Wellred Books Britain is pleased to announce the arrival of our newly-published book: A Communist History of the British General Strike, written by RCP General Secretary Ben Gliniecki (see interview below).
Through that, we can study the hard-learned lessons of 1926 – about spontaneous mass struggle and ingenuity; but also betrayal, state repression, and the failure of the workers’ leaders.
Each chapter deals with a specific aspect of the struggle: the decline of British capitalism, the rise of the labour aristocracy, the power of the workers’ councils, the betrayals of the TUC, and the mistakes of the Communist Party.
We encourage all of our readers to pick up a copy for themselves, and discuss the lessons for the movement today.
We are pleased to announce that the book is already flying off the shelves, with over 600 copies sold to date. But we’re only just getting started.
We call on our readers to help us promote this book far and wide, by any means possible: holding launch events, Marxist Society discussions, and reaching out to local bookshops, book clubs, and local trade union branches.
If you want to help us promote the book, or have ideas you’d like to share, then get in touch!
To give you a small taste of what this text has to offer, we publish below the book’s introduction, written by Rob Sewell, political secretary of the RCP and author of In the Cause of Labour and Chartist Revolution.
The 1926 General Strike: Nine days that shook Britain
Rob Sewell
This year, 2026, marks the centenary of the 1926 General Strike, a towering monument in the landscape of British working-class history.
The Strike did not appear like a thunderbolt from a clear blue sky. It was rooted in and prepared by the social contradictions of the previous period.
After the First World War, Britain was no longer the dominant industrial and imperial power it had been in the nineteenth century. New rivals had emerged. Old industries were less competitive. Profits were under pressure. Britain had slipped from first place in the world economy, and was struggling to adjust to this new reality.
The owners of industry sought to resolve this problem by attacking the working class. Wages had to be cut. Working conditions had to worsen. Social spending had to be reduced. The burden of restoring competitiveness was placed squarely on the shoulders of those who worked for a living.
In the 1920s, this produced a growing militancy among workers. Miners, railway workers, transport workers and others resisted wage cuts and worsening conditions. They organised, struck and demanded leadership that would defend them. Political and industrial tensions mounted year after year until the General Strike finally broke out in 1926.
The Strike was nine days long and it shook the very foundations of British capitalism. In terms of the class struggle, an all-out general strike is no ordinary strike. Its dramatic impact in paralysing society poses the question of power: who actually runs society, the workers or the capitalists?
View this post on Instagram
The 1926 British General Strike is an answer to all those sceptics – and there are many – who pour scorn on the very idea that workers can change society. It demonstrated in practice the potential power of the working class. The source of this power lies in the position of workers within production. They operate the transport systems, generate energy, manufacture goods and distribute necessities. They possess practical knowledge of how the economy functions because they are the ones who make it function.
In the course of the General Strike, Councils of Action – embryonic soviets – were thrown up. The spontaneous action of the working class gave rise to the beginnings of a dual power. The established constitutional state power was challenged by workers’ power. It demonstrated that not a wheel turns, not a light bulb shines, not a meal is delivered – the list is endless – without the kind permission of the working class.
Unfortunately, this power was not used in 1926 to carry through the overthrow of the capitalist system. The workers came close and tasted the potential. The fledgling Communist Party proved too weak and placed too much confidence in the left trade union leaders to take advantage of the situation. In the end, the General Strike was paralysed and betrayed by the leaders of the General Council of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The General Strike can seem out of character to the British tradition. After all, we have not had such a strike for one hundred years. It has seemingly vanished from the general consciousness. Nevertheless, there have been occasions in the last century, such as in 1972 and 1984, when another general strike was entirely possible. The social contradictions building up in Britain today in 2026 can produce similar conditions.
View this post on Instagram
A century later, the pattern of contradictions that preceded 1926 is familiar. Britain again finds itself searching for a place in a changing world. Growth is weak. Debt is high. Productive industry has been hollowed out after decades of underinvestment and a shift towards speculation. Infrastructure decays while inequality grows.
Internationally, the framework that once underpinned global capitalism is fraying. Economic rivalry has intensified. Political alliances are unstable. Under these conditions, British capitalism once again seeks relief by cutting costs at home. The result has been a sharp fall in living standards, underfunded public services and widespread insecurity. The parallels could not be clearer. Class battles are on the order of the day.
As a result, we must learn the lessons of the past. A re-examination of the 1926 General Strike is of great importance for today.
Interview with author Ben Gliniecki
Why did you decide to write this book?
The General Strike is an epic landmark in the history of the workers’ movement in this country, but it’s hardly known or talked about.
This year is the 100th anniversary, so I thought it would be a good time to make the history and lessons from the strike a bit more widely known. That’s one of the main tasks of a revolutionary party – to be the memory of the working class.
Why is the General Strike relevant today?
The strike was a product of Britain’s declining place in the world after the First World War. It was sparked by attacks from the bosses and the government against workers’ living standards. People were fed up and wouldn’t take it any longer.
I think the parallels with today are really striking (no pun intended). Obviously in 1926 the movement went down to defeat. The lessons from that are relevant today, so that our movement can learn from the mistakes and be successful.
What’s one thing that surprised you while researching this book?
The scale and power of the strike is stunning. It shocked the government at the time. Even the trade union leaders were taken aback at how many workers joined the walkout. And it wasn’t just about the numbers. The quality of the action was exceptional.
Workers started taking over the running of society: organising fuel, food, and medicine distribution. In some places they even took over the functions of law and order. Over those nine days Britain probably came closer to a revolution than it has ever been since.
Who is this book aimed towards?
I think anyone who is thinking seriously and strategically about how to change the world should read this book. For some people communism is an aesthetic or a buzzword. But for the Revolutionary Communist Party, it means a method, a programme, and concrete tactics. These things aren’t just plucked out of the air – they come from a serious study of the past.
The capitalists have universities, think-tanks, and military academies to train their next generations in the lessons of the past. We too need to study our class’s history – if you’re up for that challenge then this book is for you.
You launched the book at the London Marxist School. What’s the plan to promote the book now?
So far we’ve had launch events in London and Bristol, which have been fantastic. And there are more events planned in Scotland and the East of England. The Revolutionary Communist Party’s annual Congress will coincide with the precise anniversary of the strike at the beginning of May, so I’m sure we’ll be able to link those events up as well.
We’ve got a series of articles planned for The Communist to delve into some of the details of the strike. And the idea of a walking/cycling tour of London to visit a few strike locations has even been floated. Watch this space!
