This collection primarily contains correspondence between political and election reformer Joseph Parkes and parliamentarian Edward John Stanley. The correspondence dates to the period just following the passage of the 1832 Reform Act, when Parkes served as a political advisor to the Whig party. The focus is on parliamentary affairs. Parkes and Stanley frequently discuss the status of their opponents in the Tory party and the state of the reform movement in Great Britain. A handful of letters date from the time of Parkes' quasi-retirement during which he and Stanley continued to correspond about politics.

This collection also includes some letters between Joseph Parkes and other correspondents focusing on political and legal matters. Edward John Stanley is mentioned occasionally in these letters, as Parkes comments on parliamentary politics.