Correspondence and papers of George McArthur Lawson (1906-78). From 1937 to 1940 he was a full-time National Council of Labour Colleges tutor in the East of Scotland, and served as the West of Scotland National Council of Labour Colleges Organiser from 1940-50 when he was appointed Secretary of Edinburgh and District Trades Council. In 1954 he was elected as Labour MP for Motherwell, and represented Motherwell, and Motherwell and Wishaw, until his retirement in Oct 1974. George Lawson served as a Labour Whip (1959-64) and held office as a Government Whip (1964) and Deputy Chief Whip (1966-7). He continued to be very active in public life from 1974 to his death in July 1978, particularly as Director (1976-8) of the ‘Scotland Is British’ campaign formed to oppose the government proposals and legislation for devolution to Scotland, and this aspect of his career is the subject of a large section of the surviving papers.

Other political and personal interests of George Lawson well represented in the papers include: the Scottish steel industry; the campaign in favour of the European Community; nature conservation and the Nature Conservancy Council, Scottish Committee; and the work of the National Trust for Scotland, particularly in the West of Scotland. Included also (file 67) is some correspondence of Mrs Margaret Lawson. Letters from constituents on personal matters are not included in the papers, but there are some subject files on public constituency issues and matters of interest to George Lawson.