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, increasingly became 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 that 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. And, 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.