Subjects of 2.31 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): adoption by Communist Party of policy of opposing Hitler in lead-up to Second World War and subsequent reversal of the policy and removal of Harry Pollitt and J R Campbell from office (1-4); communists’ reaction to Hitler-Stalin pact (6-7); McShane’s campaign in the Scottish edition of the ‘Daily Worker’ on inadequate air raid shelter provision by Glasgow Corporation (8); suppression of ‘Daily Worker’ in January 1940 because of its anti-war stance (10); starting work at Stevens’ shipyard (10-11); Communist Party support for the war following Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union (12-13); size of Glasgow Communist Party during McShane’s period as secretary from June 1940 (13-14, 15-16); support for increased production by party branches in factories (14-15); system of nominating members to the Glasgow committee (17-18); sale by party branches of campaigning literature (18); assistance given to McShane by the reinstated J R Campbell in his disputes with the Scottish party leadership (20-21); Campbell’s character (21-22).
Subjects of 2.32 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): being persuaded to resume working on the Scottish edition of the ‘Daily Worker’ [in 1942] (1); his exposure of abuses by the Polish army in Scotland, in which he was assisted by Major Home, the press officer of the British Army’s Scottish Command (1-3, 6-8); strikes involving Trotskyists during the war (3-5); McShane’s campaign towards the end of the war for temporary housing to be built in Glasgow (5-6); booklet by Harry Pollitt advocating increased industrial production at the end of the war (8-9); consideration by the Communist Party before the war of the idea of a Scottish parliament, and the party’s involvement in the Scottish convention set up after the war (9); disaffiliation of Glasgow trades council for the Scottish TUC (10-11); McShane’s clash around 1952 with the Scottish party leadership arising from his opposition to the policy of advocating a peace pact between the Soviet Union, United States, China, France and Britain (10-15).
Brand: unbranded C90.