Clash – Ellen Wilkinson (1929)

I had been looking forward to reading this novel so much, Liz gave it me for Christmas, after she had read it – and I had initially intended to read it much sooner. It didn’t disappoint at all, I was enthralled – plunged into the world of 1920s politics and union activism, written by a woman who knew this world from the inside. This is one of the few novels about working class people/politics/suffrage written by a woman that I have read – and will now sit alongside novels like South Riding, The Call, No Surrender, National Provincial and I’m Not Complaining in my mind. There should be more of these novels and if anyone knows of any I have overlooked please let me know. I would also recommend the short stories of Malachi Whitaker.

Clash was the first novel by Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson, her second novel The Division Bell Mystery was re-issued by the British Library as part of their Crime classic series. Wilkinson also wrote several interesting sounding books of non-fiction about politics and peace. She was a fascinating woman – but not wanting to turn this into a long biography of the author – I will direct you to her wiki page – looking at her photo it is hard not to see Ellen Wilkinson in the character of Joan Craig in this novel.

Clash is a novel about the General Strike of 1926, its aftermath, and the terrible conditions that miners families were living in. Cleverly Wilkinson shows us two worlds – the world of the northern miners, union activists and the Labour movement and the world of London society – a left wing group of very nicely off people whose intentions are honourable enough, but really whose world is so vastly different to that other one as to be from different planets.

“There came to her at that moment the queer clearness of vision that sometimes happens when the body falls asleep of itself. Through the clatter of the crowded restaurant she seemed to see England – the great steel towns of the north, the mining villages she knew so well, the little homes in which she had stayed during her organising tours. Decent men and women working far too hard, crowded together in uncomfortable homes. Lack of obvious things like baths and hot water, lack of comforts, and, for at least five years, lack of food and warm clothes. What fine stuff they were, what excellent material out of which to build a fine race. And instead…muddle.”

The novel opens in May 1926 – Joan Craig a young trade union organizer returns to her small Yorkshire office utterly exhausted after addressing another in a long line of meetings. Despite her exhaustion she jumps at the chance to accompany her chief William Royd to London. He has been summoned to a meeting of union executives by the General council – something is going to happen, and happen soon, Royd believes it will be the General Strike.

In London Joan is thrust into a rather different world than the one she is used to – and she can’t help but be seduced a little by it. She stays at the home of Mary Maud Meadowes – a wealthy woman who is also a supporter of the Labour movement and the union activism that Joan, Royd and other characters we meet are involved with.

Joan isn’t able to get into all the meetings that are held over the next couple of days, she waits with a roomful of others while the union executives meet. However, Wilkinson faithfully recreates the noise, the excited fervour and crush of eager delegates at a unique time. There’s a feeling that perhaps real change is possible.  Here she meets writer Tony Dacre and Gerald Blain, a naval captain who had been horrifically injured during the war. Tony is forty, unhappily married to a cool, society friend of Mary Maud’s. Gerald is fully committed to the socialist cause, the son of a wealthy man who made money out of the war, and whose money he refuses to touch. Despite everything that is going on, Joan’s head is turned by Tony, who within hours of meeting the young union organiser is himself completely smitten.

There’s a little bit of tension as the unions negotiate with the government, but of course the negotiations fail, and the strike is called – whereupon everyone is thrown into a riot of activity. Joan’s passion for the cause marshals support for the strikers, as she travels the country, platform to platform speaking to huge gatherings snatching sleep and meals where and when she can.  

“Cheer after cheer rose as Joan stepped to the front…Against the packed mass of men of the platform behind her, she stood like a living red flag, the spirit of revolution.”

When the strike is over – there is work still to be done. Joan takes a brief holiday, remaining in London at Mary Maud’s house and seeing rather a lot of Tony. Tony wants to leave his wife for Joan, but he would also expect her to give up her work. Mary Maud can’t help but interfere, worried about Joan, knowing how vital her work is to who she is, there has been a suggestion that Joan could stand as a Labour candidate in the next election. Mary Maud understands that even in these more modern and enlightened times (ha!) women are not usually allowed to have it all, she knows that Joan must choose.

A call from William Royd has Joan scuttling back up north, this time to the mining communities still suffering desperately. Leaving Tony behind in London, whose interest in socialist causes has waned a little now the excitement of the strike is over – Joan gets right to the heart of the problems affecting the communities she knows and understands and might possibly represent one day. The spectre of Tony remains, especially when he sends her expensive gifts – which get spread out across the room where she is staying in a mining family’s home – a stark reminder of two different worlds. She enlists the help of Gerald Blain who has become a good and loyal friend – someone who understands Joan, the causes and wants to work for the same things she does.

This is a fabulously immersive and fascinating novel – for anyone interested in left wing politics of this period it is a must – there is a wonderful feeling of authenticity about the characters in this novel – people drawn from life I am sure. I would love someone to re-issue this novel – which even more than ninety years on still has a lot of resonance.