Thatcher disregarded how much of an impact the WAPC would have on the strike as many of the striking ladies figured out that if they went out picketing then they would less likely be targeted by police. [5] Benn, Tony. Page 39. In conclusion to my little rant, unions were formed for the betterment of its members, not to be used as a personal vehicle for selfish political dogma. Articles like the above, years later are actually a compliment to Arthur. However, Margaret Thatchers intentions in this source have to be questioned as this book was published in 1993 after Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister in 1990, therefore she may have been trying to justify her actions and downplay the use of police in the miners strike. (The Yorkshire Left had already decided to stand him as their candidate even before the strike.) However, he does give credit to the harsh tactics taken by the miners that may have cut out any support for the Nottinghamshire miners; The only legitimate question that may be raised about the tactics of the NUM nationally was whether the Yorkshire miners, by picketing Nottinghamshire so early and so vigorously, alienated those they were seeking to influence. //, Unions on the board : an experiment in industrial democracy, Batstone, Eric, The miners also failed to gain the support of the dock workers in strike effort. In 1958, he attended the World Federation of Trade Unions youth congress in Prague. The secretary at this time was a very good friend of mine called Jimmy Reid, and we're still close friends. If it wasnt for Thatchers continued support for the Nottinghamshire miners, the strike would have had their support which may have been vital in the success of the strike. As for the EEC/EU, his anti- stance was in keeping with Labour Party Policy. In 1973, Scargill was elected to the full-time post of compensation agent in the Yorkshire NUM. [9] Scargill saw this strike as a turning point in the union's attitude to militancy.[10]. Seumas Milne, who takes the Marxist view, supports Thatchers argument that government preparations werent sufficient enough to cause the failure of the strike. Therefore, without support from key groups such as the Nottinghamshire miners and the dock workers, the striking miners were isolated which may have led to the failure of the strike itself. Sadly, all these new political halfwits who think it is smart to ignorethe pieces of history that doesnt suit them, bangingon about the way theysee the future ignoring the fact it should be the way we all would like to see it, should remember the silent majority is just that, ignore it of forget it at your peril. That is what we need to remember these days when we think of Scargill. "Analysing the British miners' strike of 19845.". The Enemy Within", Verso 2014. Person/Body (Historic): University of Leeds and Nottingham. [21] Ridley, Nicholas. Andrew Marrs view on why the Miners strike failed is much more convincing as it gives credit to Scargills leadership skills while also saying not even he would be able to persuade every part of the industry to strike showing that Marr believes that Scargill was the best man for the job. In the event, it turned out to be the exact blueprint that the government followed[21]. Accessed January 06, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/07/arthur-scargill-miners-strike. The View from No. He played an important role in the miners' strike of 1972 and was involved in the mass picket at Saltley Gate in Birmingham. [57] Scargill supported the 2022 United Kingdom railway strike, joining an RMT picket line in Wakefield on 21 June 2022. Therefore, the argument that the government limited its role to upholding law and order in the dispute is faulty as many of the people who were downplaying the governments actions are known Thatcherites and consequently had ulterior motives. BATTLE FOR BRITAIN; on the 25th Anniversary of the Miners Strike, NORMAN TEBBIT, Reveals Why He Believes Defeat Would Have Been the Death of Democracy.. [31] Campbell, John. [8] Beckett, Francis, and David Hencke. He had no means of calling a strike in Yorkshire.[27]. [28] Travis, Alan. Shirley Letwin takes the mainstream media view that Arthur Scargills incompetence as a leader caused the miners strike to fail. The .htaccess file contains directives (instructions) that tell the server how to behave in certain scenarios and directly affect how your website functions. National Archives: Margaret Thatcher Wanted to Crush Power of Trade Unions. The Guardian. Clearly, Scargill did fall out of favour with the Socialist movement, perhaps because it became evident that he was only happy when he was in the limelight. [53] Following Margaret Thatcher's death in April 2013, ITN made Scargill several offers for a five-minute interview, with the final offer reaching 16,000, but Scargill refused all the offers and did not speak to any media organisation. Regardless, we have to be careful when using Arthur Wakefield as a source as his diary entries will reflect his heightened emotions after a day of striking that may not truly reflect the real situation. (1983), Restructuring the employment relationship, Gallie, Duncan, Scargills first mistake was refusing to call a National Ballot after the strike started to gain support. Accessed October 10, 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3815426/. [47], In 1996, Scargill founded the Socialist Labour Party after the Labour Party abandoned the original wording of Clause IV advocating the public democratic ownership[48] of key industries and utilities from their constitution. I've always said that if Arthur can no longer control the NUM, he'll try and destroy it. "Goodbye to all that? Nothing good about it. This source is reliable as Kim Howells was a member of the NUM at the time of the strike but still discredits Scargills tactics. September 09, 2018. 11: Memoirs of a Tory Radical. In a 1975 interview with New Left Review Scargill said: I was in the Young Communist League for about six or seven years and I became a member of its National Executive Committee responsible for industrial work. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Bone figurines of waterbirds made about 16,000 B. C., which were found in Mal'ta in Siberia, share the symbolism of the wild gander . Campbell, Adrian, and Malcolm Warner. On the appointment of Ian MacGregor as head of the NCB in 1983, Scargill stated, "The policies of this government are clear to destroy the coal industry and the NUM". [31] In addition, it was alleged that he had taken 1,000,000 of cash donated by the Soviet Union for the Welsh miners and placed it in a Dublin bank account for the "International Miners' Organisation", where it stayed until a year after the strike had finished. The union is known for leading the longest as well as the most violent miners` strike in the history of British history. Both the Marxist view and the mainstream media view gives credit to government preparations showing this was definitely an important factor in the failure of the strike. He has contested two parliamentary elections. The Miners Strike Day by Day: The Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield. The Alliance for Workers' Liberty is an organisation fighting as part of the labour movement for a socialist alternative to both capitalism and Stalinism, based on common ownership and democracy. Another important factor in the failure of the miners strike was Thatcher and her governments actions during the strike such as using the police force. The Miners Strike Day by Day: The Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield. In stories told since the strike, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur Scargill, is strangely absent. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. However, we have to be careful when using Thatcher as a source as she may be trying to give more credit to her successes and deflecting her failures onto other people such as Ian McGregor. The Truth of Nacods Shameful Sell-out. The Guardian. However, In , He was right. [4] UK | Politics | Head to Head: The Miners Strike. BBC News. (You may need to consult other articles and resources for that information.). Tony Benn. Wikipedia. [26] Milne, Seumas. Scargill was born in Worsbrough Dale near Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire. He is best known for leading the UK miners' strike (198485), a major event in the history of the British labour movement. Arthur Scargill emerged from semi-retirement from politics to speak at a meeting of the Communist Party of Britains wretched little pro-Brexit front organisation Leave Fight Transform (LeFT) in Brighton on 11 September, alongside Eddie Dempsey (the man who said Tommy Robinson supporters were right to hate the liberal left) and other assorted xenophobes, nationalists and social conservatives. According to the Morning Star Scargill said that every single MP who wants us to go back into Europe should be opposed. That would be the majority of Labour MPs, then, Arthur? Margaret Thatcher began a media campaign in order to win over the public and demonise the miners. // Page 316, [3] Harris, Robert. This led to McGregor and the NCB negotiating a settlement with NACODS in order for them to call off the strike which could have seriously affected the outcome of the miners strike. London: Fontana, 1992. If you go to your temporary url (http://ip/~username/) and get this error, there maybe a problem with the rule set stored in an .htaccess file. [34] Wakefield, Arthur, and Brian Elliot. [17] Still the Enemy Within (2014). IMDb. : A Review of Literature on the 1984/5 Miners' Strike. Some scholars have concluded that Scargill's decisive tactical error was to substitute his famous flying picket for the holding of a national strike ballot. March 10, 2004. 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