Papers of the Co-operative Independent Commission

The collection includes minutes and agendas for the 35 Independent Commission's meetings; minutes for sub-committee meetings; reports on visits to various societies; research documents; the Commission's internal memoranda; evidence presented by retail societies, private individuals and other sections of the Co-operative movement; draft copies of the final report; papers of a special investigation into the sources and uses of Co-operative capital; photographs; and rough notes and working papers.

The Co-operative Independent Commission was set up in 1955 due to the decline in the growth of the Co-operative movement. The aim of the Commission was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of Co-operative production and marketing in wholesale and retail. The Commission was to present a report of recommendations to the Central Executive designed to secure the greatest possible advantage to the movement from its manufacturing, wholesale, and retail resources. The chair of the Committee was deputy leader, and later leader, of the Labour Party Hugh Gaitskell, C.B.E., M.P. The secretary was ex Labour M.P. Mr C.A.R. Crosland. The other original members of the Commission were Miss Margaret Digby, O.B.E.; Professor D.T. Jack, C.B.E., J.P.; Dr. J.B. Jefferys; Colonel S.J.L. Hardie, D.S.O., LL.D.; Mr J.T. Murray; and Alderman F. Pette, J.P. Also at the request of the Commission Lady Hall became a member in December 1956. The report was conducted between 1955 and 1958.

The Commission conducted its research through visiting retail, wholesale, and various other Co-operative societies. They received written evidence from societies, circulated questionnaires to all retail societies, and also commissioned two special investigations into the sources and uses of Co-operative capital and into the pattern of Co-operative savings. The Commission was supplied with background research and statistical documents from the Co-operative Union, Co-operative Wholesale Society, and the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society. They also held formal meetings with representatives of the central executive of the Co-operative Union; Policy and General Purposes, Grocery, and Dry Goods Committees; the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Grocery and Drapery and Furnishing Committees; the Co-operative Productive Federation; Co-operative Retail Services; the National Co-operative Managers’ Association; and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and held informal discussions with Directors and officials of many Co-operative bodies. They held 35 full Co-operative Independent Commission meetings.

The Committee’s report and recommendations were presented to the Central Executive in 1958 alongside a minority report written by Colonel S.J.L. Hardie.

The collection is arranged to match the original filing system used by the Commission and devised by the secretary Mr C.A.R. Crosland.

The collection is open to any accredited reader, subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Some files in this collection are subject to Data Protection legislation as they contain sensitive information and material under 30 years old is closed to access. It is advised that you contact the Archivist before visiting.

Donated to the National Co-operative Archive by the Plunkett Foundation in 2005.

None

Description compiled May 2008- July 2008 by Adam Shaw, Assistant Archivist, National Co-operative Archive.

The collection contained many duplicate papers. These were not retained.

None expected

Hugh Gaitskell papers held at University College London (GB 0103 GAITSKELL).

Co-operative Independent Commission Report (1958)