Labour Ministers, intelligence and domestic anti-Communism, 1945–1951

Abstract

Relations between the post-war Labour Government and Britain's Security Service (MI5) have often been seen as strained. Utilising recently released material, the article argues that, rather than view the Service with disdain, Labour Ministers saw MI5 as an important instrument of Government, relying upon it for information on Fascist and Communist activities to inform government policy, particularly with the development of vetting procedures. It also details the development and early activities of the Committee on Communism (Home) and the involvement of the Foreign Office's Information Research Department (IRD) in domestic propaganda. As such it can be seen that, by 1951 and the end of their tenure in office, Labour Ministers had overseen the development of a complex anti-Communist strategy aimed at protecting the British Cold War state.