Episode 15 - The Bliss Mill Strike

Episode 15 - The Bliss Mill Strike

In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by labour historian John Mann [https://blissmillstrike.wordpress.com/] to explore one of the most significant yet overlooked industrial disputes in British labour history: the Bliss Mill Strike of 1913–14. Based on years of archival research, local history and family records, John reconstructs the story of a strike that transformed the Oxfordshire market town of Chipping Norton and left a legacy that continued to divide families and shape local politics for generations.   The discussion begins with the history of Bliss Tweed Mill itself, one of the most unusual textile mills in Britain. Unlike the great industrial centres of Lancashire and Yorkshire, Bliss Mill operated in a rural Cotswold town with few alternative sources of employment. At its peak, the mill employed hundreds of workers and dominated economic life in Chipping Norton, making any dispute there far more than simply a workplace disagreement.   John explains how the strike emerged following the establishment of a local branch of the Workers’ Union and the dismissal of workers involved in organising union activity. Although the national union initially discouraged industrial action, workers ultimately took matters into their own hands, launching a dispute that would last for months and attract national attention.   A major theme throughout the episode is the role of management and the complex character of mill manager Arthur Dunstan. Often remembered locally as the man responsible for provoking the strike, John reveals a more complicated picture of a manager who could be both uncompromising and unexpectedly generous, including making personal financial contributions to support the families of striking workers.   The conversation also highlights the extraordinary role played by women during the dispute. Many of the striking workers were young women, some of whom became prominent organisers and public advocates for the strike. John discusses the involvement of leading labour activist and suffragette Julia Varley, as well as local women whose letters, speeches and activism challenged assumptions about class, gender and political engagement in early twentieth-century Britain.   The episode explores how solidarity was maintained despite significant hardship, with workers surviving on union support, community aid and family assistance while continuing to resist pressure to return to work.   The discussion also examines the wider context of the Great Labour Unrest of 1910–14, placing the Bliss Mill Strike alongside the broader wave of industrial disputes that swept Britain before the First World War. While the dispute was rooted in local grievances, it reflected wider national debates about trade union recognition, workers’ rights, employer power and political representation.   Finally, John reflects on the strike’s long-term legacy. Although the dispute ended in defeat and effectively destroyed union organisation within the mill for decades, it helped shape the political identity of Chipping Norton and left a lasting imprint on local memory. More than a century later, stories of the strike continue to be told, debated and reinterpreted, demonstrating the enduring importance of community history in understanding the wider labour movement.   This episode offers a fascinating insight into a forgotten chapter of British labour history and explores what the Bliss Mill Strike can still teach us about solidarity, industrial conflict, workers’ rights and the relationship between local communities and wider social change.

Episode 14 - The Edge of Revolution: The General Strike that Shook Britain

In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by historian, journalist and political writer David Torrance to discuss his new book The Edge of Revolution: The General Strike that Shook Britain. Together, they explore one of the most dramatic moments in modern British history and ask whether Britain in May 1926 really stood on the brink of constitutional crisis and social upheaval.   David examines the economic and political tensions that led to the General Strike, including the crisis in the coal industry, fears of revolution following the Russian Revolution and First World War, and the growing confrontation between organised labour and the British state. The discussion explores how millions of workers joined the strike in solidarity with locked out miners, bringing large parts of the country to a standstill.   The episode also looks at the personalities who shaped the strike, including Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill, Ramsay MacDonald and King George V, as well as the role of the media, propaganda and the BBC during the nine days that disrupted Britain. David discusses how the government prepared extensively for the strike while the TUC entered the dispute without a clear strategic endgame, something which ultimately contributed to its collapse.   Alongside the political story, the conversation focuses on the human experience of the strike, from mining communities and local strike committees to volunteers, journalists and ordinary workers trying to navigate daily life during a national stoppage. The episode also examines the role of women, religion, class divisions and public opinion throughout the crisis.   As this is the centenary of the General Strike, this episode reflects on why the events of 1926 continue to matter today and what they still reveal about work, inequality, political power and collective action in Britain.

Episode 13 - General Strike of 1926: Britain in Crisis

A hundred years after the General Strike of 1926, the questions it raised still refuse to disappear. What happens when millions of workers decide they have had enough? How does the state respond when key industries stop functioning? Is industrial action simply an economic dispute, or does it become something much larger, a challenge to authority, legitimacy and political power itself? These are the themes at the centre of the latest episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast [https://wecanworkitout.substack.com/], where I’m joined by Dr Chris Kirkland [https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/our-staff/christopher-kirkland.php], Senior Lecturer in Politics at York St John University and author of A History of Modern Britain in 12 Crises [https://bristoluniversitypressdigital-com.salford.idm.oclc.org/display/book/9781529232028/9781529232028.xml]. Together, we explore the General Strike not simply as an isolated labour dispute, but as one of the defining crises of twentieth-century Britain and a moment that still echoes through contemporary politics, industrial relations and debates around work today.  Enjoy the discussion.

Episode 12 - Nine Days That Shook Britain: The General Strike of 1926

For nine days in May 1926, Britain stopped. Trains stood still, factories fell silent, newspapers disappeared and millions of workers walked out in what remains the only truly national general strike in British history. Nearly a century later, the General Strike still raises difficult questions about power, solidarity, democracy and the limits of collective action. In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by Jonathan Schneer, Professor Emeritus of Modern British History at the Georgia Institute of Technology and author of Nine Days in May: The General Strike of 1926. Together, they explore the origins, atmosphere and consequences of one of the most dramatic confrontations in British labour history. The conversation begins by tracing the economic and political tensions that led to the strike. Jonathan explains how the First World War postponed rather than resolved conflict between organised labour and employers, while the post-war years saw rising industrial militancy, fears of revolutionary politics and increasing pressure on Britain’s struggling coal industry. At the centre of the dispute were the miners, who faced wage cuts and longer working hours as mine owners attempted to restore profitability. Jonathan discusses how coal was not simply another industry but the backbone of the British economy, powering industry, transport and everyday life. The episode also explores the dangerous reality of mining work during the early twentieth century, including the exhausting conditions underground and the infamous “murder hour”, the final hour of shifts when exhausted miners were most likely to suffer serious accidents. A major theme throughout the discussion is the role of the Trades Union Congress and whether the General Strike was ever truly intended to happen. Jonathan argues that many within the TUC believed the threat of a general strike would force compromise and negotiation, but underestimated the determination of both the government and mine owners. While the government spent months preparing for national disruption, the unions largely failed to prepare, believing workers would instinctively know how to organise and sustain the strike if necessary. The episode examines the extraordinary atmosphere of the nine days themselves, with Jonathan describing the strike as a remarkable display of solidarity and collective purpose. Millions of workers participated not because they were miners themselves, but because they supported fellow workers facing severe wage cuts and worsening conditions. At the same time, many supporters of the government saw themselves as defending constitutional democracy against what they believed was an unacceptable challenge to elected authority. The role of media and propaganda also features heavily in the discussion. Jonathan explains how the government used Winston Churchill’s British Gazette to shape public opinion, while the unions responded with their own publication, the British Worker. The conversation also explores the controversial role of the BBC and how broadcasting became a battleground over legitimacy and power. As the episode progresses, attention turns to why the strike collapsed after only nine days. Jonathan argues that the TUC leadership increasingly feared both defeat and the wider implications of their own actions. While the unions hoped to pressure the government into renewed negotiations, Baldwin’s government believed the strike represented a direct challenge to state authority and therefore had to be defeated completely. The discussion concludes by examining the aftermath of the strike and its continuing relevance today, asking what the events of 1926 still tell us about work, inequality, political power and collective organisation in modern Britain.

Episode 11 - Mick Lynch and the Making of a Working Class Hero

In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, I speak with Professor Gregor Gall [https://x.com/leftacademic], one of the most influential scholars of industrial relations in the UK, to move beyond the media image and examine the deeper story behind Mick Lynch [https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526173096/], not as a caricature or a headline figure, but as someone shaped by a particular set of historical, social and political experiences that matter just as much as his now well known media performances. Enjoy the discussion.