 As a Liberal MP he supported Irish Home Rule , trade unions , free trade and welfare reforms . Leading up to the First World War he argued that Britain should adopt a more sympathetic approach towards Germany , including naval disarmament . When war did break out , Brunner was resolute in the opinion that it should be fought and won . In addition to the production of alkali , his factories were making other chemicals for use as explosives . He also built a new factory to purify trinitrotoluene . 
