Administrative/Biographical History:

Blair Peach was a teacher from New Zealand, born in 1946. After moving to England in 1969, he became involved various political groups, including the Socialist Workers’ Party, the National Union of Teachers, and the Anti-Nazi League. In April 1979, he was killed during a demonstration protesting the National Front’s election meeting at Southall’s Town Hall. Peach was hit on the head by an unknown assailant and died later that night in hospital.

An initial investigation into Peach’s death was undertaken by Commander John Cass, part of the Metropolitan Police’s Complaints Investigation Bureau. The investigation concluded that an officer within the Special Patrol Group (SPG), a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police, killed Peach. Throughout the investigation and the events proceeding Peach’s death, the officers within the SPG intentionally obstructed Cass and others attempting to seek justice. The conduct of the coroner who undertook the inquest into Peach’s death, John Burton, was also questioned. Barriers and obstructive behaviour continued.

Celia Stubbs, Peach’s long-term partner, was at the forefront of the fight for justice, campaigning for the release of the Cass Report to the public and for a full inquiry. Despite the support of 79 MP’s, a full inquiry was rejected. However, the Cass report was finally ordered to be released to the public in 2009 by the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Paul Stephenson, after the death of Ian Tomlinson at the hands of a police officer that year.

The Blair Peach archive contains not only the papers, correspondence and campaign materials acquired during Celia Stubbs’ fight for justice in the years that followed Blair Peach’s death, but also material concerning the undercover policing inquiry that took place in 2021. The inquiry gave evidence of over a thousand political groups and activists that had been infiltrated by the Metropolitan police, including Celia Stubbs who was herself monitored by the police for over twenty years.

Scope and Content:

Collection of materials donated by Celia Stubbs, common-law wife to Blair Peach, who was killed during the Southall riots in 1979. The collection includes: campaign materials and other ephemera relating to the Blair Peach Committee and campaign for justice; press cutting scrapbooks; press cuttings from New Zealand press, press cuttings from the Socialist Worker; correspondence between Celia and TUC/GLC/MPs; letters and other correspondences of condolence after Peach's death; materials relating to the Cass Report; materials relating to the inquests into Peach's death; materials provided by and related to Bhatt Murphy Solicitors; materials related to the investigation and inquest into undercover police.

Quantity:

9 Boxes