Politician and Labour Party member

Administrative/biographical history

Ronald Leighton was a Labour politician. He contested Middleton and Prestwich at the 1964 General Election, but was beaten by the Conservative incumbent Sir John Barlow. At the February 1974 election he fought the new Horsham and Crawley seat, but was defeated by the Conservative Peter Hordern.

He became an MP in 1979 by regaining Newham North East, which had been the seat of Reg Prentice who had defected from Labour to the Conservatives in the previous Parliament. He was opposed to British membership of the EEC and was Director of the Common Market Safeguards Campaign from 1970-72.[1]

Leighton retained the seat until he died in office, aged 64, in 1994; at the subsequent by-election, the seat was held for Labour by Stephen Timms.

Scope and content

Papers and reports regarding low pay and wages councils (1984-1989). Papers and reports regarding Employment and discrimination in Liverpool (1984-1993). Papers, correspondence and reports regarding employment schemes and the Manpower Services Commission (1984-1989). Papers and reports regarding skill centres, Select Committee on Employment and employment for the over 50s (1984-1988). Papers, reports and publications regarding vocational education and youth training (1986-1991). Papers and reports from the Select Committee on Employment (1986-1992). Papers, reports, correspondence and speech notes on unemployment (1982-1987). Papers, correspondence and cuttings regarding social, economic and development issues and problems in Newham (1985-1992). Papers and reports regarding Training and Enterprise Councils (1988-1992). Papers, reports and cuttings regarding youth training and youth training schemes in Germany (1983-1990). Papers, reports and cuttings on the development of Docklands and Urban Development Corporations and their effect on unemployment (1981-1990).

Quantity

1 folder.