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Labour in Holborn in the 1930s
and
1940s
Editorial Note
Irene 'Ina' Chaplin (nee Marcouse) was a leading member
of Holborn Labour Party, a Holborn Councillor from 1939,
and its Parliamentary candidate in the 1945 General
Election. Ina was born in Memel on the Baltic, and later
lived in Brussels. She went to Heidleberg and then
London Universities. She married Hugh Chaplin, who
became Principal Keeper of the Department of Printed
Books. (A) Some of her papers were passed to their good
friend Irene Wagner, Labour Heritage's Treasurer. These
shed light on Labour and labour movement politics in
Holborn in the 1930s and 1940s. This review gives a
flavour of the material.
Sean Creighton
Introduction
Irene Marcouse was a graduate of London University and
was active on the Standing Committee of Convocation, the
graduates’ organisation. (2) She had settled in Holborn
in 1930. (3) She was one of the founders of the Holborn
Youth Centre, and remained its Vice-Chairman after it
was taken over by the Borough Council. She became a
local Councillor in 1939 quickly becoming Labour
Opposition Group Leader. (2) She was a member of Holborn
Youth Committee, Governor of Central Foundation Schools
and Reeves Foundation, and member of the Assistance
Board Advisory Committee (Central Area). (3) She was
also a JP. She lived at 44 Russell Square. Before the
War she had been a business executive, and at some stage
during the War had become a publisher's reader. She was
Treasurer of Holborn's Aid to Russia Week, which had
raised £3,000 for the Russian allies. (2)
Holborn's United Left Activity
The second half of the 1930s saw a high level of
political activity in Holborn. In 1935 what appears to
be a united left duplicated magazine ‘Holborn Opinion’
was started. Its third issue in the run up to the
General Election on 14 November 1935, appealed to its
readers to vote Labour, help defeat the National
Government, and put a new Government behind an end to
war, and pointed out the danger of Mosley's fascists. An
article on 'The Blackshirts, the War Danger and the
General Election in Holborn', pointing out that Mosley's
so-called 'Peace' petition for Britain to ignore the
Italian invasion of Abyssinia was really a petition for
the Italians to 'continue their campaign of mass murder
in
Abyssinia.' It called for the setting up of a Peace
Council. It contained the Communist Party's proposals
for peace. There was also an article on air raid
precautions by Mrs Ursula Roberts (the authoress Susan
Miles), and wife of the Rector of St George's Church and
Rural Dean of Holborn and Finsbury. (4)
The Holborn Peace Council was established in March 1936,
chaired by Rev W C Roberts, to co-ordinate peace work in
the Borough. It organised a Peace Week for May 10-17th.
The programme included an open-air service, a film, open
air meetings, a social and dance, performances by a
number of organisations including Unity Theatre Club,
the London Labour Choral Union, and the Young Workers
Ballet, a public meeting and slide show, children's
entertainments, and a demonstration and rally, lending
support on Sunday 17 May for the Women's World Committee
against War and Fascism's demonstration to Trafalgar
Square. There were short articles by Ronald Kidd, the
Secretary of the National Council for Civil Liberties,
and Lew Kenton, the Chairman of Holborn Communist Party,
and E Whittall, the Secretary of the Holborn Branch
League of Nations Union. Other supporting organisations
included Holborn Film Group, the Association of Woman
Clerks and Secretaries (West Central), National Union of
Sign, Glass & Ticket Writers Union branch, National
Trade Union Club, Student Movement House, Inter-Hospital
Socialist Society, and Holborn Labour Party. (5)
As only one issue of ‘Holborn Opinion’ is in Irene
Chaplin's papers, it is not clear what happened to it.
However, by June 1936 it seems to have been replaced by
‘Holborn Outlook’, connected over the years with the
Holborn Trades Council, the Labour Party, Contact
Bookshop at 70 Millman St, and later the Holborn Tenants
Defence League.
Outlook’ gave a lot of space to what was happening in
Spain and elsewhere in the world. Len Hunt of Little
James's St, a member of Queen's Park Harriers and a
Middlesex County runner, wrote about attending the
Workers' Olympiad in Barcelona in July held at the time
of the Civil War. (6) Summer 1937 saw an article about
Holborn International Brigaders Ben Glaser and John
Rickman. Rickman, a young Communist, at whose memorial
at Conway Hall the former Labour Brigader Charles West
spoke. (7) It promoted the big Labour Party pro-Spanish
Republic demonstration at Albert Hall on 9 December
1938. (8)
‘Outlook’ also gave coverage to Labour's candidates,
including Richard Jefferies, who was the Parliamentary
candidate in 1935 (9), and George Cox, Labour's LCC
Candidate (10), later Mayor of Holborn. (1) It also
reported on the work of the Labour controlled London
County Council, urging people to vote Labour on March 4
1937, and publishing a statement from the Secretary of
Holborn Communist Party urging people to vote Labour.
(1) The issues contain a lot of detail about Labour and
other organisations activities.
Housing Issues
Housing was a current theme including the 'slum flats of
Betterton House (12)(13), welcoming the Council's
decision in 1936 to build 49 flats through demolishing
27-38 East St as long as the rents were reasonable,
there were fireplaces in the bedrooms, playing spaces
for children, room to hang out washing and cool pantries
for food. (14) It became clear by Summer 1939 that the
Council had no clear plans to rehouse the tenants. When
they received notices to quit, Thora Loutit, the wife of
the Labour Parliamentary candidate, helped seventeen
tenants march to the Town Hall and see the Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk agreed to postpone the notices, and find
suitable alternative
accommodation. (15)
‘Outlook’ was not just concerned with Council housing,
but also with private housing conditions. It exposed the
Tory Councillor offering a family of controlled tenants
money and an offer of housing in Betterton St. The
family was successfully represented by Holborn Labour's
Poor Man's Lawyer who raised the compensation for
leaving to £35. (16)
Election of 6 Labour Councillors in 1937
The 1937 Council elections saw large scale absenteeism
from the polls. The previous year ‘Outlook’ had been
concerned about the danger of working class residents
losing their vote through non-registration. It reminded
its readers (c.2,000) that they should check that they
were on the preliminary lists which would be published
on 5 July. (17) The Holborn Conservatives deplored the
low turnout. In the contested wards of Holborn an
average of 13 out of every 20 electors 'did not bother
to vote'. 'In Central St. Giles, where the Socialists
captured all six seats for the first time, by only a few
votes, 644 voted out of a possible 1,806 - 35.66 per
cent of the electorate.' The percentage was
even lower in some wards. 'Thus more than 8,000 of the
13,889 electors in contested wards left it to the rest
to decide the issue. Is this democracy? Is it a credit
to Holborn?' The Tories took delight in the defeat of
the Communist Party candidates in St. George the Martyr
ward. The result of similar apathy across London meant,
argued the Tories, that Labour won control of 17 of the
28 Metropolitan Boroughs. (18)
The six Labour candidates elected were George Cox, who
became Leader, George Wansborough, Mary Chance, Richard
Clarke, Enid Jeeves and Bill Shebbeare. They wrote a
special article in which they asked ‘Outlook’ re for
support. Irene Marcouse was just short of about 100
votes, which was regarded as 'a remarkable result'. (8)
Mrs Chance was an office cleaner and member of the
General & Municipal Workers Union. Her husband was a
railwaymen. They lived on the LCC Bourne estate. (19)
Kenneth Sinclair Loutit - Prospective Labour
Parliamentary
Candidate
On 12 May 1938 a Holborn Tenants' Defence League was
formed objecting to what appeared to be a 'means test'
questionnaire sent by the Council to tenants. Labour
Councillors supported its formation, as did the new
Labour Parliamentary candidate Kenneth Sinclair Loutit.
Louitit was the son of a retired civil servant studying
medicine at Cambridge University. There he had met a
contingent of hunger marchers on their way to London,
and then supported the Cambridge bus drivers' strike. In
1936 he was elected to the Committee of the organisation
which became the Spanish Medical Aid Committee. He led
the party taking the first three ambulances to Spain and
stayed on providing medical support. In February 1937 he
became Political Commissar for the International Brigade
health services, and also married a nurse in the team,
Thora Silverthorne. They came back to England in August
1937. (20) The Holborn and West Central Committee of
Spanish Medical Aid had
held a meeting at Conway Hall on 25 June 1937 chaired by
the publisher Victor Gollancz, with Prof. P.M.S.
Blackett, Leah Manning, Audrey Russell and Stephen
Spender as speakers. (21)
Loutit wrote about the situation in Holborn for
‘Outlook’(16), on what Spain meant for Holborn (22),
and on what would happen if Holborn was bombed. (23) By
February 1938 Loutit had become a Labour Councillor, and
wrote about what he would do for health, pointing out
the excellent record of Labour controlled Finsbury
Council (24), where he had become Medical Officer of
Health. He was awarded the MBE in 1941. (25)
The Secretary of the Tenants Defence League began to
write in ‘Outlook’ from November 1938. (26)
Air Raid Precautions (ARP)
Air raid precautions were becoming an issue of concern,
as flagged up in Loutit's article (23). Labour Leader
George Cox became an air-warden, and the Labour and
Communist Parties co-operated in publishing a pamphlet 'A.R.P.
- a plan for Holborn'. (24) A detailed article on what
Finsbury did for ARP was published in March 1939. (27)
Loutit's criticism of the Council's lack of action was
front page of the June 1939 issue. (28)
Marcouse as Councillor from 1939
Irene
Marcouse became a Councillor towards the end of 1939 in
a bye-election following the resignation of Labour's
Richard Clarke. Bill Shebbeare also resigned following
his call-up. (28) Marcouse quickly became Leader of the
Labour Opposition on Holborn Council. In that capacity
she:
·
argued for better air-raid shelters
·
won re-instatement of active trade unionists who had
been dismissed from ARP on 'trivial charges'
·
twice formally pressed the Council 'to enlarge the six
year-old scheme for 40 flats, which is the only plan it
has made for Holborn's post-war housing.'
·
demanded 'a Holborn Plan to fit in with the L.C.C.'s
great County of London Plan
·
fought Tory meanness over street cleaning, which
non-resident Tories tried to stop on Sundays.
·
arranged for Holborn Library tickets to be
interchangeable with other libraries. (2)
ARP
Issues
The National Union of Public Employees had expressed
concern to the Holborn's ARP Emergency Committee and
made suggestions for a more effective service. The
Committee did not answer the representations, and
instead fired four members of the Union who were ARP
wardens, including the Secretary of the Holborn branch
on the grounds that he had committed a breach of
discipline in acting in his Union capacity, despite the
Home Office recognition of the right of ARP workers to
join trade unions and work for better conditions of work
and stronger ARP services. Also sacked was John Morten,
Secretary of the main NUPE branch in Holborn who had
supported the representations. The Holborn People's ARP
Committee held a meeting at which Irene Marcouse spoke
for the sacked workers. A petition was started demanding
reinstatement, and answers to their criticisms. (29)
The War temporarily hit the ‘Outlook’. There was a gap
in publication for three months coming out again in
December in duplicated format, not its previous printed
format. (30) This was only temporary. It was back to
being printed for its next issue for February/March
1940. (29)
The Tenants' Defence League continued to be active
during the War, and by early 1941 had become the
official publisher of ‘Outlook’ retaining the same broad
coverage. An important new issue was the care and
protection of people from air raids, including
conditions in the shelters. Councillor Loutit raised the
issue of the publicity for inoculation services at the
January 1941 Council meeting. The Council had agreed to
the Holborn Tube Shelter Committee's proposals to elect
shelter marshal who would then elect a new Committee.
(31)(32)
The work of the ARP Emergency Committee had already
aroused concern through its sacking of trade unionists
among the ARP workers. The Holborn ARP Co-ordinating
Committee submitted a memorandum proposing immediate
provision of bomb-proof protection for the day and night
population, immediate taking over of all good commercial
shelters now only being used during the day, full use of
modern medical knowledge to safeguard the health of the
people, and humane treatment of the homeless and other
air-raid wardens. Irene Marcouse raised the failure to
respond at a Council. In January the Council decided
formally that its members should not have the right to
attend meetings of the Emergency Committee. (31)
This led to Irene Marcouse questioning whether the
Council's Emergency Committee in charge of Air Raid
Precautions which had been meeting since April 1939, had
been properly established, and calling for clarification
of its powers and duties, and to regularise the
position. What seems to have prompted the concern was
the fact that the Committee did not regard itself as
accountable to the Council holding much of its business
in secret and not disclosable to Councillors generally.
(33)
Further offence was caused by the Committee when on 8
March 1941 John Millie, a member of B Company Holborn
Stretcher Party was dismissed with no reason, despite
being regarded as a good leader by the rest of the
squad, probably dismissed because he was Secretary of a
trade union branch that had been critical of the
Council. It was the culmination of a dispute about his
squad being ordered to do fire-watching at City empty
buildings, which they refused to do. Under questioning
from Marcouse the Mayor admitted the Council had acted
improperly. 200 civil defence workers signed a petition
calling for Millie's reinstatement. The Mayor walked out
of the March Council meeting under questioning from
Labour Councillors. (34)
The Mayor went on at another Council meeting to refuse
to answer a number of questions about shelters, fire
watching and stretcher parties from Irene Marcouse. (25)
The Emergency Committee then sacked 37 stretcher bearing
men or no reason - all were members of trade unions. A
protest meeting on 30 May called for their
reinstatement. (35)
The Labour Councillors continued to protest their lack
of ability to question the work of the Emergency
Committee in respect of Irene Marcouse's questions about
the sacked stretcher bearers. (36)
Marcouse as Parliamentary Candidate 1945
The last issue ‘Holborn Outlook’ in the collection is
for November 1941.There is then a gap about Labour Party
activities until 1944, during which time Irene Marcouse
became Secretary of Holborn Labour Party.
The notice of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday
7 January 1944 was issued by her. At the December
General Meeting there had been resolutions on 'A
National Health Service' and 'The Famine in India', and
Zilliacus talked about international working-class unity
leading to a resolution submitted to the national Labour
Party. The AGM had two resolutions for consideration for
submission to the London Labour Party Annual Conference.
One was on the lack of co-operation between the LCC and
the Divisional Labour Parties in the selection of
persons appointed by the LCC to sit on local bodies. The
second argued the importance of educational work in
youth clubs and centres. (37)
The Party began to prepare for the possibility of a
General Election. Irene Marcouse was prospective
Parliamentary candidate by February 1945. That month W A
Halford, the Holborn Party Secretary sent round a letter
calling for members and funds to help with the election
of a new MP and a new Council. (38) Halford worked for
the Gas, Light and Coke Company. (1)
According to Halford:
‘Holborn politics have been dominated by non-resident
business men (out of forty-three Tory members of the
Borough Council only six live in Holborn). You know how
this has resulted in reactionary representation in
Parliament and in apathy and backwardness in Local
Government.' (38)
He explained that: 'A small but active group of Labour
Councillors has been at work since 1937, criticising,
suggesting, studying, laying the foundations of a
progressive Holborn.' The Leader of this group was Irene
Marcouse, J.P., 'a local resident with an intimate
knowledge of the Borough'. (2)
Having already met with him in April 1945 about the
forthcoming election (39) on 30 May Marcouse appointed J
Diamond as her Election Agent. (40) Diamond was a Labour
supporting businessman.(1)
On 12 June the Party held a Public Meeting at 7.30pm on
Tuesday 12 June at Holborn Hall in Grays Inn Rd. Aneurin
Bevan was the main speaker, with Mrs Leah Manning, a JP
(41) and Labour candidate for Epping (42) and Marcouse.
The meeting was chaired by Councillor George Cox. (41)
The Conservative candidate was Group Captain Max Aitken.
Aitken, as one of Marcouse's leaflets pointed out was
the son and heir of Lord Beaverbrook,
'the man who made a fortune building trusts, controls
one of the biggest chains of newspapers, and then poses
as the champion of the little man; ... the Tory Party
boss and election organiser, whose wild statements make
even his own supporters laugh.' (2)
Aitken held public meetings, including an open air one
near the Princes Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave. He attacked
Attlee and the Socialists as standing for
nationalisation and controls. "We believe in free
enterprise, with a chance for every man and no direction
as to where and for whom he shall work.' He was heckled,
but some of his opponents in the crowd told the hecklers
off saying give him a chance, he's a fine lad.' (43)
He also visited the LCC Bourne Estate where he faced
questions and answers 'shot at machine-gun speed',
including what he had done during the war, and about
peace with the Soviet Union. At another of his public
open-air meetings on the corner of Macklin St, and on
the corner of New North St and Theobalds Rd, he was
supported by George Allison, the famous football
manager. (44)
On 25 June Marcouse sent out her letter to proxy voters,
acting on behalf of men in the forces. (45)
The last few days of the campaign saw Marcouse at 6
evening indoor meetings, all starting at 7.30pm.
Wednesday 27 June. Princton St School, with Dr. John
Lewis and Theodore Besterman
Thursday 28 June at Macklin St. R. C. School with Thomas
Dawson and Monica Whateley, both London County
Councillors
Friday 29 June at St George The Martyr Hall in Queen
Square supported by Margaret Cole and Richard Clements
Monday 2 July at Kingsway Hall, supported by Dr. Portia
Holman and Richard Clements
3 July at Conway Hall supported by Hannen Swaffer, Dr.
John Lewis, and Dr Eric Fletcher, a London County
Councillor standing for East Islington
Wednesday 4 July at Holborn Hall supported by Rt Hon.
Lord Marley, Councillor Rawlinson and Richard Jefferies
(46)
Her election material included the usual window posters,
and election leaflet and an election address.
The leaflet 'People of Holborn. This is Your Candidate’
told the electorate about her background and work as a
Councillor. She stressed that she had shared the dangers
of the war, ' had' regularly taken her place in food
queues with other Holborn housewives, and 'never missed
a day nor night of the blitz' and knew 'at first hand
the war-time problems of Holborn women'. The leaflet
referring back to the previous General Election, 'If,
instead of abstaining, the residents had voted in full
strength, a Labour Member would have been returned in
1935.' It pointed out that the business voters were down
from 10,000 to 2,000, some of whom were Labour
supporters. (2)
The Election Address commended ordinary people's role in
achieving the Victory in Europe, whether through being
in the Forces, in the factories or caught in the Blitz.
It reminded electors of some of the pre-war problems,
and argued against the Tory case for ending war time
controls. 'The only controls Labour wants to retain are
those which are needed to prevent inefficiency, high
pries and unemployment. Labour does not threaten the
freedom of the citizen to live his own life, but only
the freedom of the rich to enslave the poor.' It
summarised Labour's Programme for victory over Japan,
and peace, and reconstruction at home. (3)
Two days before the election ‘The Evening News’
published a photograph of Marcouse with the caption
'While they wait ... Holborn housewives, queuing for
fish, hear the views of the Labour candidate, Miss Irene
Marcouse.' (47)
Despite the national Labour landslide Max Aitken won
Holborn for the Tories, with 6,061 votes to Marcouse's
5,136, a Conservative majority of 925, down from 7,329
in 1935. (48)(49) ‘The Evening Standard’ published a
photograph of Aitken being congratulated. (48)
Labour Control of Council 1945-49
Despite its defeat in the 1945 General election, Holborn
Labour Party took control of the Council in the 1945
Municipal elections. Irene Marcouse was elected (50) and
became Leader (51) and Chairman of the Housing
Committee. Others elected were George Cox (St George The
Martyr Ward), and Halford (Central St. Giles Ward. Mary
A M Chance was elected one of the seven Aldermen. (50)
In an undated speech Marcouse gave an outline of some of
the things the Council was able to do quickly. It opened
up a former derelict swimming pool as a open-air new
pool. The care of the gardens in the squares neglected
after the railings came down for the war effort, and
introduced concerts and other entertainments. (51). This
became subject of a letter of complaint about noise
disturbance in August from a resident in Red Lion
Square. Marcouse defended the concerts in a letter of
reply. (52)
It turned a disused fire station into an Information
Centre. A social and educational centre was opened in a
former police barracks which had been used as a rest
centre for those bombed-out and as an ARP HQ and a
furniture store for furniture salvaged from bombed
houses. An old war damaged building was being turned
into a new library. A large space, pitted with basements
of destroyed buildings was being leveled to form a safe
children's playground. Badly damaged houses were being
prepared for housing. (51)
The Tories forced the calling of a special Council
meeting in August to discuss a resolution deploring 'the
waste of labour and materials used on the Information
Centre and other buildings of the Council on the direct
instruction of the Leader of the Majority Party'. They
complained that the authorisation was undemocratic as
the Establishment Committee should have considered the
matter, and because the labour and material would have
been better spent on requisitioned houses. (53)
On Friday 10 May 1946 the Council agreed to apply for
loan sanction for a housing scheme of 164 flats in six
blocks to house approximately 500 people. It was hoped
this would the first phase for a bigger scheme in the
Great Ormond St area. (54) Before May was out the Tories
proposed that 'requisitioning be temporarily stopped
owing to the time necessary to make some properties
habitable.' 131 properties had been requisitioned and
were not yet ready for occupation. Irene Marcouse
defended the Council's action.
"It is ridiculous to suggest that we are requisitioning
too much. We shall requisition everything that is
available. If the old Council had done this the people
of Holborn would be much better off by now." (55)
On 22 April 1947 the Council held a public meeting on
the subject at Holborn Town Hall, chaired by Mary
Chance. As Chairman of Housing Marcouse explained that
there were people who urgently needed to be housed, and
large numbers who lived in unsatisfactory conditions.
350 families shared a bathroom, 1,700 did not have a
separate water supply, 2,000 and no separate WC
accommodation, and 3,500 had no bathroom. There were
problems of labour and materials shortages. Land in
Holborn was very expensive making it difficult for the
Council to buy. Its first scheme was to be unveiled the
next day for 162 flats around Great Ormond St. The
Council was also busy requisitioning property enabling
it to rehouse 659 families. Work was also underway
converting 165 flats. Its housing waiting list had 1,000
families registered. Priority for rehousing went to
re-united divided families, families sharing with
another family in gross overcrowded conditions, the
absolutely homeless, and those living in bad or
overcrowded conditions who also had a health problem.
The Council looked forward to the new powers it would
receive under the Labour Government's Town and Country
Planning Bill. With the help of other Councillors
Marcouse answered a wide range of questions, including
one on behalf of the Holborn Communist Party about
whether the Council was considering setting up a direct
building labour force. Marcouse replied that a small
direct labour force was being established for
maintenance work, but it would not be possible to
recruit a force that could deal with all constructional
work. She also explained that the Council was going to
ask the Government to provide new places in New Towns or
some of the people who cannot be housed in Holborn. A
large number of those present indicated by a show of
hands that they would favour the proposal and be willing
to move there. Concern was expressed about the likely
rent levels at the new flats. (56)
Holborn Communist Party congratulated the Council on
holding the meeting: 'a brave thing'. In its post
meeting report it acknowledged that the 'Labour Council
is doing good work, but the job of rehousing our people
is all too slow and costly'. It looked forward to
further public discussions on other services like
Maternity and Child Welfare. (57)
The Council put on a Civic Week in September 1947.
Between 6th and 13th, there were daily film
shows and an exhibition on how the rates were spent,
Holborn's history, health, care for mothers and
children, streets, sewers and lighting and cleansing,
road safety and leisure and recreation. There was also a
daily diamonds jewellery and allied trades association
exhibition. Other events during the week included a
beauty contest, a procession, a social evening, a fiesta
of Spanish songs and dances, a swimming gala, a table
tennis exhibition, lunchtime concert, a civic quiz and
film sow compered by Kenneth Horne, a mock Council
debate at Conway Hall, road safety exhibitions, a baby
show, and a children's fancy dress parade. (50)
The Council also started a quarterly newsletter ‘Holborn
Council News’. It contained a progress report on the
building of the new housing estate. (58)
In
his report for 1947/8 the District Auditor advised the
Council to maintain "a close watch on expenditure ... In
order that it may be kept within reasonable bounds." He
was particularly critical of the expenditure on public
relations, including ‘Holborn Council News’ and on the
Civic Week. (59)
Holborn Communists and Housing
Holborn Communist Party had been active on housing
issues. It considered the proposed rent of 35/-a week
for the new flats being built to be too high, and
reported protests against Council rent increases in
London and Kent required under Ministry of Health
circular 109/48. (60) The first tenants moved in at the
end of 1948 in one of the 10 storey blocks in what was
now called Tybald's Close. By now Marcouse was no
longer Housing Chairman.
The Communist Party was, however, surprised at her
response to a deputation to the Housing and Planning
Committee from tenants in Ridgemount Gdns protesting
against Council enquiries into the means of Council
tenants being rehoused there. Marcouse said "There are
Council Tenants who are willing to pay the full rent of
these flats. People who are dissatisfied or are unable
to pay the full rent and be rehoused in cheaper premises
at cheaper rents, similar to what they lived in before
they were bombed out." (61)
When the Minister of Health decided to instruct all
local authorities to review the rents of people living
in requisitioned property, there was campaigning against
it. In Holborn the Party called a meeting at which 100
angry tenants passed a resolution urging the Borough
Council to reject the instruction. The Mayor was
sympathetic and gave permission for a deputation to the
Housing Committee. The protests led the Ministry to
withdraw the instruction. This was regarded as a victory
for tenants across London by Isobel Pepper, the
Communist organiser of the Tenants' Committee. (62)
Despite the Borough's housing needs by the end of 1948
large office blocks were being built. A petition was
organised calling for priority to be given to building
flats for people at rents they can afford.
The
Communist Party published a letter in the ‘Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian’ challenging the Labour Group to a
debate on housing. The Group's detailed reply defended
its record given the practical problems involved. (63)
On Thursday 3 March 1949 the Communist Party held a
meeting to elect a deputation to take the petition to
the Minister of Health Aneurin Bevan, to which Labour
Group members had been invited. (64)
Labour
Loses Control
The last Council meeting before the local elections was
held on Wednesday 27 April 1949. Marcouse defended the
Council against Tory opposition to a plan to provide
offices, workshops, stores and garage accommodation for
the Council at Cockpit yard. (65) The Housing Chairman
gave a detailed reply to the Communist Party criticisms
of Labour's housing record. (66)
The Tories took control of the Council. One of their
early actions was the decision of the 27 July 1949
Council meeting to discontinue publication of ‘Holborn
Council News’. (67)
Footnotes
(1) Information provided by Irene Wagner
(2) 'People of Holborn. This is your
candidate'. Holborn Labour Party
(3) Election Address
(4) Holborn Opinion. Vol.1. No.3
5) Holborn for Peace. Peace Week May 10th-17th.
Bulletin. Holborn Peace Committee. 1936
(6) Holborn Outlook. Vol.1. No.4. September
1936
(7) Holborn Outlook. Vol.3. No.3. Midsummer
1937
(8) Holborn Outlook. Vol.4. No.2.
December/January 1937/38
(9) Holborn Outlook. Vol.1. No.5. October
1936
(10) Holborn Outlook. Vol.2. No.1. January
1937
(11) Holborn Outlook. Vol.2 No.3. March 1937
(12) Holborn Outlook. Vol.1. No.2. June 1936
(13) Holborn Outlook. Vol.1. No.7. December
1936
(14) Holborn Outlook. Vol.3. No.2. Midsummer
1937
(15) Holborn Outlook. Vol.6. No.5.
July-August 1939
(16) Holborn Outlook. Vol.5. No.2.
July-August 1938
(17) Holborn Outlook. vol.1. No.3. July 1936
(18) The Holborn Review. The Official Organ of the
Holborn Conservative Association. Vol.1. No.3. December
1937
(19) Holborn Outlook. Vol. 4. No.5. April
1938
(20)
Holborn Outlook. Vol, 5. No. June 1938
(21)
Meeting leaflet reproduced in Ron Bill & Stan
Newens. Leah Manning. Square One Books. 1991. p. 47
(22) Holborn Outlook. Vol.5. No.3. September
1938
(23) Holborn Outlook Vol.5. No.4. October
1938
(24) Holborn Outlook. Vol.6. No.1. February
1939
(25) Holborn Outlook. Vol.8. No.5. May 1941
(26) Holborn Outlook. Vol.5. No.5. November
1938
(27) Holborn Outlook. Vol.6. No.2. March 1939
(28) Holborn Outlook. Vol.6. No.4. June 1939
(29) Holborn Outlook. Vol.7. No.1. Feb-March
1940
(30) Holborn Outlook. Vol.6. No.6. December
1939
(31) Holborn Outlook. Vol.8. No.2. February
1941
(32) Holborn Shelter News. Vol.1. No.3.
January 194; Vol. No.4. February 1941; Vol. No. 6. April
1941
(33)
Assorted correspondence and texts of Council
resolutions and speeches December 1940 to February 1941
(34) Holborn Outlook. Vol 8. No.4. April 1941
(35) Holborn Outlook. Vol.8. No.6. June 1941
(36) Holborn Outlook. Vol 8. No.8. September
1941
(37) Holborn Labour Party. Notice (10 January
1944) of Annual General Meeting 17 January 1944.
(38) Circular letter February 1945 from
W.A.Halford, Secretary, Holborn Labour Party
(39) Letter. 18 April 1945 J Diamond to Irene
Marcouse.
(40) Letter (30 May 1945) Irene Marcouse to J
Diamond
(41) Public meeting leaflet
(42) Ron Bill op cit. p. 48
(43) The Sunday Express 24 June 1945
(44) Undated newspaper cutting
(45) Copy letter (25 June 1945) from Irene Marcouse
to Proxy Voters
(46) V.L.Day. 5th July. Victory for Labour
Day. Come and Hear Irene Marcouse. Labour Party Leaflet
(47) The Evening News. Tuesday 3 July. (p.4)
(48) Evening Standard Thursday, July 26 1945
(49) Official Returning Officer Poster of result of
poll. 26 July 1945
(50) Metropolitan Borough of Holborn. Civic
week programme. 1947
(51) Copy speech (undated 'From War to Peace in a
London Borough, by Irene Marcouse Leader of Holborn
Borough Council.' The pool was called Oasis (1)
(52) Holborn Band Concerts. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. Friday 6 September 1946. p.1
(53) Time Wasted on "Waste". Holborn & Finsbury
Guardian. 23 August 1946, p.3
(54) Housing Projects discussed. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. 17 May 1946, p.2
(55) Housing progress in Holborn. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. Friday 3 May 1946. p.1
(56) Metropolitan Borough of Holborn. Housing
in Holborn. Report of a public meeting held at Holborn
Hall, Grays Inn Rd on Tuesday 22nd April 1947
(57) Holborn Calling. No. 11. May 1947
(58) Holborn Council News. Vol.1. No.6.
Autumn 1948
(59) Holborn Calling. No. 26. September 1948
(60) Holborn Calling Vol IV. No.1 January
1949
(61) Holborn Calling. No. 1. Tuesday April 16
1946. Holborn Branch, Communist Party of Great Britain
(62) "Balances should not be held". Holborn
& Finsbury Guardian. No 4250. P.1
(63) "Cannot Live by housing alone". Holborn
& Finsbury Guardian. No. 4251. 1949
(64) Deputation to Mr Bevan. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. Friday 25 February 1949. p.1
(65) New Alderman elected. Holborn & Finsbury
Guardian. Friday 29 April 1949. p.1
(66) Council Housing In Holborn. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. 6 May 1949. p.1
(67) “Holborn News" passes. Holborn &
Finsbury Guardian. Friday 29 July 1949 |
