[1] By the time of the NMM's formation in 1924, the Comintern had abandoned strategies based on the prospect of an imminent world revolution, in favour of slow, gradual working within established institutions, including "pure and simple" reformist trade unions.
Other prominent figures included Wal Hannington, in charge of organization of the metal workers until transferred by the party to work organising the unemployed, the engineer J. T. "Jack" Murphy and coal miners A. J. Cook, Arthur Horner and Nat Watkins.
[9] In January 1926, a special meeting of the CPGB's Central Committee called for a renewed offensive of the working class against the capitalist state and the established organized labour movement.
In 1927, Percy Glading—later to be arrested and imprisoned for his role in directing the Woolwich spy ring, which passed military secrets to the Soviet Union—was elected NMM national organiser.
Instead of the "boring from within" strategy employed by the NMM and similar organizations in other countries, a move was made towards the support of unofficial strikes and alternative "dual" unions.