Papers of Ann Carlton, primarily relating to her work as Local Government Officer for the Labour Party between 1967 and 1974. There are also some papers from the late 1950s and early-mid 1960s when Michael Ward and later Joan Bourne were Local Government Officer. The collection primarily consists of papers from various groups and committees Carlton and her predecessors were involved with, particularly the Labour Party Home Policy sub-committees relating to local government, which the Local Government Officer was Secretary of. These were the Local Government Sub-Committee (papers from 1959-1960 and 1963-1964), the Regional and Local Government Advisory Committee (papers from 1965-1970), and the Regional and Local Government Sub-Committee (papers from 1970-1971). Carlton was also Secretary for the Association of Municipal Corporations Labour Group (papers from 1963-1973). Other papers relate to a Study Group on the Maud Report on the Management of Local Government (papers from 1964 and 1967), the Association of Education Committees and its future (papers from 1973-1974), and the reorganisation of local authority associations (papers from 1973). There are also copies of papers circulated to Labour groups from 1968-1972, and correspondence and press cuttings relating to Ann Carlton's work.
The papers have a particular focus on proposals to reorganise local government in the 1960s and 1970s, and the impact of this on local authority associations. The topics of housing and town planning, local government conferences and local elections also feature heavily.