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Election Broadcast Archive

The Election Broadcast Archive contains television and radio recordings for all British general elections from 1974 to 2005, including the 1975 referendum.

The archive contains TV recordings (stored on VHS) and radio recordings (stored in audio cassettes and reel-to-reel audiotapes).

The tapes are kept in store, so please contact us at least three days in advance with details of exactly what you want to view.

There is a VHS video player on level 2 of the Laidlaw Library. The Library, unfortunately, has no playback facilities for the reel-to-reel material or audio cassette material.

Conditions of use

These recordings are kept for the purpose of study and research only by students within the fields of the political and social sciences and history. They are not for general educational purposes.

The recordings will only be made available on production of written authorisation by any one of the following:

  • the Registrar
  • the Chairman of the School of History
  • the Librarian
  • the Director of Television
  • or the Director of the Centre for Television Research
  • or their deputies, in their absence.

To obtain written authorisation from any of the officers named above, applicants must be vouched for by a relevant senior member of University staff or by the relevant head of department of another academic institution.

The recordings are not to be moved from the Library either physically or by any other means.

These regulations are based on an agreement drawn up between the University of Leeds, the Social Science Research Council, the BBC, the ITA and the ITCA. They must be strictly observed.