The actor Ricky Tomlinson must be nearing, if he hasn’t already achieved, ‘national treasure’ status; however the star of Royle Family, Brookside and many other hit shows has also been engaged in a 47-year fight for justice after being jailed in relation to his role as a trade union activist during the 1972 builders strike. Earlier this year the miscarriage of justice watchdog finally referred his conviction, along with six other members of a group of construction workers otherwise known as the ‘Shrewsbury 24’, back to the Court of Appeal.
They had been picketing sites in Shrewsbury and had been charged under arcane legislation, the Conspiracy Act 1875, for offences relating to intimidation and damage during the first nationwide industrial action by the building trade. It was a fraught time of growing union militancy and the government was increasingly panicky when Ricky Tomlinson took part in the first ever national building workers’ strike to secure better wages and safety regimes.
