(1998), The third way : the promise of industrial democracy, Lawrence, Dennis, EconBiz.Logger.enable_Autocompletion_tracking(); Milne, Seumas. " [30] Lawson, Nigel. [14], Scargill was a very vocal opponent of Thatcher's Conservative government, frequently appearing on television to attack 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. 100 0 _ a Arthur Scargill c British trade unionist (born 1938) 100 1 _ a Scargill, Arthur d (1938- ). [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. [15] However, Scargill's statements in the years after becoming NUM president divided left-wing opinion with his support of the Soviet Union, most notably when he refused to support the TUC's positions on the Solidarity union in Poland or on the Soviet shooting down of the Korean Air Lines Flight 007. Margaret Thatcher. Page 346. The NUM is not your personal bank account and never will be again. By 1984 however the police were ready and neutralized the tactic with superior force. She makes some bold accusations about when Scargill and his cohorts were accused of serious irregularities in the handling of union funds but this is unconvincing as it has never been proven true. EconBiz.Logger.enable_visibilityState_tracking(); These preparations included the Ridley Plan, stockpiling coal, the appointment of Ian McGregor as head of NCB, the involvement of MI5 and MI6 and the introduction of the new trade union laws. How the Miners Strike Could Have Won. Socialist Worker (Britain). Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Page 22. Joining the NUM at the age of 19 in 1957, Scargill was one of its leading activists by the late 1960s. Written authorization is required for the purchase of tea and coffee. https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2000/jan/07/guardianletters4, https://www.marxist.com/britain-when-britain-went-to. It was a defining moment in British industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the trade union movement. Downing Street Years. In fact, stocks were much higher[27]. London: Routledge, 2019. [8], Scargill was a leader of the unofficial strike in 1969, which began in Yorkshire and spread across the country. This Mainstream media view holds that the strike failed because of Scargills extreme beliefs and bad decisions. Barnsley: Wharncliffe, 2002. [51] Scargill criticised Poland's Solidarity calling it an "anti-socialist organisation which desires the overthrow of a socialist state", which Scargill saw as deformed but reformable. ", R.R. In stories told since the strike, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur Scargill, is strangely absent. [18] Still the Enemy Within (2014). IMDb. The failure of the miners strike in 1984 has been seen by many as the result of bad leadership of the head of the NUM, Arthur Scargill, the lack of support for the strike as well as giving credit to the governments preparations. ", Old Labour party constiturion, Clause 4 part IV, Yorkshire Area of the National Union of Mineworkers, "Arthur Scargill joins Battle of Saltley Gate 40th anniversary celebration", "The Nottinghamshire Miners, The Union of Democratic Mineworkers and the 198485 Miners' Strike: Scabs or Scapegoats? July 31, 2013. A former Labour Party member, Scargill is now leader of the Socialist Labour Party (SLP), founded by him in 1996. A household name in the seventies and eighties, it was easy to imagine the strike as a personal conflict between Scargill and his nemesis, Margaret Thatcher. Right click on the X and choose Properties. . Arthur Scargill (born January 11, 1938) is a British trade unionist. They were released from prison in November 1989. This was seen as violent and was deemed illegal. Shankland's and Hancock's life sentences for murder were reduced to eight years for manslaughter on appeal. The Miners Strike Day by Day: The Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield. [55], In 2017, Scargill spoke at an event in Cardiff setting out how British manufacturing could be rebuilt after Britain had left the European Union. The authorities must be using the army[32]. See also V. L. Allen, The Militancy of the British Miners (1981); N. Hagger, Scargill the Stalinist (1984); and "What Drives Arthur Scargill?"The Sunday Times of London (July 15, 1984).. Notice that the CaSe is important in this example. However, Wakefield also mentions the betrayal he felt by the Nottinghamshire miners who continued to work by saying The lads are in good spirits even if the majority of scabs are working. [14], The vast majority of head-office staff took redundancy rather than move to Sheffield. He used the NUM for his own advancement, and ended up thinking he was bigger than the Union and everything else. The End of an Era Diaries 1980-90. [39], During the media controversy, the antiperspirant Mitchum used Scargill's image, without his consent, under the slogan "Mitchum, for when you're really sweating! He claimed that the government had a long-term strategy to destroy the industry by closing unprofitable pits, and that it listed pits it wanted to close each year. [26] Milne, Seumas. ARTHUR SCARGILL AND PEGGY KAHN - "THE MYTH OF WORKERS' CONTROL" - 1st . Scargill, Arthur (1938- ) English trade union leader. Amazingly the electorate resent being told they're either racist or stupid or both, if the remain campaign had been more mature in it's approach, almost certainly a different decision would have been reached. [29] Thatcher, Margaret. [23] 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. Daily Mail (London), March 6, 2009. Therefore, the overwhelming support for the strike could not be denied. "Goodbye to all that? Arguably, one of the most important factors in the failure of the Miners Strike in 1984 was the leadership of the head of NUM, Arthur Scargill. 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. Having examined a range of factors which led to the failure of the miners strike in 1984, it has become clear that it was easy to just blame the leadership of Arthur Scargill as the ultimate factor that led to the strikes failure. 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. His comments followed a question in the Commons from Labour MP Lisa Nandy, who said the miners and their families deserved an apology for the mine closures. *You can also browse our support articles here >. However, Letwin also blames Scargill for the timing of the strike; Scargill, for his part, had timed his attack poorly, attacking in the spring when the demand for coal was decreasing. Yet he was a decisive figure in the great strike of 1984-85. The .htaccess file contains directives (instructions) that tell the server how to behave in certain scenarios and directly affect how your website functions. (The Yorkshire Left had already decided to stand him as their candidate even before the strike.) Accessed October 11, 2018. A dialogue box may appear asking you about encoding. In January 2014, the Prime Minister, David Cameron stated, "I think if anyone needs to make an apology for their role in the miners' strike it should be Arthur Scargill for the appalling way that he led the union. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. There was some controversy in February 1985 when Times journalist Paul Routledge engaged the Queen in discussion on the strike, and the Queen said that the strike was "all about one man", which Routledge objected to. My father was a Communist. Harpercollins Publishers, 2012. [6] In 1970, he was elected a member of the regional committee of the Co-operative Retail Services in Barnsley and a delegate to its national conference. By not calling a National Ballot the strike rapidly gained support. Was this national or local? You've been found out. It can be argued that both Marxist and Mainstream Media view give credit to the fact that government preparations were a factor in the failure of the miners strike but they have opposing views on to what extent. I was for the EU then, and was critical of this stance, but I I then came to the out view, albeit for different reasons.l, and was fully behind Brexit. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world . This is unfair as after the NCB accidently announced pit closures, the strike gained momentum very quickly forcing Scargill to just go along with it. In 2012, the flat was valued at 1,500,000, and had 24/7 access to concierge services. (You may need to consult other articles and resources for that information.). Person/Body (Historic): A. Taylor & Sons Ltd. If this doesn't work, you may need to edit your .htaccess file directly. 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.. Therefore, when considering both sources, Letwins Thatcherite view isnt very convincing as the argument that the failure of the miners strike was due to Scargills bad leadership is based on factors out of his control like the timing of the strike and accusations that havent been proven. The coal stocks at power stations held out[20]. The View from No. . [27] Thatcher, Margaret. 11: Britains Longest-serving Cabinet Member Recalls the Triumphs and Disappointments of the Thatcher Era. Love him or hate him a lot that Mr Scargill and the Minors stood against in the1970/80s has now come to fruition, the uprise ofThatcherism,greed is good, stand on your neighbour to get a head! Routledge, 1997. [37] Scargill reached an agreement to repay money to the NUM shortly after this. [15] How the Miners Strike Could Have Won. Socialist Worker (Britain). The motto, An injury to one is an injury to all, applies world-wide. London: Vintage, 2008. 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. Accessed October 12, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn. Page 18. The Myth of Control: Created by Mikail Chowdhury, Sana Soni. My Style of Government: The Thatcher Years. On March 6, 1984, the National Coal Board announced its plan to cut the nation's coal output by 4 million tons, in an effort to stem a $340 million annual loss. A miner at the age of 18, he was a member (1955-62) of the Young Communist League before joining the Labour Party.In 1981, Scargill became president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).His attempt to confront Margaret Thatcher's programme of pit closures and anti-union legislation led to a miner's strike (1984-85). Exciting, witty Arthur Scargill brought coalmining to a close in Britain far faster than would have happened had the NUM been led by some prevaricating, dreary old-style union hack. His major innovation was organising "flying pickets" involving hundreds or thousands of committed strikers who could be bussed to critical strike points to shut down a target. [9] Scargill saw this strike as a turning point in the union's attitude to militancy.[10]. My mother was strictly non-political. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. The media characterised the strike as "Scargill's strike" and his critics accused him of looking for an excuse for industrial action since becoming union president. Year of publication: 1980. Arguably, one of the most important factors in the failure of the Miner's Strike in 1984 was the leadership of the head of NUM, Arthur Scargill. Therefore government preparations was definitely a factor in the failure of the miners strike but to what extent, can be argued. Arrow, 1994. "Scargill" redirects here. The Labour Party was opposed to membership of the EU to begin with wasn't it, so what happened, are its current membership more enlightened. [36] Thatcher, Margaret. Accessed October 10, 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3815426/. [19] The NUM had previously held three ballots on a national strike, all of which rejected the proposal: 55% voted against in January 1982, and 61% voted against in both October 1982 and March 1983.[20]. Page 345. [5] However, we have to keep in mind that Tony Benn opposed the radical restrictions put on the striking miners as he thought they were unfair. Scargill also cleverly manipulated the NUM rule book creating a serious constitutional debate. ", Gildart, Keith. Tony Benn opposes Evans view by saying the extent of the support in the NUM as a whole was evidenced by the overwhelming majority of miners who remained on strike until it ended in 1985[14]. The political power of the NUM and of most British trade unions was severely reduced. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has stripped ex-president Arthur Scargill of his voting rights - threatening to end the career of one of the most divisive figures in Britain's recent. Arthur Scargill: We Could Surrender or Stand and Fight. The Guardian. //