ABSTRACT
The Northern Union was born into a world in which the pace of change was becoming increasingly rapid. English society was becoming much more centralised, and culture, of whichever class, became increasingly nationally based. New levels of economic integration and the growth of the role of the state undermined regionalism and activities of a purely local character. Industrial conflict in the 1890s, for example the 1893 miners' strike, quickly took on a national dimension, a development which was highlighted by the growth of national trade unions and employers' federations, and also by the keenness of the state to intervene in disputes. This keenness was not only due to national considerations but also to international ones; the decline of Britain's trade position relative to its major competitors meant that serious industrial troubles at home could affect its economic position abroad. Also, of course, the increasing weight of London in national affairs was a reflection of its position as the centre of a global, and still expanding, empire.
