About the authorMARY DAVIS is Professor of Labour History at London Metropolitan University where she was head of the Centre for Trade Union Studies and the Deputy Director of the Working Lives Research Institute. She has written, broadcast and lectured widely on women's history, labour history, imperialism and racism. She was awarded the TUC Women's Gold Badge in 2010 for services to trade unionism. She is one of the founder members of the Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee. She currently serves on the Morning Star Management Committee. and the Communist Party Executive Committee. She is Secretary of Marx Memorial Library & Workers' School.