workings of the Conservative Party both in opposition and in government during a period of considerable change in British politics.

A detailed record of Conservative Party life is contained in the LETTERBOOKS series of the papers, which consists largely of correspondence sent by Fraser to various party officials and politicians over a 30-year period. Much of this is concerned with administrative matters, but larger issues of power and policy are also addressed, as is the question of influencing British public opinion. The ALPHABETICAL CORRESPONDENCE series contains additional letters sent to and received from party leaders, including R. A. Butler, as well as correspondence with the Conservative prime ministers of the period, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, and, in particular, Edward Heath.

The Fraser papers include the minutes of proceedings of various Conservative Party bodies, both those taking place in the public arena, such as party conferences, and others involving private deliberations of the party leadership, such as the Leader's Consultative Committee and Steering Committee (see CONSERVATIVE PARTY MEETINGS FILE). There is also material in this section relating to the evolution of British policy toward the European Community.

Among other activities, the work of the Conservative Research Department involved the sampling of public opinion as a guide to the formulation of party policy. Both poll results and political position papers can be found in the CONSERVATIVE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE FILE of the Fraser papers. There is additional material concerning Conservative electoral strategies in the SUBJECT FILE, which also contains documents assessing the domestic impact of the British role in the Suez crisis of 1956. As a whole, the Fraser papers represent a significant record of Conservative politics in the time between the Churchill era and the realignment of the party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher.

This catalogue was prepared by David Jacobs.

    Military Records, 1942-6

Correspondence, diagrams, indexes, memoranda and reports.

    Letterbooks, 1946-75

Correspondence, mainly outgoing, arranged chronologically. Includes accompanying memoranda, minutes and reports.

    Personal Correspondence, 1967-71

Letters, memoranda and enclosures.

    Alphabetical Correspondence, 1951-76

Letters, memoranda and enclosures.

    Conservative Party Meetings File, 1950-75

Minutes and other records of Conservative Party bodies, including related correspondence and speeches.

    Conservative Research Department Administrative File, 1930-74

    Conservative and Unionist Central Office File, 1964-72

    Subject File, 1950-74

Correspondence, graphs, memoranda, minutes, notes and reports.

    Clippings, 1939-75

Articles largely relating to the Conservative Party and British politics.