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1926 saw a crisis in the coal industry. The pits badly needed modernising but they were privately owned and the Government had no intention of subsidising them. The miners' union also wanted shorter hours and higher wages. After an attempt at negotiation the TUC called a general strike. Baldwin accused the TUC of political anarchy. The TUC backed down after only eight days of striking. The miners stayed out for another six months. On their return to work they had to accept lower wages and work longer hours.

de Valera

EAMON DE VALERA (1882-1975)

• Born in New York to an Irish-Spanish family
• Educated in Ireland and went into teaching
• Joined the Irish Volunteers and was imprisoned and condemned to death over his action in the Easter Rising in 1916
• Pardoned in 1917
• Became a Sinn Fein MP
• Used his American connections to raise money for the 1919 Anglo-Irish war
• Fell out with the main Sinn Fein party over militancy and set up Fianna Fail which advocated peaceful ways of achieving Irish independence
• Became Prime Minister of Ireland in 1932
• Founded the Republic of Eire and kept Ireland out of the Second World War
• In 1959 he became President of Ireland until he retired aged 90

The first television was seen in 1926.

The 1926 Declaration of a General Strike from the TUC

"The prolonged efforts of the Trades Union Congress General Council and the Miners' Federation have failed to effect a satisfactory settlement of the mining dispute. A situation of the utmost gravity has been produced by the action of the mine-owners in locking out more than a million mine workers, and by the failure of the government to make any acceptable proposals to enable the industry to continue without any further degradation of the standards of life and labour in the coal-fields pending reorganisation.

"The General Council, with the full approval and co- operation of the accredited representatives of the trade unions, has been compelled to organise united resistance to the attempt to enforce a settlement of the mining problem at the expense of the miners wages. At a special conference of trade union executives on Thursday, Friday and Saturday last, measures were taken by the General Council to bring about a stoppage of work in the transport services, the printing trades, and certain productive industries.

"Unless a settlement, which the representatives of the Trades Union Congress can recommend the miners to accept, is reached before midnight on Monday the workers in these essential industries will be withdrawn. The trade unions disclaim all responsibility for the calamity that now threatens. Their action is not directed against the public. Responsibility for the consequences that must inevitably follow a general cessation of work lies with the mine-owners and the government entirely."

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1918	World War I ends Coupon election is held Rationing is introduced
1920	Government of Ireland Act Communist Party of Great Britain is formed The League of Nations is founded
1921	The Irish Free State is formed
1922	Bonar Law becomes Prime Minister Labour Party becomes the formal Opposition Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy
1923	Baldwin beomes Prime Minister
1924	First Labour government Baldwin returns Lenin dies
1926	General Strike
1929	MacDonald becomes Prime Minister for the second time