ISSUE 4- How did the war affect Scottish politics? RED CLYDESIDE

This issue is about how the war made people think more about politics, how people became more political and what happened to the political parties.

Two main themes of this unit: 1.Radicalism during and after the war – “Red Clydeside” 2.Post-war Politics: The decline of the Liberal Party The rise of the Labour Party. The re-emergence of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

Before WW1 Before 1914 Scottish politics was dominated at national and local level by one party, the Liberals e.g. famous Liberal MPs the Scot H.H. Asquith, Winston Churchill was MP for Dundee for a short time. The Labour party was recently formed but found it difficult to make an impact on the working class Liberal vote. The Scottish Conservatives seemed to be fading into obscurity north of the border and were unpopular as they were associated with the big land owners and big business in Scotland.

1. Radicalism during and after the war – “Red Clydeside” Red Clydeside: - Revolution= change the government or - Radicalism=major changes to society or - Reaction=keep things as they are

Red Clydeside One of the pervading myths of post-war Scottish politics has been the strikes and demonstrations during and after the war called Red Clydeside. Was it as the government claimed an attempted revolution like Russia in Some have argued that it increased radicalism (the desire for major political change) in Scotland. Others however claimed it was more about protecting jobs and wages, not changing governments, in other words reaction (keeping things the same).

Independent Labour Party We have already read about the success of the Rent Strike in 1915 which was organised locally but also received support from the radical wing of the Labour Party the Independent Labour Party, the ILP. The ILP organised the Clyde Workers Committee (CWC) to support the rent strike by organising strikes in support in munitions works, shipyards e.g. Fairfield’s shipyard. Famous leaders of the ILP/ Clyde Workers Committee were men like James Maxton, David Kirkwood and Willie Gallagher many would become ILP MPs after the war.

During the war the ILP/CWC were concerned with issues such as: the dilution of labour (training women or non- skilled men to do a skilled worker’s job), which threatened to cut the skilled worker’s wages or even make him unemployed. The Munitions Act which prevented workers striking or even leaving their jobs without their employer’s permission, created a lot of bad feeling in the workforce. The success of the rent strikes in 1915 encouraged radical groups that they could take on the government and win.

When the war ended war workers were worried about: job losses or wage cuts due to the dilution of skilled labour to reduce unemployment trade unions wanted to reduce working hours from 54 to 40 per week. Lloyd George’s famous wartime phrase “a land fit for heroes” never materialised and the improvement of slum housing was a concern for both workers, returning soldiers and wives.

The George Square Riot January 31st 1919 A wave of strikes followed by a mass demonstration of over 90,000 people in George Square ended on a riot following heavy handed police tactics. When some of the protestors waved a red flag the government panicked and fearing the start of a Bolshevik or Spartacist revolution sent 12,000 English troops north and 6 tanks. However within a week the strike was over when a compromise 47 hour week was agreed with trade unions.

What was the effect of Red Clydeside? The strikes and demonstrations that went on in and around the Glasgow area (e.g. Lanarkshire miners came out on strike too) have come to have legendary status in Scottish politics:

At the time the government and most newspapers thought it was the beginning of a revolution; remember it happened at the same time as the Spartacist Revolt in Germany, and less than two years after the Russian Revolution. However it is clear the strikes and demonstrations were more about preservation than change, the workers wanted less hours of work and the protection of their jobs and wages, not the removal of the government. Once the strikers got a 47 hour week and promises to end dilution the protests ended which meant it was not about removing the government.

Certainly the events inspired those involved in radical/far left politics, in particular the ILP for decades afterwards. Many of its leading members were arrested at the time but later became ILP MPs e.g. James Maxton, Manny Shindwell. At times it seems the myth was more important than the reality, Red Clydeside inspired a generation of radical Scottish politicians (the British Communist Party was formed in 1920 and based in Glasgow) but this must be balanced with the fact that the strongest party in Scotland was the Conservatives before WW2.