Trade union activity

Shipton worked as a builder and became involved in trade unionism by joining the Land and Labour League, where he became a strong supporter of George Odger

George Odger

George Odger was a pioneer British trade unionist. He is best remembered as the head of the London Trades Council during the period of formation of the Trades Union Congress and as the first President of the First International.-Early years:...

. In 1872, he was elected as the General Secretary of the London Trades Council

London Trades Council

The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades Councils...

. In 1873, he became the first leader of the London Amalgamated Painters union, a post he held until 1889.

In 1878, Shipton travelled to Paris, leading the English delegation at an early international labour conference. In 1879, he stood as an independent

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

 Radical candidate in a by-election in Southwark

Southwark (UK Parliament constituency)

Southwark was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Southwark district of South London. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the English Parliament from 1295 to 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...

.

The Labour Standard

The London Trades Council

London Trades Council

The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades Councils...

 had broken links with The Bee-Hive

The Bee-Hive (journal)

The Bee-Hive was a trade unionist journal published weekly in the United Kingdom between 1861 and 1878.The Bee-Hive was established in 1861 by George Potter, with professional journalist George Troup as editor and Robert Hartwell as the main contributor...

, their previous journal, in 1865, and it had ceased publication in 1878. In 1881, they resolved to establish their own newspaper, the Labour Standard, and named Shipton as its editor. He initially ran with a series of lead articles by Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...

. He resigned in 1884, being replaced by William Bassett

William Bassett

William Bassett may refer to:*William Bassett , Royalist MP for Bath, 1640–1642*William Bassett , MP for Bath, 1669–1693*William Bassett , American actor*William Bassett, Jr...

.

In 1885, Shipton was elected as the Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress

General Secretary of the TUC

The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom....

 (TUC), the post which later became the General Secretary.

New Unionism

In the late 1880s, Shipton opposed the New Unionism

New Unionism

New Unionism is a term which has been used twice in the history of the labour movement, both times involving moves to broaden the trade union agenda.-1880s:First was the development within the British trade union movement in the late 1880s...

. Although the universal franchise was some years off, he claimed that "when the people were unenfranchised, were without votes, the only power left to them was the demonstration of numbers. Now, however, the workmen have votes." In 1890, Tom Mann

Tom Mann

Tom Mann was a noted British trade unionist. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a popular public speaker in the labour movement.-Early years:...

 and Ben Tillett

Ben Tillett

Benjamin Tillett was a British socialist, trade union leader and politician. He was born in Bristol and began his working life as a sailor, before travelling to London and taking up work as a docker....

, proponents of the New Unionism wrote a document entitled The "NEW" Trade Unionism: a reply to Mr George Shipton. He was defeated for the Secretaryship of the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC, but remained the Secretary of the London Trades Council until 1896.