General Strike, 1926. Arthur Cook , General Secretary of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, speaking in Trafalgar Square.

A.J. Cook (1883-1931) worked first on a farm in Somerset and then moved to the South Wales coalfield. On his first day in the pit, the man next to him was killed and the 16 year old had to carry the body to the surface and then back to his family. He was a Baptist preacher, but transferred his skill at public speaking to the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and socialism.

Between 1906-1918, he held various elected positions in the Rhondda No 1 District Lodge of the South Wales Miners' Federation and was active in the Unofficial reform Committee of 1910-11. He attended the Central Labour College, but was unable to complete the course due to financial difficulties. He was an active anti-war propagandist and was imprisoned for sedition. He was a member of the Communist Party 1920-21 and played a leading role in the Miners' Minority Movement. He was General Secretary of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain from 1924 until his death.

Title	Arthur Cook, speaking in Trafalgar Square, 1926
Maker	--
Production Date	1926
Format	Photograph
Copyright	--
Holding Institution	TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University
Related Objects	--