People's Press Printing Society
A British readers' cooperative established to own and publish a left-wing daily newspaper, now associated primarily with the Morning Star.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The People's Press Printing Society (PPPS) is a British readers' cooperative created in 1945 to provide collective ownership for a left-wing daily newspaper. Its principal publication was originally the Daily Worker, a newspaper associated with the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and since 1966 has been published under the title Morning Star. The society's distinctive role is that of a cooperative owner and publishing institution rather than a conventional commercial newspaper corporation: its capital was raised through shares sold to supporters, and its purpose was tied to maintaining an independent working-class and socialist press. The transfer of ownership of the Daily Worker to the PPPS was formally marked at the Albert Hall in London on 6 January 1946. Bill Jones, a leader of the London bus workers' trade union, presented the transfer document to William Rust, then editor of the Daily Worker. Although ownership moved to the cooperative, the CPGB retained editorial and political control for a period. In 1951, the Daily Worker Co-operative Society was established as the nominal publisher, creating a distinction between the cooperative ownership structure and the political and editorial influence surrounding the newspaper. The newspaper was relaunched as the Morning Star in 1966. A later Morning Star cooperative entity became bankrupt, after which sole ownership of the publication fell to the People's Press Printing Society. This made the PPPS central to the newspaper's continued existence and gave it responsibility for preserving a publication that occupies a distinctive position in the British left-wing press. The society has also been connected with pamphlets and books dealing with press freedom, international politics, socialism, and contemporary political affairs. Listed publications include 32 Questions on the Freedom of the Press, Science in the Atomic Age, The People Rule in Yugoslavia, Inside Free Greece, I Saw the Truth in Korea, The Struggle for a Free Press, and USA '53; The Truth Behind Eisenhower. These works reflect the organization's broader publishing tradition beyond daily newspaper production. Financially, the PPPS has operated under persistent pressure typical of a politically committed, limited-circulation newspaper cooperative. Reported accounts recorded a loss of £41,179 in 2013 and a surplus of £1,137 in 2014; these figures describe specific accounting years rather than a general measure of the society's current finances. The cooperative continues to engage readers and shareholders through annual general meetings. In 2025, its AGM continued the established practice of discussing the cooperative's direction with its readership. The PPPS therefore remains an institutional vehicle for sustaining the Morning Star and a wider tradition of cooperative, left-wing publishing in the United Kingdom.
History
The People's Press Printing Society was established in 1945 as a readers' cooperative intended to own and publish a left-wing British daily newspaper. Its share capital was offered to supporters at £1 per share, making the newspaper's financial base a collective subscription model rather than ownership by a single proprietor or ordinary commercial media group. The cooperative was formed in the political and industrial environment surrounding the British labour movement and the Communist Party of Great Britain, which had been associated with the Daily Worker. The first major institutional milestone came on 6 January 1946, when ownership of the Daily Worker was formally transferred from the CPGB to the PPPS at a meeting in the Albert Hall in London. Bill Jones, identified as a leader of the London busmen's trade union, presented the transfer document to William Rust, the newspaper's editor. The arrangement did not immediately make the newspaper editorially independent of the CPGB: the party retained editorial and political control until 1951. This period illustrates the hybrid nature of the newspaper's early structure, in which cooperative ownership coexisted with substantial party influence. In 1951, the Daily Worker Co-operative Society was created to act as the newspaper's nominal publisher. The existence of this separate cooperative publishing body further divided the functions of ownership, formal publication, and political or editorial direction. In 1966, the newspaper was relaunched under the name Morning Star, a change that established the title by which it is primarily known today and broadened its identity beyond the earlier Daily Worker designation. The later Morning Star Co-operative Society became bankrupt. Following that failure, sole ownership of the Morning Star publication came under the People's Press Printing Society. The PPPS consequently became the key cooperative institution responsible for keeping the newspaper in operation and for maintaining the ownership model on which the publication had originally been based. Although the Morning Star has been the society's central undertaking, the PPPS tradition also includes books and pamphlets on political education, press freedom, international conflicts, and socialist analysis. Documented titles include 32 Questions on the Freedom of the Press; Science in the Atomic Age, published in 1947; The People Rule in Yugoslavia by William Rust; Inside Free Greece; I Saw the Truth in Korea; The Struggle for a Free Press by E. P. Thompson; and USA '53; The Truth Behind Eisenhower. The subjects and authors associated with these works show that the society's publishing activity extended beyond routine newspaper production. The cooperative has faced recurring financial difficulty. Accounts cited for 2013 reported a loss of £41,179, while the 2014 accounts recorded a surplus of £1,137. These results indicate the narrow and unstable financial conditions under which a politically committed daily newspaper cooperative has operated, but they do not by themselves establish the society's present financial position. The PPPS continues to use annual general meetings as a mechanism for accountability and engagement with readers and members. Its 2025 AGM continued this practice, allowing participants to discuss the direction of the cooperative. The society's historical significance lies in its attempt to secure a durable, collective ownership structure for a British left-wing daily newspaper and in its continuing association with the Morning Star.
- 2025
Annual general meeting continued
[1]The PPPS continued its established AGM practice of engaging readers and discussing the cooperative's direction.
- 2014
Reported return to surplus
[1]Reported accounts recorded a surplus of £1,137 for the year.
- 2013
Reported annual loss
[1]Reported accounts recorded a loss of £41,179 for the year.
- 1966
Daily Worker relaunched as Morning Star
[1]The principal newspaper adopted the Morning Star title, which remains its defining publication identity.
- 1951
Daily Worker Co-operative Society formed
[1]A separate cooperative society was established to serve as the newspaper's nominal publisher while the broader ownership and political arrangements continued to evolve.
- 1946
Daily Worker ownership transferred to the PPPS
[1]A formal transfer at London's Albert Hall moved ownership of the Daily Worker from the Communist Party of Great Britain to the People's Press Printing Society.
- 1945
People's Press Printing Society established
[1]A readers' cooperative was created to own and publish a British left-wing daily newspaper, with shares offered to supporters at £1.
Products and positioning
A cooperative, working-class and left-wing publishing institution focused on sustaining an independent British socialist daily newspaper.
Daily newspaper · 1966
Morning Star
The Morning Star is the flagship publication associated with the People's Press Printing Society. It is a British left-wing daily newspaper with roots in the Daily Worker, the publication whose ownership was transferred to the PPPS in 1946. The paper was relaunched under its current name in 1966 and remains the central publishing asset around which the cooperative's identity and activities are organized.
Political pamphlet
32 Questions on the Freedom of the Press
A documented PPPS publication addressing questions of press freedom. Its inclusion in the society's publishing record reflects the cooperative's interest in media ownership, political communication, and the defense of an independent left-wing press.
Political and science publication · 1947
Science in the Atomic Age
Published in 1947, this title examined science in the context of the atomic age and formed part of the society's early book and pamphlet publishing beyond the daily newspaper.
Political pamphlet · 1952
The Struggle for a Free Press
A documented publication by E. P. Thompson concerning the struggle for press freedom. The title is consistent with the PPPS's wider mission of supporting political publishing and alternative media ownership.
Political book · 1953
USA '53; The Truth Behind Eisenhower
A 1953 publication examining the United States during the Eisenhower era. It illustrates the society's historical interest in international political analysis and publishing intended for a left-wing readership.
Brand decisions
1966
Relaunch of the Daily Worker as the Morning StarGeneration changeBackground
The newspaper had operated under the Daily Worker name since before its cooperative ownership arrangements were established. The PPPS and associated publishing structures adopted a new title in 1966.
Action taken
The daily newspaper was relaunched as the Morning Star.
Aftermath
Morning Star became the enduring name of the publication and the principal identity associated with the PPPS.
- Continuation of cooperative ownership after the Morning Star cooperative's bankruptcyStrategy
Background
The Morning Star Co-operative Society later became bankrupt, creating a threat to the continuity of the newspaper's cooperative ownership.
Action taken
Sole ownership of the Morning Star publication fell under the People's Press Printing Society.
Aftermath
The PPPS became the principal cooperative institution responsible for the newspaper's continued ownership and publishing tradition.
Recent events
- 2025
The cooperative remained engaged with readers through its 2025 annual general meeting[1]
Other
The PPPS continued its annual general meeting tradition, providing a forum for readership engagement and discussion of the cooperative's future direction.
- 1966
The Daily Worker was relaunched as the Morning Star[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The society's principal newspaper adopted the Morning Star name, under which it became the enduring flagship publication associated with the cooperative.
- 1946
Ownership of the Daily Worker transferred to the People's Press Printing Society[1]
Other
At a London Albert Hall event on 6 January, trade-union leader Bill Jones formally handed the transfer document for the Daily Worker to editor William Rust, marking the newspaper's move from CPGB ownership to the People's Press Printing Society.
Sources1 sources
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