The UK has just seen another general election and during campaign time, many causes and agendas are highlighted by various organisations and individuals. 

Dating back to turn of the century, the people of Barrow haven't been afraid to put forward change and when necessary, take industrial action.

Hospitals, railways and trade were political top topics even back then.

READ MORE: Barrow's worst disasters of the last century captured by the Sankeys

The Sankeys were a father and son duo, Raymond and Edward Sankey, who documented life in Barrow and Cumbria for over 70 years.

Their pictures have been curated in the Sankey online archive with some showing causes that were dear to people's hearts.

Some of these were simple fun events to raise money for local hospitals whilst others saw people taking immediate action with even the military having to intervene.

The Sankeys also did well to capture the zeitgeist and some images reflected some of the nationalistic sentiment of the time.

One fascinating photo shows a campaigner dressed the part in honour of tariff reform in 1910.

Pictured with a matching dog on Slater Street, the man can be seen in a Union Jack suit with 'Vote for Meynell' decals.

Francis Meynell was a Conservative candidate in parliamentary elections in 1910 however Labour won the general election that year. 

Reminiscent of Brexit, the campaign was all around free trade 'coming to an end' and tariffs being imposed on all products coming from outside the empire contributing to Britain's decline. 

(Image: Sankey Online Archive) In 1919, tensions in Barrow were heighted when armed soldiers were called into the town during a National Rail Strike.

The industrial action lasted almost ten days  beginning at midnight on the night of the September 26/27 to October 5. 

This was part of a much bigger strike movement in Britain.

That year strike days went up from six million in 1918 to 35 million with a total of 2.4 million British workers who went  on strike.

The strike was triggered by the government’s announcement to reduce the rates of pay for railway workers.

(Image: Sankey Online Archive) In one rather odd picture, seventeen men can be been posing on and in front of Furness Railway 0-6-0 Engine No. 24 after volunteering to clean it strike mid-strike.

Later in 1938, the 'Buy British' ethos was also echoed in a Sankey picture.

A 'Buy British' car campaign is shown with four cars and a van outside Loxham's garage at the Premier Service Station.

Anyone wanting to use the Sankey photos in a book, online or in an exhibition need to ask permission to use the photos from Cumbria Archives and there may be a charge.

Downloading images for personal use is fine however.  The full details on copyright are here: https://www.sankeyphotoarchive.uk/contact/.