Papers of James Mortimer (1921-2013), Labour Party official, trade unionist, public servant and writer

This collection includes: papers relating to ACAS, the Labour Party and the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union; writings and publications by Mortimer and others; subject files; college course correspondence, lecture notes and essays; general correspondence and papers.

J. E. (Jim) Mortimer was born in 1921. He worked in the shipbuilding and engineering industries as a ship fitter apprentice, a machinist and a planning engineer. He studied as a Trades Union Congress (TUC) Scholar at Ruskin College, Oxford, in 1945-6 and worked at the TUC Economic Department, 1946-8. From 1948-68, he was a union officer at the Draughtsmen's and Allied Technicians' Association and from 1968 to 1971 he was the Director of the London Co-operative Society. During this time he was also a member of the National Board of Prices and Incomes. From 1971 to 1974, he was a member of the Board of London Transport Executive. He was the Chairman of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), 1974-1981, and he became the general secretary of the Labour Party for the period 1982-1985. He wrote several books, including a three volume history of the boilermakers' union. Jim Mortimer died on 27th April 2013.

Reference: J. E. Mortimer, 'A life on the left' (Lewes, 1998).

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

This collection was deposited in the Centre by Jim Mortimer in 2003 and by Tom Sibley in September 2013.

Link to full catalogue: https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/MOR

This collection has not been weeded for duplicates.

Further deposits are not expected.