Red Clydeside is a term used to describe the era of political radicalism that characterised the city of Glasgow in Scotland, United Kingdom, and urban areas around the city on the banks of the River Clyde. The history of Red Clydeside is a significant part of the history of the labour movement in the United Kingdom as a whole, and in Scotland in particular. Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... The River Clyde, looking eastwards upstream, as it passes beneath the Kingston Bridge. ... The labo(u)r movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and political governments. ...

This period in Glasgow's history lasted from the 1910s until roughly the early 1930s, although its legacy is still visible today in the area. It was a term that was brought into popular consciousness by the newspapers referring to the political militancy of the time. An amalgamation of charismatic individuals, organized movements and socio-political forces leads to the enduring notion of Red Clydeside. This period has its roots directly in working class opposition to the United Kingdom's participation in World War I, although the area had a long history of political radicalism going back to its involvement in the Friends of the People society and the "Radical War" of 1820. // Events and trends The 1910s represent the culmination of European militarism which had its beginings during the second half of the 19th Century. ... // Events and trends A public speech by Benito Mussolini, founder of the Fascist movement The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... World War I, also known as the First World War, and (before 1939) the Great War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars, was a world conflict lasting from August 1914 to the final Armistice (cessation of hostilities) on November 11, 1918. ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... The Friends of the People were a eighteenth century organisation that sought radical political reform in Great Britain. ... The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom which had become prominent in the early years of the French Revolution, but had then been repressed during the long Napoleonic... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Anti-war activism

To mobilise the workers of Clydeside against the First World War, the Clyde Workers' Committee (CWC) was formed, with William Gallacher as its head and David Kirkwood its treasurer. The CWC led the campaign against the Liberal government of David Lloyd George and their Munitions Act, which forbade engineers from leaving the company they were employed in. The CWC met with government leaders, but no agreement could be reached and consequently both Gallacher and Kirkwood were arrested under the terms of the Defence of the Realm Act and jailed for their activities. William Gallacher was born in Paisley, Scotland, on December 25, 1881. ... David Kirkwood, 1st Baron Kirkwood, PC (1872 - April 16, 1955) was a socialist from the East End of Glasgow, Scotland, viewed as a leading figure of the Red Clydeside era. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (January 17, 1863 – March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last member of the Liberal Party to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom in August 1914, during the early weeks of World War I. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war period, such as censorship and the power to requisition buildings or land needed for the war...

Anti-war activity also took place outside the workplace and on the streets in general. The Marxist John Maclean and the Independent Labour Party (ILP) member James Maxton were both jailed for their anti-war propagandizing. Both men also lost their teaching jobs as a result of their activities. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... John Maclean. ... The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... James Maxton was a Scottish politician. ...

Rent strikes

Of all the problems in early twentieth-century Glasgow, housing was perhaps the most prominent. The housing problem had many guises: the condition of buildings was often poor, overcrowding was rampant, and sanitation was non-existent. And to make matters worse, the housing was frequently situated near rank-smelling, dirty and noisy industries. In this context, the drastic rent increases of 1915 proved massively unpopular. Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... Sanitation vehicle in New York City. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

With many men fighting at the front, the women left behind were seen as vulnerable by landlords, and massive rent increases became the norm. Existing tenants who could no longer afford the rent were evicted, causing widespread alarm among the (now) mainly female populace. In Govan, an area of Glasgow where shipbuilding was the main occupation, the women organised an effective opposition to the rent increases, although figures such as John Wheatley also played a role. The main figure in the movement was Mary Barbour, and the protestors soon became known as "Mrs Barbour's Army". Barbour went on after to war to become the first female councillor in Glasgow, and a life-long campaigner for better living conditions. John Wheatley (May 19, 1869 - May 12, 1930) was a Scottish socialist politician. ... Mary Barbour (22 February 1875 - 2 April 1958) was a Scottish political activist, local councillor and magistrate who was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century. ... A councillor is a member of a council (such as a city council), particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth. ...

The usual method of preventing eviction was to block the entrance to the tenement. Photographs of the time show hundreds of people participating. If the sheriff officers managed to get as far as the entrance, another tactic was to humiliate them--pulling down their trousers was a commonly used method. A sheriff officer is an officer of the Scottish Sheriff Court, responsible for serving documents and enforcing court orders. ...

The mood of the placards carried by the protestors was that the landlords were unpatriotic. A common message was that while the men were fighting on the front line the landlords were in league with the enemy--"While my father is a prisoner in Germany the landlord is attacking us at home".

The strikes soon spread and became such an overwhelming success, moving out from Glasgow and on to other cities throughout the UK, that the government, on 27th November 1915, introduced legislation to restrict rents to the pre-war level.

The 40 hour week rally

The activities of the left continued after the end of the war. The campaign for a 40-hour week and improved conditions for the workers took hold of organised labour. On January 31, 1919, a massive rally organised by the trade unions took place on George Square in the centre of Glasgow. It has been estimated that as many as 90,000 were present, and the Red Flag was raised in the centre of the crowd. Massive brawls between the police and demonstrators took place, with a police tram being overturned after the Riot Act was read. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... George Square and Glasgow City Chambers George Square is the central square in the Scottish city of Glasgow. ... In sail boat racing a solid red flag is known as a Protest Flag. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The Liberal government panicked and over-reacted to the rally. Although those present were merely trying to secure improved working conditions the Government thought that a Bolshevik insurrection was about to occur, perhaps understandable given that it was only two years after the Russian Revolution. Troops based in the city's Maryhill barracks were locked inside their post, with English troops and tanks sent into the city to control unrest and extinguish any revolution that should break out. No Scottish troops were deployed, with the government fearing that fellow Scots, soldiers or otherwise, would go over to the workers' side if a revolutionary situation developed in Glasgow. English troops were transported from England and stationed in Glasgow specifically to combat this possible scenario. Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, which, after the elimination of the Russian autocracy system, resulted in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Maryhill is a residential district in the northwest of the City of Glasgow. ...

A Revolutionary Moment?

There remains a lively debate on the left, over whether the Red Clydeside movement constituted a revolutionary opportunity for the working-class. Though on the face of it, it would appear that the revolutionary potential of the Clydeside working-class has been over-exaggerated. Firstly, excepting Maclean, none of the labour leaders developed a class analysis of the war, nor did they seriously consider threatening the power and authority of the state. Furthermore, it was the behaviour of those conducting the war, not the war itself that provoked opposition within the labour movement. The Independent Labour Party's May Day Manifesto of 1918 makes this very clear in calling for A Living Wage for all and Justice for our Soldiers and their Dependents. Moreover, the massive demand for fighting men meant that few Glaswegian families escaped personal loss of some kind. To undermine the war effort was to risk alienating the working class, which many labour leaders were unwilling to do-–besides Maxton, Gallacher and Maclean. The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... May Day is a name for various holidays celebrated on May 1 (or in the beginning of May), the most famous one being Labor Day. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

William Gallacher, who would later become a Communist MP claimed that whilst the leaders of the rally were not seeking revolution, in hindsight they should have been. He claimed that they should have marched to the Maryhill barracks and tried to persuade the troops stationed there to come out on the protestors’ side. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was a political party in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1920 to 1991. ...

The trade union leaders who had organized the meeting were arrested. Most were acquitted, although both Gallacher and Manny Shinwell were put in jail for their activities that day. Emanuel Shinwell (October 18, 1884-May 8, 1986) (familiarly known as Manny) was born in London, but moved with his Jewish family to Scotland. ...

"Reds" in Parliament

The aura of Red Clydeside grew as the organized left replaced the Liberal Party as the party of the working-class. This manifested itself at the 1922 General Election, when several of the Red Clydesiders were elected to serve in the House of Commons (most of them Independent Labor Party members). They included Maxton, Wheatley, Shinwell, Kirkwood, Neil Maclean and George Buchanan. The UK general election of 1922 was held on 15th November 1922. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is now the dominant branch of Parliament. ... Disambiguation: for the historical British party, please see Independent Labour Party The Independent Labor Party (PIT) is a small, predominantly ethnic Tutsi political party in Burundi. ... Neil Maclean, Scottish, socialist, 1875 - September 12, 1953. ... George Buchanan (1890-1955) was born in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

According to the Labour Party, the Red Clydesiders were viewed as being left-wing. Many of them, most notably Maxton and Wheatley, were great critics of the first and second British Labour governments, elected in 1924 and 1929 respectively. The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Red Clydeside era still impacts upon the politics of the area today. Even since then, Glasgow has been known for political and industrial militancy. The Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Work In of 1971, led by the then communist Jimmy Reid is an example. Also, today the Labour Party holds every seat in the area in the House of Commons and has long been the dominant political force in the area (it holds 71 out of 79 seats on the City of Glasgow council, for example). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Jimmy Reid is a Govan born journalist and ex-trade union activist. ... The City of Glasgow Council (Mòr-bhaile Ghlaschu in Gaelic) is one of the 32 Scottish unitary authorities, formerly Glasgow District Council and Glasgow Corporation in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

This period in Glasgow’s colourful past remains a significant landmark for those on the left in Scotland. The legend of the Red Clydesiders can still be politically motivating. At the 1989 Glasgow Central by-election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate Alex Neil called himself and the then SNP MP for Govan, Jim Sillars, the "new Clydesiders". 1989 (MCMLXXXIX in Roman) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Alex Neil was born in 1951 in Patna, East Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Jim Sillars was born in 1937 in Ayrshire, Scotland. ...

External links

• Archive images and information
• Radical Glasgow (extended version of book by John Couzin)
• Libcom.org/history - Red Clydeside page
• Information resources on the history of Red Clydeside