A Communist History of the British General Strike

by Ben Gliniecki

In May 1926 the working class of Britain moved in its millions. Whispers of a new world — one run by the workers, without the need for bosses, bankers or politicians — were in the air. Britain, an island supposedly lacking in revolutionary traditions, was on the brink of an almighty upheaval.

For nine days, British workers defied the state and their employers to bring the country to a standstill. The General Strike had the potential to change the country forever, but it was betrayed by the very people who were supposed to lead it.

Today, a century later, there are striking similarities with Britain of the 1920s. The economy is weak. Living standards are falling. Public services are collapsing. People are angry, and class battles are close at hand.

In this brief work, Ben Gliniecki, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist Party, presents a sketch of the events of the strike and what led to it. Through it, we can study the hard-learned lessons of 1926 — about betrayal, state repression and failure of leadership. And we can be inspired by the power, initiative and unity of the working class in struggle. With this, we can turn the whispers of a new world into reality.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2026

Reviews

[Big Ollie Olle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.
Not only does it show the many lessons we can learn from the general strike (like importance of revolutionary leadership, failures of Stalinism & how class is a better unifier than nationality) but you can feel yourself in the strike itself, between the quietness of the workplaces and thunder of the picket lines.
It's not too long and a very easy read so I don't see why you shouldn't give it a go.

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

”History does not write itself. It is made by people acting under conditions not of their choosing, but who make choices nonetheless. The story of 1926 shows both what is possible, and what lessons we must learn. When it comes to our own history, the pages ahead have not yet been written. It falls to us to fill them with the story of victory.”

En nyskriven, nätt men mycket bra översikt av den brittiska generalstrejken 1926. Man får en känsla för den kollektiva kraften i strejken - det är verkligen vi som jobbar som gör allt i det här samhället - och vad som var möjligt, men också för förräderiets och nederlagets djup. Boken tar sig an att inte bara hylla initiativen, utan analyserar händelserna och förklarar varför arbetarklassen förlorade trots att man hade styrkeförhållandena på sin sida. Det har gått hundra år men kopplingen till idag är självklar. Man känner igen många händelser och fenomen i den svenska arbetarrörelsens historia också. Rekommenderar!

[Rob James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fantastic stuff. Dispels the myth that the UK doesn't have revolutionary traditions. Without any proper planning the workers paralysed the entire economy and with as much planning as possible the ruling class were laughably useless with their volunteers having no idea how to operate machinery, trains or anything else to keep the economy running.
With planning and a firm revolutionary leadership a successful general strike is possible.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic wee book exploring the British General Strike of 1926. It is packed with inspiring stories and reports of when power was in the hands of the working class. We are told that British people are conservative and have no revolutionary traditions, but here we can see the facts of the matter; during the strike food distribution was under the control of the workers, only the workers own newspapers and bulletins were circulating, and despite the police and the army being used against them workers formed their own defence committees which easily beat them back. Unlike other books on the strike, it does not simply cheerlead a movement which ended in defeat, but actually analyses what happened, how such a strong movement could fail, and what lessons that experience gives us for organising today.

[Sam Lovesey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rust of ages is again flaking off of the mighty motor of the working class. What a primer for today's fight!

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For as short as this book is, at only 121 pages, it is perhaps easily the definite account of the British General Strike of 1926. Not only is it so easy to read, digest and understand, it presents the General Strike as it should be. As one of the greatest movements of the British working class ever seen defeated by one of the greatest betrayals not only in British history but the entire history of the working class. Not just as an event of historical interest but a living thing that contains lessons for the workers of today.

There are many lessons which can be gleamed from this book. Such as the actual strength of the working class when they take actions as show in the many examples across industries of workers grinding them to a halt and rebuffing all attempts by the bourgeoisie to restart them. Or the power of the working class as an international force, since this general strike was not just confined to Britain but gained support all over the world (even to Japan). But perhaps the most important lesson for any working class individual to understand now is the limitations and betrayal INHERENT in the reformist leadership. It cannot be overstressed just how catastrophic the failed leadership of the General Strike was but equally how important it is for us to be the ones to build a solid leadership which have learnt the lesson of those who fought before us.

Overall, a brilliantly accessible, cornucopia of lessons for the working class that we MUST learn for the battles yet to come. I am immediately giving this book to friends and family. Might have to be their early birthday present!

[Arta]

Concise, timely, and astute. A valuable guide for struggles to come.

[Leah Harthill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody can tell me that the British working class are not revolutionary!

[Tommaso Verga · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, concise history of the British general strike of 1926, explaining the relative decline of Britain, the role of the government, the betrayals of the trade union leaders, and the reasons why the Communist Party was unable to step in at the decisive moment.
Not just interesting, easy to read and inspiring, but incredibly educational for all who still want to change society and see the working class take power once and for all, in Britain and internationally. If this book proves anything, it is that this should have been the natural outcome of the struggles of the last century, and if we organise, it will be the outcome of the struggles to come.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of an incredible event in the history of British class struggle - explaining the revolutionary potential of British workers but also the disgraceful betrayal of the union leaders!