When The Clyde Ran Red: A Social History of Red Clydeside

by Maggie Craig

When the Clyde Ran Red paints a vivid picture of the heady days when revolution was in the air on Clydeside. Through the bitter strike at the huge Singer Sewing machine plant in Clydebank in 1911, Bloody Friday in Glasgow's George Square in 1919, the General Strike of 1926 and on through the Spanish Civil War to the Clydebank Blitz of 1941, the people fought for the right to work, the dignity of labour and a fairer society for everyone.

They did so in a Glasgow where overcrowded tenements stood no distance from elegant tea rooms, art galleries, glittering picture palaces and dance halls. Red Clydeside was also home to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Glasgow Style and magnificent exhibitions showcasing the wonders of the age. Political idealism and artistic creativity were matched by industrial endeavor: the Clyde built many of the greatest ships that ever sailed, and Glasgow locomotives pulled trains on every continent on earth.

In this book Maggie Craig puts the politics into the social context of the times and tells the story with verve, warmth and humour.

Genres: History, Politics, Scotland, Nonfiction, 20th Century

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2011

About the author

I'm a Scottish writer of fiction and non-fiction and love the beauty and the history of my native land. I've expressed my enthusiasm for the latter through non-fiction books. These include the definitive study of women's involvement in the 1745 Jacobite Rising, Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the '45, described by one critic as a 'modern classic.' I later published its companion volume Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of the '45 . My most recent non-fiction book is One Week in April: The Scottish Radical Rising of 1820.

My novels split into two genres. The first six are family sagas set in my native Glasgow from the 1920s to the 1940s. I prefer to describe them as love stories crossed with social history.

I'm now writing historical novels. I call them Romance Noir, very romantic but gritty too. The first of these is a tale of young love and old Edinburgh, One Sweet Moment, set in the 1820s. One reviewer described it as 'Romance with a capital R', which it most certainly is, although I've also been told that it's not for the faint-hearted. Life wasn't easy if you were a poor young woman back then and I felt the book had to reflect that. One Sweet Moment is also about Edinburgh and its Jekyll and Hyde nature, the parlours of the New Town and the underground vaults and oyster cellars of the Old Town, the visit of King George IV to the city in 1822 and the dramatic Great Fire of Edinburgh of 1824.

My second historical novel is Gathering Storm, a novel of Jacobite intrigue and romance, the first of a suite of novels featuring the same intertwining cast of characters finding their way through the moral dilemmas, drama and battles of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.

It's sequel is Dance to the Storm, published in 2020.


As a reader, I love to read novels which might be described as intelligent escapism. I also love romantic suspense, the sort of books where you wonder how on earth the hero and heroine are going to make it through to a happy ending. Among my favourite authors are Georgette Heyer, Dorothy L Sayers, Elizabeth Peters and Nora Roberts. I also read a lot of non-fiction, particularly historical. Favourite periods include 18th century and World War 2 Britain and I love to read about the forgotten women of history.

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

“In the years immediately after WWI 40% more babies died in infancy in Glasgow than the rest of Britain. Meaning 1 in every 7 never reach their first birthday.”

Craig focuses on the years from just before the First World War in 1911 with the Singer Strike up until the Clydebank Blitz of 1941, digging deep into many of the obstacles and issues that the Red Clydesiders dealt with and examines the many situations they tried to improve and the battles they won and lost along the way.

There is a lot of varied and interesting subjects explored between these pages, Craig touches upon some of the battles fought by the radicals of 1820, then onto the Clydesiders themselves, with specific emphasis on the likes of Keir Hardy, John Mclean, Willie Gallacher, James Maxton, Manny Shinwell and Davie Kirkwood, who all played vital rolls in some ways in events like Bloody Friday in Glasgow 1919 to get the working week lowered from 54 hours to 40 hours – it got reduced to 47 and had to wait until WWII for a 40 hr week. The Hunger March to Edinburgh in 1933 and many other issues.

Not until 1918 was the vote given to men over 21 and women over 30.

One of the more inspiring stories goes back to 1915, we see that whilst thousands of young men were away in Europe fighting and dying for their country. Some of the people they were suffering and dying for, realised that demand now outstripped supply, and so many of Glasgow’s private landlord’s (who didn’t have to fight in the war) took the opportunity to increase their profits by raising rents- the response of the locals, mostly women, was to strike. They had already formed the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association in 1914 but they decided to react, by refusing the price gouging, embarking on various marches, demonstrations and other actions until they eventually won their case in court.

We also see as the upper classes were complaining about not being able to get servants, the rest of the country was worrying about feeding, clothing and housing their families whilst their men were being shot at it in foreign lands. Craig gives us a strong Scottish perspective on the First and Second World Wars and the Spanish Civil Wars, which had a huge impact and influence on so much of the country.

Written with a good ear, and a sensitive disposition, you can tell this is a work of great love, dedication and passion backed up by some impressive historical research. This is set in a nice, readable style that really gives us a fully fleshed out impression of what it must have been like to live and in most cases endure the west of Scotland during the years between 1911-41. I look forward to reading more of her work in the near future.

[Patrick McG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, I could tell you I wanted a book with a more academic approach: footnotes, a coherent uniting argument, original research, aspirations to comprehensiveness. But maybe I really did want this friendly and readable book that gave me a tour of the history of my new home, even if meant we sometimes had to keep walking or wander down a side street.

[Val Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Clyde Ran Red by Maggie Craig was the most recent book set for our local book group. It is a social and political history of the town of Clydebank, the city of Glasgow and their surrounding areas.

The author covers a wide expanse of Clydeside's social history from the end of the nineteenth century through to the present day. When the Clyde Ran Red discusses the rise of the labour and communist movements in the west of Scotland which led to the nickname Red Clydeside.

The book compares the enormous wealth of the industrial classes with the poverty that dogged the lives of the ordinary working men and women, and the attitudes that were prevalent at that time. It describes the rising militism of the workers struggling against an unfair system, and the various protests and strikes as they strove to better themselves.

When the Clyde Ran Red does not focus exclusively on men. The women had their part to play. The waitresses in Miss Cranston's tearooms, the suffragettes, and the wives and mothers, many of the latter taking a leading role in the rent strikes during the early part of the century. This book is rather heavy reading for a book group: nevertheless it is a mine of information about conditions at the time, and whether you read it as a historical source, or just for pleasure, it cannot fail to retain your interest.

Val Penny

[Nathan Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as in depth in some areas as I wanted but still a fascinating read about Scottish radicalism

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breezy history of this fascinating period in Glaswegian and Scottish history, mainly told through the founding figures of the ILP and the key events of the period, up until the Blitz. The chapters get shorter and feel a bit more cursory as the book goes on, but it is truly a challenge to explore the period where so much happened at once. I liked how Craig outlined the major labour struggles the led up to 'The Battle of George Square' in 1919, especially the Singer Strike, which seems to me a key moment in revolt against Taylorised work regimes. Also lots of great vignettes in the lives of politicians and people in different class positions. I would love to read more substantial histories of this period which delve a little deeper into the social and class transformations of the city at that time. Also I am yet to find a good social (rather than architectural) history of housing in Glasgow, so please recommend me things.

[David Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Maggie Craig because she writes in a style that can be understood by all. No need of previous knowledge of the days of the Red Clydesiders required, she explains it all very well.

[James Baird · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book. An important stage in the development of politics and social action in Scotland, and an age peopled by colourful leaders and devotees, I was keen to be immersed in the story of ‘red Clydeside’. But this felt like a lightweight treatment, too often diverting into the suffragette movement and wider concerns, as if the writer had insufficient material to maintain focus. I was left wondering at all of the political, economic and social action that had been skated over. I expected and wanted more, more depth, more detail, more documented evidence and historical record; this felt more like a series of magazine articles. Very disappointing, and a massive missed opportunity.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alright summary of the topic for a popular audience. I particularly enjoyed the sections regarding activists incarceration at Edinburgh castle and Calton Jail. Really shows the brutality of some places before Unions.

Lacked focus at times. Some inconsistencies with the authors understanding of Lenin’s politics and the USSR more generally. At times too many names at a very speedy pace.

In many cases, such as quotations, I felt a dire need for citations that were non existent. Because I am so new to the topic I really had no way of verifying some of the stats and quotations. This was quite annoying.

Planned Further Research: need to read more on Lloyd George. Will read more on Maxton, Mclean etc. The concept and deployment of ‘scientific management’

[Natasha Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-woven historical narrative. Would recommend to those who don’t know much about Red Clydeside. It’s informative without being too academic.

I am deffo going to read some of Craig’s historical fiction as well!

[Gordon Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant hisory of the left on Clydeside full of inspirational figures like John McLean

[James Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good overview of the social history of the Clydeside from the late 19th to mid 20th century

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable non-academic history telling the stories of radical Glaswegians over the years.

[Donald Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deeply inaccurate.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The people in this book wouldn't recognise Labour as they are now. Shameful

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a work of non-fiction about the fight against social injustice during the early 1900s in Clydebank and Glasgow. The main characters, James Maxton, Keir Hardie, Helen Jack, Margret Irwin and John Maclean fought against the odds in their own different ways. As a result they often faced ridicule, losing their jobs or getting arrested.

In the early years of the 20th century Glasgow was the second city of the British Empire and the workshop of the world and along with its surrounding towns of Clydebank, Motherwell, Paisley and Greenock, blazed with foundries and factories like locomotive works, shipyards, steel mills, textile mills, rope works and sugar refineries. At the time more than half of the worlds merchant fleet was Clyde built. Glasgow was also full of elegant buildings like the Mitchell Theatre and Library, The Glasgow School of Art, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

The downside to Glasgow's industriousness was the pollution. Factories were risky places and there were few controls to make them safer. The fact was though that life for most of the 1.5 million inhabitants was about economic survival so they couldn't do much about it.

The wealthy, however, wanted to get away from the over-crowding and pollution and with the arrival of the electronic trams and better rail links they were able to move out to the suburbs like Bearsden and Pollokshileds that had parks, tennis courts and boating ponds.

As Craig says “They could trust the prevailing westerly winds of the British Isles to blow any pollution or nasty smells back across to the East End, over there the cholera and typhus which attacked Glaswegians in their thousands during the epidemics of the 19th century might have swept away with old slums��

These problems weren't really acknowledged until they were challenged. Glasgow generated a lot of wealth yet the vast majority of its residents lived in poverty. The reason we know about them at all is down to people like Helen Jack, born in 1877 in the Gorbals. She grew up to write about and document the living conditions in Glasgow. Others such as Margret Irwin helped establish the Scottish Trade Union Congress in 1897.

The trade unions were very active in Clydebank, which grew rapidly during the final decades of the 19th century. In 1881 the population was around 3,000 and over 43,000 by 1913. A large number of these people worked at Singers, the sewing machine factory. Thousands of workers also came in from various parts of Glasgow to add to these numbers. It all came to an end when the factory closed in the 1960s.

It was difficult to fight against injustice and could carry a heavy price to individuals who attempted to do it as the story of people like Kier Hardie demonstrate. As an active trade unionist he lost his job in the mines. Without a job his family suffered terrible hardships but on the flip side it allowed him to concentrate more on politics. He believed that education was the way out of poverty and I like the fact that, as Maggie Craig points out, he got a lot of his socialism from Robert Burns ('The Twa Dugs' and 'A Mans a Man For A That'). Being educated allowed him to eventually become an MP representing The Independent Labour Party.


The first world war also added new hardships. As the war progressed British industry was working at full pelt to produce ships, other hardware and munitions and many factories, such as Singers, were turned over to the state to produce munitions. Concentration on the war effort had put a stop to house building and accommodation was soon at a premium. Many private landlords saw an opportunity to cash in and started to raise rents. During these times there was also a deterioration in the maintenance of these house because of the shortages of labour and materials so the landlords wanted more money for these reasons too. These landlords ruthlessly evicted tenants who couldn't pay. The residents of Clydebank and Glasgow fought back by withholding rent payments and organising marches.


What did it all achieve? These events, along with others, did change things. At the end of the 19th century there was hardly any working class representation in parliament in the UK. From the 1870s a series of working class candidates supported by the Trade Unions were accepted and supported by the Liberal Party. But more was required. Eventually the Labour party established the NHS, the nationalisation of major industries (steel, electricity, gas and inland transport) and a housing act to build 500,000 homes for rental to working class families. Maggie Craig's book for me is a engaging book about the environment that help bring these things about.

[Chris Longmuir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on my Kindle and it was so good I also bought the hardback version for my bookshelves. This book covers a wide expanse of Clydeside's social history from the beginning of the twentieth century through to the present day. There is the rise of the labour and communist movements in the west of Scotland which led to the nickname Red Clydeside. It compares the enormous wealth of the industrial classes with the poverty stricken lives of the ordinary working men, and the attitudes that were prevalent at that time. It describes the rising militism of the workers struggling against an unfair system, and the various protests and strikes as they strove to better themselves. However, the book does not focus solely on men. The women had their part to play. The waitresses in Miss Cranston's tearooms, the suffragettes, and the wives and mothers, many of the latter taking a leading role in the rent strikes during the early part of the century.
This book is a mine of information about conditions at the time, and whether you read it as a historical source, or just for pleasure, it cannot fail to retain your interest.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting chapters about early socialists such as Keir Hardie and John Maclean, as well as the organisation of workers at the Singer factory and elsewhere. However, the book entirely lacks structure, argument and analysis: full of digressions and weak witticisms, it is a jumble of hagiographic anecdotes rather than a history of the socialist movement.

[Stantontas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice, accessible account of the main characters & events of the period. Not very deep politically and with a (very) wee bit gratuitous nationalism that I'd argue doesn't sit naturally with some of the actors. Good primer though, I learned stuff.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and though provoking portrait of "Red Clydesdale" I was particularly interested in the rent riots aspect which is why I picked this book up in the first place. It put characters and events plainly into context and doesn't really draw sides.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbiased account of early 20th century Clydeside's workers fight for their rights. Brilliant!!!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb history of Glasgow's socialist roots.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly inspiring and enjoyable read. Packed with information.

Maggie Craig has made an important contribution to the history of the British labour movement.

[Jim Mcmanus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts well but gets less interesting as time moves on.