The Speaker's Conference of 1944

Speaker's letter of acceptance

The Speakers' Conference on Electoral Reform and Redistribution of Seats under Speaker Clifton Brown took place in 1944.

The conference was set up by the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and presided over by the Speaker, The Rt. Hon. Douglas Clifton Brown.

Douglas Clifton Brown (1879-1958), later Viscount Ruffside, was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1943 and 1951.

Clifton Brown

Speaker Clifton Brown at a procession on VE Day, 8 May 1945; Winston Churchill also in the procession. (Parliamentary Archives, HC/SO/6/11)


The Parliamentary Archives holds the background papers for this conference (references: HC/CL/CH/2/1/43-53). They include an account of the origin, constitution and course of proceedings of the conference, correspondence, notices of meetings, minutes of proceedings, papers circulated to the conference and minutes of evidence.

Letter from the Speaker to the Prime Minister accepting the invitation to preside over the Conference, 8 Feb 1944. (Parliamentary Archives, HC/CL/CH/2/1/44)

Churchill to Speaker

Letter from Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, thanking the Speaker, Clifton Brown, for his work with the Conference, 23 July 1944. (Parliamentary Archives, HC/CL/CH/2/1/44)

Letter from Herbert Morrison to the Speaker, page 1 (PDF PDF 373 KB)

Morrison, the Home Secretary, was responding to the Speaker's Conference recommendations. (HC/CL/CH/2/1/45)

House of Commons Library Standard Note on Speaker's Conferences
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