 | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | HM Government |
| Editor | Winston Churchill |
| Founded | 5 May 1926 |
| Political alignment | Opposition to theGeneral Strike |
| Ceased publication | 13 May 1926 |
| Circulation | 200,000 to 2 million |
TheBritish Gazette was a short-livedBritishstate newspaper published by thegovernment during theGeneral Strike of 1926.
One of the first groups of workers called out by theTrades Union Congress when the general strike began on 3 May were the printers, and consequently most newspapers appeared only in truncated form. In order topropagate the government's point of viewHis Majesty's Stationery Office decided to produce an official publication printed on the presses of theOrganisation for the Maintenance of Supplies.Chancellor of the ExchequerWinston Churchill, a former journalist, was appointed the paper's editor and wrote much of its material.
TheGazette first appeared on the morning of 5 May. It was highly condemnatory of the strike and wasopen that it had no editorial independence. TheTUC produced its own newspaper, theBritish Worker (subtitledOfficial Strike News Edition), however they were unable to match the government's ability to produce and distribute theGazette, with theGazette's circulation rising as high as 2,000,000. From issue 4, the masthead contained the invitation "Please pass on this copy or display it". TheGazette ran to only eight editions before the strike collapsed; the last edition, on 13 May 1926, had the headline "General Strike Off".[1]
On 7 July 1926, at the end of a debate in Parliament on whether to grant the money to pay for theBritish Gazette, Churchill responded toLabour MPA. A. Purcell's speculation about what would happen in future general strikes with the words "Make your minds perfectly clear that if ever you let loose upon us again a general strike, we will loose upon you (pause) anotherBritish Gazette!"[2] The statement drew laughter and applause from both sides and defused some of the lingering political tension in the debate.[3]
