# 1941 Committee

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{{Short description|Historic political grouping}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
The '''1941 Committee''' was a group of British politicians, writers and other people of influence who got together in 1940.<ref name="time">[https://web.archive.org/web/20121102095414/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772686-1,00.html  ''Time'' 21 April 1941]</ref> Its members comprised liberals, and those further left, who were not generally involved with a political party. Its immediate purpose was to press for more efficient production in order to enhance the war effort. This swiftly developed into discussion of the methods and mores by which the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) would be governed after [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The members met at the home of [Edward Hulton](/source/Edward_George_Warris_Hulton), the publisher of ''[Picture Post](/source/Picture_Post)''.

== Members ==
The committee's members included:
*[Richard Acland](/source/Richard_Acland)
*[David Astor](/source/David_Astor)
*[Thomas Balogh](/source/Thomas_Balogh)
*[Vernon Bartlett](/source/Vernon_Bartlett)
*[Violet Bonham Carter](/source/Violet_Bonham_Carter)
*[Tom Driberg](/source/Tom_Driberg)
*[Michael Foot](/source/Michael_Foot)
*[Raymond Gauntlett](/source/Raymond_Gauntlett), Secretary<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1941/jul/03/1941-committee-terminal-house Hansard 3 July 1941 vol 372 c1475]</ref>
*[Victor Gollancz](/source/Victor_Gollancz)
*[Eva Hubback](/source/Eva_Hubback)
*[Edward Hulton](/source/Edward_George_Warris_Hulton)
*[Julian Huxley](/source/Julian_Huxley)<ref name="time"/>
*[Margaret Storm Jameson](/source/Storm_Jameson)
*[Douglas Jay](/source/Douglas_Jay%2C_Baron_Jay)
*[David Low](/source/David_Low_(cartoonist))
*[Kingsley Martin](/source/Kingsley_Martin)<ref name="time"/>
*[Christopher Mayhew](/source/Christopher_Mayhew)
*[J. B. Priestley](/source/J._B._Priestley), chairman<ref name="time"/>
*[Ritchie Calder](/source/Peter_Ritchie_Calder%2C_Baron_Ritchie-Calder)
*[Peter Thorneycroft](/source/Peter_Thorneycroft)
*[Richard Titmuss](/source/Richard_Titmuss)
*[H. G. Wells](/source/H._G._Wells)<ref name="time"/>
*[Kitty Wintringham](/source/Kitty_Wintringham)
*[Tom Wintringham](/source/Tom_Wintringham)
*[Konni Zilliacus](/source/Konni_Zilliacus)

== The Nine-Point Plan ==
In May 1942 the committee published a ''Nine Point Plan'' on which it had agreed, calling for works councils and the publication of post-war plans for the provision of full and free education, employment and a civilized standard of living for everyone. This plan was the basis for the successful election campaign of Tom Driberg as an independent in the [Maldon by-election](/source/1942_Maldon_by-election). Shortly after, Priestley and most of the moderate members left, and under the guidance of [Richard Acland](/source/Richard_Acland) the committee merged with his organisation 'Forward March' to create the [Common Wealth Party](/source/Common_Wealth_Party) in July 1942.

Committee members were responsible for the publication of two anonymous best-selling books: ''[Guilty Men](/source/Guilty_Men)'' by Cato (Michael Foot, [Frank Owen](/source/Frank_Owen_(politician)), and [Peter Howard](/source/Peter_Howard_(journalist))) and ''Your M.P.'' by Gracchus (Wintringham), both published by [Gollancz](/source/Victor_Gollancz_Ltd), which exposed pro-[fascist](/source/fascist) sympathies amongst Conservative politicians.

==References==
<references />

== External links ==
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/2WW1941.htm Schoolnet: The 1941 Committee]

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom
Category:United Kingdom in World War II
Category:1940 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:1942 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Category:1940s in British politics
Category:Progressive organisations in the United Kingdom
Category:Reform in the United Kingdom

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [1941 Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Committee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Committee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.