Jarrow and Rhondda

• In 1936 the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ took place. Unemployed men led by Ellen Wilkinson (Labour MP for Jarrow), marched from Jarrow to London to present a petition to government
• The unemployment affected people’s health and malnutrition was common and infant mortality was twice the British rate
• The march was peaceful and organised. In Rhondda, 375 people marched to London, as they wanted to end the means test and Anomalies Act
• Although ineffective at the time, the marches did gain a lot of publicity
• There was extremely high unemployment in Jarrow (3245 in 1929, 7178 in 1933)
• Palmer's yard was sold to National Shipbuilders Securities in 1933, who then closed it down in order to sell it, causing mass unemployment
• Jarrow was a success because the men returned as heroes, police praised them for their discipline and organisation, the march had lots of support and it improved public image of the hunger marches
• Jarrow was a failure however because the GOV didn't do anything, PM Stanley Baldwin refused to comment on the petition and in 1926 the PM had forced the General Strike to end by ignoring it which he did with the Jarrow petition
• The marchers were put into churches, given free meals and had their shoes repaired for free on their travel