The People's Convention (P.C.) began life as the People's Vigilance Committee, set up by the Hammersmith Labour Party and Trades Council in July 1940. The leading figure was Denis Noel Pritt, a recently expelled Labour M.P., but the aims were very much in line with the policies of the Communist Party (C.P.) in that period of the Phoney War. The U.S.S.R. had not yet been attacked by the Axis powers and the C.P. still regarded the war as a struggle for dominance between the major imperialist governments.

The Convention was held in London on 12 January, 1941. It had originally been scheduled to meet in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, but the building had been bombed the previous night. There were over two thousand delegates who claimed to represent over a million supporters. Whatever the true figure, many sections of the British Left and the working class were attracted to the eight-point programme:

The Communist Party saw the Convention as a way of focussing mass disapproval of the Chamberlain Government's handling of the war, whilst others on the Left saw it as a way of uniting diverse forces for a more effective fight against Fascism. Many people were undoubtedly drawn to the policies on Air-raid Precautions because from September 1940 until the Spring of 1941, civilians were the direct target of the blitz. Much of the shelter and warning provision had been proved to be ineffective and the C.P. put much effort into campaigning around these issues. It was the Party's proposal that the London Underground should be used as shelters. Once this was adopted, Party activists campaigned effectively among the sheltering population.

Accusations were levelled at the Convention and the Party that they were obstructing the war effort by spreading disaffection through the workforce. Herbert Morrison, Home Secretary to the Coalition, publicly dismissed the impact of the Convention. But the Cabinet banned publication of The Daily Worker the following day in an effort to suppress the Party's growing influence. Although putting a ban on the Party itself was considered, Morrison believed it to be politically untenable. In a Memo to the Cabinet, he proposed that if Party members were interned, it must be as individuals not as Communist Party members. He also warned that banning the paper would result in the production of much larger quantities of leaflets whose distribution would be more difficult to apprehend. In spite of this warning, the Cabinet decided to proceed with the ban and on the morning of 21 January, 1941, Special Branch Officers raided the Daily Worker offices.

Despite such counter-moves, the Convention continued to issue substantial publicity through its numerous regional and local committees, but plans to stage an even larger Convention in the summer were overtaken by world events. Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union brought a swift change in C.P. policy. The Party threw its weight behind increased industrial output, especially tank and artillery production. Its demands now irrelevant, the Convention folded at the end of 1941.

ADAMS, Harry. The People's Convention Fights For British - Soviet Unity. P.C. No date. 15pp.
ADAMS, Harry. Why Britain Needs A People's Government. National Committee People's Convention. (N.C.P.C.) No date. 16pp.
OWEN, Jack. Factory Front. N.C.P.C. No date. 11pp.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. Another Lie Nailed; Pritt - Attlee Letters. N.C.P.C. No date. 15pp.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. Manifesto Issued By The National People's Convention. P.C. 1941. pp3 -11.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. The People Speak: The Official Report. N.C.P.C. 1941. 63pp Illus.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. The People's Convention Says.... P.C. 1941. 11pp.
PRITT, D.N. A Call To The People; A Manifesto Of The People's Vigilance Committee. People's Vigilance Committee. No date. 16pp.
PRITT, D.N. Forward To A People's Government. N.C.P.C. No date. 16pp.
PRITT, D.N. Together Against Hitler. N.C.P.C. No date. 30pp.
SQUANCE, W.J.R. The People's Convention Movement. N.C.P.C. No date. 16pp.
YOUNG, Edgar, P. A People's Peace. N.C.P.C. No date. 16pp.

PEOPLE"S CONVENTION. Bulletin No.4, 1941. P.C. No date. 13pp.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. More Food and How To Get It: People's Convention Plan. P.C. No date. 12pp. Illus.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. The Convention Special. P.C. No date. 8pp. Illus.

LETTERS regarding arrangements for the Convention, the delegates and transfer of the Convention. 1941.
MEMBERSHIP CARDS 1941.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION, Hyde Committee. Public Meeting at Hyde Socialist Church. Leaflet. Hyde Committee. No date. 1p.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION, Lancashire and Cheshire Committee. The People's Convention For A People's Government. Free Trade Hall, Manchester, 12 January 1941. P.C.L.and C.C. Manchester 1941. 4pp.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. Railwaymen! You Should Support the People's Convention. Leaflet. P.C. No date. 1p.
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION. Report of The Manchester Area Conference. P.C. Manchester. 1941.2pp.

The Library holds several badges relevant to the British Left of this period. All except two are button badges because of insufficient available metal under war-time conditions.

PEOPLE'S CONVENTION badges from 1941. These are small and round with "People's Convention 1941" printed on them. However, the graphics are nicely stylised and the whole is in red, white and black giving a simple, but sharp image.
RUSSIA TO-DAY SOCIETY badges are well represented in the collection. The organisation was dominated by C.P. members. The aim was to popularise increased war production. Such badges were popular in engineering where trade union and left-wing activists were successful in establishing Joint Production Committees.