A NEWLY unearthed documentary of the general strike of 1926 provides first-hand testimony of how close workers thought it brought them to a revolution.

The 70-minute film — The General Strike: A Revolution Betrayed? — reveals their distrust of union leaders and the human impact of the strike, said filmmaker Norman Thomas, who found it within Platform Films’ archives.

He said: “The film highlights the importance of rank-and-file solidarity across industries, highly disciplined grassroots organisation — and a deep distrust of union leaders!

“The film shows how people came out of the strike devastated. Whole communities were in pieces. The failure of the strike was a hugely traumatic event.

“Watching the film you get a real sense of how close the strike came to success. If it had succeeded, the strike would have undoubtedly changed the course of British history.”

The documentary has been made available for screenings and viewings by Platform Films.