James Waddell (Home Office)

article

documents

Overview

James Waddell was a senior British civil servant whose career included working in the Home Office. In 1968, Waddell was in charge of F4, the department dealing with the police, public order and security.

Between 1968 and 1972, Waddell was party to the Special Demonstration Squad being founded and to decisions to keep running the unit. Waddell chaired secret Whitehall committees on subversion until he retired in 1975, going on to work for the Police Complaints Board and heading an investigation into corruption at UK intelligence and security agency GCHQ.

Statements

Title

Hearing Day

Groups

Exhibits

Opening Statement of Counsel to the Inquiry for Tranche 1

2 Nov 2020

Reports

Date

Originator

MPS-UCPI

Title

21 Feb 1967

Home Office

UCPI0000035119

Letter from Waddell (Home Office) to Sir Philip Allen attaching draft letter to Commissioner about overlap between Special Branch and MI5

21 Feb 1967

Home Office

UCPI0000035124

Draft Letter to Commissioner Sir Joseph Simpson about the possibility of overlap between Special Branch and MI5

1 Mar 1967

Home Office

UCPI0000035123

Letter from Sir Philip Allen to Brodie on review of possible overlap between Special Branch and MI5

13 Nov 1967

Home Office

UCPI0000034284

Notes on a meeting of Home Office, MI5 and Special Branch about their related roles, held at the Home Office on 13 Nov 1967

25 Jul 1968

Committee on Subversion (Home)

UCPI0000035232

Minutes of a meeting of the Official Committee on Communism (Home) discussing student protest, 24 July 1968 (CAB 301-509)

16 Aug 1968

Committee on Subversion (Home)

UCPI0000035233

Minutes of a meeting of the Official Committee on Communism (Home) discussing student protest and how to disrupt and counter-propagandise it (CAB 301-509)

21 Nov 1968

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0724120

Met Police letter to Home Office on continuation of the SDS after the Oct 27 1968 demo

13 Dec 1968

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0724117

Memo from Ferguson Smith on meeting with Home Office where long-term viability of SDS discussed

16 Dec 1968

Home Office

MPS-0724116

Home Office letter from James Waddell to Peter Brodie concerning expenditure on accommodation

29 Jan 1969

Home Office

UCPI0000035273

Briefing note for Cabinet Secretary ahead of first meeting of the Official Committee on Subversion at Home since its broader remit (CAB 301-536)

3 Feb 1969

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035230

Minutes of a meeting of the Official Committee on Subversion at Home discussing MI5 note on ‘Subversion in the United Kingdom’ (CAB 134-3248)

27 May 1969

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0728973

SDS Annual Report 1969, inc letter from Asst Commissioner seeking authorisation to continue

6 Jun 1969

Home Office

MPS-0724109

Home Office letter from David Stotesbury to Peter Brodie about expenditure on accommodation

23 Jan 1970

Home Office

MPS-0724100

Home Office letter from Waddell about expenditure on accommodation

12 Mar 1970

Committee on Subversion (Home)

UCPI0000035226

Meeting minutes of the Official Committee on Subversion at Home discussing student protest, 11 Mar 1970 (CAB 134-3248)

26 Nov 1970

Committee on Subversion (Home)

UCPI0000035274

Briefing note for Cabinet Secretary aheaf of meeting of the Official Committee on Subversion at Home (CAB 301-536)

27 Nov 1970

Committee on Subversion (Home)

UCPI0000035227

Minutes of meeting of Official Committee on Subversion at Home discussing the industrial situation and student protest, 27 Nov 1970 (CAB 134-3248)

30 Nov 1970

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0724132

Letter from Brodie to Waddell (HO) concerning SDS expenditure

21 Dec 1970

Home Office

MPS-0724130

Home Office letter to Commissioner authorising expenditure on accomodation

17 Dec 1971

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0728971

SDS Annual Report 1971, inc letter to Home Office seeking authorisation to continue

21 Dec 1971

Home Office

MPS-0724177

Home Office letter, Waddell replying to Brodie authorising continued expenditure on accommodation

3 Jul 1972

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035279

Minutes of the first meeting of the Official Group supporting the Ministerial Committee on Subversion, and Sub-Group on Industry (CAB 301-494)

27 Jul 1972

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS_0728970

SDS Annual Report 1972, inc letter to Home Office seeking authorisation to continue

11 Aug 1972

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035268

Letter from Cabinet Secretary Home Office on terms of reference and structure of the new Group on Subversion in Public Life (CAB 301-492)

1 Sep 1972

Group on Subversion in Public Life

UCPI0000035269

Composition and Terms of Reference for the Interdepartmental Group on Subversion in Public Life, 1972 (CAB 301-492)

2 Oct 1972

MI5

UCPI0000031254

MI5 Loose Minute submitting Special Branch report on industrial matters and detailing concerns regarding Special Branch coverage of 'Industrial Subversion' (report wholly redacted, only MI5's scathing response)

11 Oct 1972

Group on Subversion in Public Life

UCPI0000035263

Group on Subversion in Public Life report ‘The Impact of Subversive Groups on Trade Union Activity’ plus cover letter and list of recipients (CAB 301-491)

19 Oct 1972

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035270

Cover letter to Home Secretary for first report from the Group on Subversion in Public Life (CAB 301-492)

25 Oct 1972

Group on Subversion in Public Life

UCPI0000035262

Meeting minutes of the Group on Subversion in Public Life, 23 Oct 1972 (CAB 301-491)

17 Nov 1972

Group on Subversion in Public Life

UCPI0000035258

Group on Subversion in Public Life report ‘Claimants and Unemployed Workers Unions’, with Home Office cover letter to Cabinet Secretary (CAB 301-490-1)

7 Dec 1972

MI5

UCPI0000031256

MI5 note for policy file reporting meeting with senior Met officers discussing an increase in Special Branch assistance in coverage of 'subversion in industry’

20 Dec 1972

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035261

Discussion document on the definition of subversion, the remit of MI5, and the desire for secret units to monitor industrial politics, plus letters relating to the doc (CAB 301-491)

16 Jan 1973

Home Office

UCPI0000035266

Home Office letter to Cabinet Secretary on Group on Subversion in Public Life's paper on the NUM and suggesting circulation to Ministers (CAB 301-491)

16 Jan 1973

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035265

Letters discussing the distribution list for papers from the Group on Subversion in Public Life (CAB 301-491)

6 Feb 1973

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035264

Cabinet Secretary letter to Prime Minister detailing Ministerial meeting to be held on industrial intelligence and subversion (CAB 301-491)

17 Dec 1973

Group on Subversion in Public Life

UCPI0000035272

Meeting minutes of Group on Subversion in Public Life, 17 Dec 1973 and 27 Nov 1972 (CAB 301-494)

22 Mar 1974

Metropolitan Police Special Branch

MPS-0730906

SDS Annual Report 1974, inc letters to Home Office seeking authorisation to continue

26 Apr 1974

Home Office

UCPI0000035102

Letter from James Waddell (Home Office) to the Home Secretary on dealing with allegations of Special Branch infiltrating trade unions, and SB's relationship with MI5

1 May 1974

Home Office

UCPI0000035101

Letter to James Waddell (Home Office) on the Home Secretary meeting backbench MPs discussing Special Branch targeting of industrial matters and trade unions

2 May 1974

Home Office

UCPI0000034700

Notes from meeting between the Home Secretary and certain Members of Parliament on Special Branch and infiltration of trade unions

2 May 1974

Home Office

UCPI0000035100

Follow-up letter to James Waddell (Home Office) on the Home Secretary meeting backbench MPs discussing Special Branch targeting of industrial matters and trade unions

29 May 1974

MI5

UCPI0000004545

Letter to Chief Constables from MI5 on ‘Subversive Activities in Industrial Disputes’

3 Jun 1974

Home Office

UCPI0000034699

Home Office letter following discussions held over allegations of infiltration of trade unions by Special Branch

6 Jun 1974

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UCPI0000035242

Report on history and function of the government's Information Research Department to counter subversion, inc covering letter from Foreign Office to Home Office (CAB 301-488)

11 Mar 1975

Home Office

MPS-0730676

Letter from Home Office to Assistant Commissioner authorising continuation of SDS in 1975/76

14 Apr 1975

MI5

UCPI0000035309

MI5 report ‘The Security Significance of the Ultra Left in the UK in 1974’, inc cover from Home Office to Cabinet Secretary (CAB 163-268)

23 Dec 1975

Home Office

UCPI0000035249

Home Office letter to Cabinet Secretary on extending methods of countering and discrediting subversive people and organisations (CAB 301-489)

6 Jul 1976

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035245

Letter from Cabinet Secretary proposing reinvigorating the Group on Subversion in Public Life and the Committee on Subversion at Home (CAB 301-489)

28 Jan 1977

Cabinet Office

UCPI0000035316

Briefing Note for Cabinet Secretary for upcoming meeting of the Subversion (Home) Committee (CAB 301-489)

13 Oct 1980

Home Office

UCPI0000004427

Home Office F4 paper on the review of the work of Special Branches, with internal cover letter