Metadata: Papers of Benn Wolfe Levy, MP MBE (1900-1973)
Collection
- Country:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Holding institution:
- Parliamentary Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Parliamentary Archives
- Postal address:
- Houses of ParliamentLondonGreater LondonUnited KingdomSW1A 0PW
- Web address:
- https://archives.parliament.uk/
- Reference number:
- LEV
- Title:
- Papers of Benn Wolfe Levy, MP MBE (1900-1973)
- Title (official language):
- Papers of Benn Wolfe Levy, MP MBE (1900-1973)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Levy; Benn Wolfe
- Date(s):
- 1939/1950
- Language:
- English
- Extent:
- 82 Files
- Scope and content:
- These are the working papers of Benn Levy and relate to his time in the House of Commons as a Labour MP from 1945 to 1950. The subjects covered are wide and varied and some reflect well the problems faced by Parliament at that time such as the shortage of food in Britain and Europe (LEV/17) at the end of the Second World War, the housing crisis faced by central and local government (LEV/26).Levy's interest in wider European issues, in particular with Human Rights (LEV/18, 23, 29, 33-34, 37, 57, 61-65), is well reflected in his papers, as well as his continuous interest in the arts and in particular the Theatre (LEV/4-5, 16, 33-34, 39). His continuing involvement in the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is particularly apparent in LEV/40-41. Levy was a prolific writer and many of the press cuttings consists of articles he wrote for the press (LEV/48-52). His constituency papers give us an insight into the challenges he faced as an MP such as housing shortages, the Thames Valley flooding prevention, local government legislation and the case of the ex servicemen squatting at Chandlers Hill.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Born in 1900, the son of a prosperous Jewish woolbroker, Levy was a playwright and Director from 1925 to 1939 before he became involved in politics at the end of the Second World War. He was elected as Labour MP for the new constituency of Eton and Slough which he represented from 1945 to 1950. Throughout his political career, he retained close links with the arts in general and particular with the theatre, to which he returned when he left politics in 1950.
- Access points: locations:
- Slough
- Access points: persons/families:
- Levy, Benn Wolfe
- Subject terms:
- Theatre
- World War II
- Access, restrictions:
- Open
- Finding aids:
- Online catalogue.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://archives.parliament.uk/collections/getrecord/GB61_LEV
- Yerusha Network member:
- AIM25