The 1926 General Strike and its significance in 2026

A day symposium marking 100 years since the 1926 General Strike from the Marx Memorial Library & Workers' School

ONSITE & ONLINE SYMPOSIUM

The 1926 General Strike & Its Significance in 2026: What Can We Learn from History?

Morning Session (11:00–13:00)

11:00–12:00
The General Strike of 1926 and the Role of the Communist Party
Lecture
John Foster, Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences

12:00–13:00
The Nine Days
Short films
Introduced by Isobel Twigger, Brunel University

Lunch Break (13:00–14:00)

Lunch break and an opportunity to view the Marx Memorial Library’s General Strike archive.

Afternoon Session (14:00–16:00)

Panel Discussion

The Aftermath of the General Strike and the Ruling-Class Offensive
Mary Davis, Secretary, Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School

The Battle of Ideas: The Role of the People’s Press Then and Now — from Workers’ Weekly to Daily Worker to Morning Star
Ben Chacko, Editor, Morning Star

Learning from History: ‘Social Partnership’ or Class Struggle Today?
Steve Wright, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union

16:00
Close