London Trades Council

Eventually the unions conceded, but the solidarity built prompted the formation of a citywide body able to co-ordinate future action.

[2] Through the early 1860s, many individuals who later became prominent in the national trade union movement won seats on the executive of the council: Heap (ASE), George Howell, Edwin Coulson, George Odger, Goddard (Bookbinders), Robert Applegarth, Daniel Guile, and later Robert Allan.

However, its support for the United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades, founded just before the Sheffield Outrages, did not bear fruit, and the Council were not officially represented at the TUC until its second conference.

Odger devoted more time to the TUC, and George Shipton became the secretary of the council, launching the Labour Standard as its newspaper, giving particular support to the National Fair Trade League.

More radical figures were elected to its executive: Fred Hammill, Tom Mann, James Macdonald, W. Pearson and H. R. Taylor.

[2] In 1901, the council appointed a political committee, consisting of W. B. Cheesman, Cooper, A. E. Holmes, Charles Jesson, J. Jones (brassworkers), Sam Michaels and Harry Orbell.

After the war, it became increasingly radical; in 1926, A. M. Wall defeated the leading communist Wal Hannington for the secretaryship by only 102 votes to 82.