Political records

Records of political parties in West Sussex

CLASSIFICATION OF POLITICAL RECORDS

1. The general classification is Political Records

2. The political parties are classified as follows

LA Labour

CO Conservative

LI Liberal

SP Social Democrat

CM Communist

NP National Front

EC Ecology

eg. LA/

3. The constituencies in West Sussex are classified as follows

AR Arundel

CH Chichester

CR Crawley

HO Horsham

MS Mid-Sussex

SH Shoreham

WO Worthing

EU European constituency

eg. LA/CH

4. Records can then be categorised as either i) records of a constituency party or ii) records of a branch or association. Records of wards can be listed as branch records

Constituency parties are always classified as 1, the number being inserted in front of the letters for the constituency

eg. LA/ICH is Chichester Constituency Labour Party

Branches can be classified from 2 onwards

eg. LA/3CH is Midhurst branch of Chichester Constituency Labour Party

when the number 1 appears before the symbol for a constituency this always denotes a constituency party. Branches are numbered from 2 onwards according to when their records are received

egs. LA/1CH is Chichester Constituency Labour Party

LA/2CH is Chichester City Party

LA/3CH is Midhurst Party

5. Constituency and branch records are classified as follows

1. Proceedings: all minutes of meetings, committees and special sections; agendas; copies of the constitution and all other records of proceedings.

2. Membership: lists of party-members, registers of attendance and all other papers relating to membership

3. Elections: election addresses for local and parliamentary elections, notices of election meetings, selection of candidates and all other papers relating to elections

4. Financial: financial statements, balance sheets, account books, cash books, etc

5. Correspondence: all correspondence

6. Property: all matters relating to property, party rooms, deeds, plans, repairs, etc

7. Special Sections: papers relating to special sections eg. youth or women. Does not include minutes, which are listed under proceedings

8. Printed Matter: newsletters, leaflets, notices of public meetings. Includes publications of the party and publications of other bodies collected by the party. Printed matter relating to elections will appear in 3

9. Miscellaneous: miscellaneous material eg. banners, badges or momentos can be listed under this heading

10. Photographs: photographs to be placed in main photograph collection and given a PH reference and stored in subject files according to political party

egs. LA/1CH 3/1/10 10th parliamentary election address

LA/1CH 3/2/7 7th local election address

LA/1CH 1/1/2 2nd constituency minute book

6. Branch records can be classified according to the categories listed for constituencies, see above

egs. LA/3CH 1/1/3 3rd Midhurst branch minute book

LA/2CH 1/2/1 1st Chichester branch, women's section minute book

References will normally consist of 3 numbers preceded by the letters denoting political party and constituency, and a number denoting the distinction between constituencies and branches

Access restrictions are indicated at subfonds level