Another controversial action that Thatcher took was giving the police ultimate power during the strike. July 31, 2013. Put the custom structure back if you had one. I think people would be astounded if they knew that."[42]. The NUM is not your personal bank account and never will be again. Can you add one ? Downing Street Years. The .htaccess file contains directives (instructions) that tell the server how to behave in certain scenarios and directly affect how your website functions. "It was Thatcher's legislation, actually giving council tenants the right to buy their own houses. . Arrow, 1994. [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. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Page 158. However, we have to be careful when using this as evidence as Tebbit may have been trying to take credit for the failure of the strike. The strict trade union laws have also been credited for the failure of the strike with Norman Tebbit, who introduced the trade union law reforms, saying because of my reforms, if these other unions had joined an illegal strike, the Coal Board could have asked the court to confiscate their funds[23]. McIlroy, J. "[46] Kitchen says that Scargill "has had 30 years of decent living out of the union, and he's got a pension that's second to none. Was this national or local? Harpercollins Publishers, 2012. However, another reason that many people blame Scargill for the downfall of the miners is due to the fact that Scargill authorised the flying picket strategy in order to stop miners going to work. In the 2001 general election, he ran against Peter Mandelson in Hartlepool. John Campbell sums up the mainstream media view by saying The Governments only role was to uphold the liberty of those miners and others who wanted to work[31]. His legacy is one of shame and ignominy. The appointment of Ian McGregor as head of the NCB can be seen as a failure on Thatchers behalf showing that the governments preparations were insufficient to cause the strike to fail. Arthur Scargill, the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), addressed a rally Saturday outside Sheffield railway station in support of the railworkers' strike. He stepped down from leadership of the NUM at the end of July 2002, to become the honorary president. The End of an Era Diaries 1980-90. [42] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism. 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? Authors: Scargill, Arthur; Kahn, Peggy: Publisher: Leeds [u.a.] First shown: 06/. If not, correct the error or revert back to the previous version until your site works again. 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. The Museum at Work; Health, Wellbeing and Amgueddfa Cymru ; Collections Online. This event is held every year at the Barnsley Headquarters of the NUM and acquired particular poignancy that year as it coincided with the 30th anniversary of the strike. Darlington, "There is no alternative: Exploring the options in the 1984-5 miners' strike. When you have a missing image on your site you may see a box on your page with with a red X where the image is missing. My father was a Communist. The Guardian. See the Section on 404 errors after clicking a link in WordPress. After the miners' strike in 1984, there were accusations that Arthur Scargill had misappropriated National Union of Mineworkers funds and that money which sh. 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. Harpercollins Publishers, 2012. Lawson takes an objective view of the events as his book was published in 1993 after a very public dispute with Thatcher where he eventually resigned. A lot of other people on the National Executive at that time went on and became very respectable Labour MPs in Parliament. [25] Thatcher, Margaret. The 84/5 miners strike brought great hardship, but achieved nothing. Kim Howells discusses how Neil Kinnock argued that real power lay at the ballot box[4]. [32] The documentary suggests that the claims against Scargill were untrue. The miners had already built up a fearsome reputation as the shock troops for organised labour and during his time as leader of the Yorkshire coalfield, Mr Scargill had rarely been out of the news. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Ian White talks exclusively to Arthur Scargill, 84, on 50th anniversary of the Battle of Saltley Gate in Birmingham Accessed January 06, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/07/arthur-scargill-miners-strike. Edit the file on your computer and upload it to the server via FTP. If like me you lived through that period of the early seventies, constant strike action, the mid seventies when Britain effectively went bust aided by constant strikes and was branded sick man of Europe going through the winter of discontent where it seemed everybody was on strike, building up to the miners strike in 84/85, you look back and struggle to convince even yourself that we allowed such selfish destructive idealism to ruin the lives of so many in this country. Articles like the above, years later are actually a compliment to Arthur. you only have to look at the current state of our country after Cov19torealise that we have noindustry left! On platforms that enforce case-sensitivity example and Example are not the same locations. [33] Milne, Seumas. Therefore, the argument that Scargills leadership could have been one of the reasons that the miners strike failed is partly true as we know that due to Scargills decision to not call a national ballot he ended up losing key supporters such as the Labour party and many members of the public who couldnt support the strike as it was unofficial and didnt favour Scargills violent tactics. Scargill has so burnt his bridges with the NUM and the broad left of the labour movement that his name is never mentioned at Durham miners gala or at other miners strike commemorations. London: Vintage Books, 2008. "Scargill" redirects here. All work is written to order. 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. Scargill was born in Worsbrough Dale near Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire. The End of an Era Diaries 1980-90. Beyond Service: State Workers, Public Policy, and the Prospects for Tous les rsultats Google Recherche de Livres». Therefore, we must conclude that whilst Arthur Scargills leadership was an important factor in the failure of the strike, it would be wrong to assume that this was the main reason as without the lack of support, especially from the Nottinghamshire miners, as well as the governments preparations, such as the stockpiling of coal, the miners strike might not have failed. The End of an Era Diaries 1980-90. London: Verso, 2014. 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. [56], In July 2021 he spoke at the Rebel Town Festival in Jarrow. I then thought of things rather differently. The political power of the NUM and of most British trade unions was severely reduced. [8] Beckett, Francis, and David Hencke. Many of us started in the 1950s in the Young Communist League. However, they have conflicting views on to what extent these preparations were made in order to bring down the unions. After looking at the evidence, I believe that the Marxist view is more valid than the Mainstream media view in the fact that it is clear that Thatcher and her government went above and beyond in order to bring down Scargill and the miners. He did not. [36] In September 1990, the Certification Officer brought criminal charges against Scargill and Heathfield for wilfully neglecting to perform the union's duty to keep proper accounting records. Joining the NUM at the age of 19 in 1957, Scargill was one of its leading activists by the late 1960s. Year of publication: 1980. That violence strengthened the stature of the Coal Board and the Thatcher government. Accessed October 11, 2018. This was seen as violent and was deemed illegal. Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales. [60][61], London Assembly elections (entire London city). In stories told since the strike, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur Scargill, is strangely absent. He gained fame for using the tactic to win the Battle of Saltley Gate in 1972, and made it his main tactical device in the 1984 strike. Not even many of the Stalinists he hangs round with. "Goodbye to all that? 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 names of all incoming telephone callers are recorded on a central log. Which makes his present-day role (such as it is) in politics all the more tragic. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. His post-1985 decision to try and build a political organisation the so-called Socialist Labour Party turned out to be a disaster and created nothing more than a pathetic, personal bandwagon which spluttered briefly before the wheels fell off. Are you using WordPress? Milne, Seumas. " In the 1997 general election, he ran against Alan Howarth, a defector from the Conservative Party to Labour, who had been given the safe seat of Newport East to contest. Page 316, [3] Harris, Robert. Campbell, Adrian, and Malcolm Warner. (You may need to consult other articles and resources for that information.). He had been a Communist and retained strong Marxist views and a penchant for denouncing anyone who disagreed with him as a traitor Scargill had indeed been elected by a vast margin and he set about turning the NUM's once moderate executive into a reliably militant group By adopting a position that no pits should be closed on economic grounds, even if the coal was exhausted more investment would always find more coal, and from his point of view, the losses were irrelevant he made sure confrontation would not be avoided. [14], The vast majority of head-office staff took redundancy rather than move to Sheffield. [41], In 1993, Scargill tried to use Thatcher's flagship Right to Buy scheme to buy a flat on the Barbican estate in central London. The two men had been convicted of the murder of David Wilkie, a taxi driver, by throwing a block of concrete from a bridge onto his car. If you have already uploaded the file then the name may be misspelled or it is in a different folder. (1980), Scargill, Arthur, [20] Ridley, Nicholas. [11] Benn, Tony. John Campbell argues that It was the job of the police to protect the freedom to work, and the job of the government to support the police[37]. In March 2014, ex-miner John Cunningham attended the memorial meeting for the two Yorkshire miners killed in the strike, Davy Jones and Joe Green. Unlike the strikes in the 1970s, the later strike ended with the miners' defeat and the Thatcher government was able to consolidate its fiscally conservative programme. This only reinforces the idea that it was Scargills decision not to call a ballot that lost him valuable support. S.l. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! I've always said that if Arthur can no longer control the NUM, he'll try and destroy it. 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. It is possible that you may need to edit the .htaccess file at some point, for various reasons.This section covers how to edit the file in cPanel, but not what may need to be changed. I could write a million words and not be able to adequately describe the misery,hardship and dispare these leaders bought upon the people of this nation. 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. The Miners Strike Day by Day: The Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield. March 10, 2004. This is portrayed by Kenneth OMorgan, who takes a clear mainstream media view. After the miners' strike, Scargill was elected to lifetime presidency of the NUM by an overwhelming national majority, in a controversial election in which some[who?] Arthur Wakefield, a striking miner, presents the Marxist view that the failure of the strike couldnt have been down to the lack of support and instead must have been due to other factors. Page 342. He also represented the Barnsley Co-op at Cooperative congresses. The editor of the Daily Mirror at the time, Roy Greenslade, wrote an article in The Guardian in May 2002 to apologise to Scargill for the false claims about paying off the mortgage and for putting too much trust in Roger Windsor, who at the time had still not repaid the 29,500 that he had taken from the Miners' Welfare Fund and that the Lightman Report had asked that he repay. [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. In the event, it turned out to be the exact blueprint that the government followed[21]. 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. Therefore, Milnes interpretation is supported by Ridleys in the fact that government preparations led to the downfall of the miners. It's easy to mock Arthur Scargill. 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.. Assess the view that the main reason for the failure of the miners strike in 1984 was the leadership of Arthur Scargill. [26] Milne, Seumas. [21] Ridley, Nicholas. March 10, 2004. This article, far from being full of lies, hit the nail, well and truly, on the head. Following these results, Thatcher urged Ian McGregor to fix the problem, she describes how time and time again he (Ian McGregor) and his colleagues were outmanoeuvred by Arthur Scargill and the NUM leadership[36]. [40] Tony Benn. Wikipedia. Page 164. (2004) "Al Richardson (19412003): An Appreciation", David Howell, et al. March 07, 2009. : S.n., 1996. The students, lesbian and gay rights movements also supported the miners as they could relate to their struggle. //-->, Unions on the board : an experiment in industrial democracy, Batstone, Eric, 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. National Archives: Margaret Thatcher Wanted to Crush Power of Trade Unions.. At the risk of paraphrasing, Karl Marx once wrote that the great figures of history appear first as tragedy and then as farce. There are those on the would-be left who will willingly attempt to defend people accused of rape, individuals who beat their partners, those who think there is vast Jewish conspiracy against Corbyn, and elements that think trans people are mentally ill. Scargill seems to have almost no one to advocate for him. In his diary he documents the battle at Orgreave on Monday 18th of June, 1984; Ive never seen so many of our lads altogether, it brought tears to my eyes[16]. The Making of Neil Kinnock. var Logger = new EconBiz.Logger(); London: Fontana, 1992. ",viewBookBag: "View clipboard",addBookBag: "Add to clipboard",removeBookBag: "Remove from clipboard",itemsAddBag: "item(s) added to your clipboard",itemsInBag: "item(s) are either already in your clipboard or could not be added",bookbagMax: "100",bookbagFull: "Your clipboard is Full",bookbagStatusFull: "Full",no_tags: "No Tags"}; Therefore, government preparations are more important than other factors, such as Arthur Scargills leadership and support for the strike, in the failure of the miners strike. Person/Body (Historic): A. Taylor & Sons Ltd. For more information, see The National Review (June 15, 1984 and April 5 . Because of Scargills actions, the strike was illegal, poorly supported and doomed to failure given the level of government preparations. This view is supported to some extent by Labour minister Tony Benn, one of Thatchers fiercest critics, and historian, Seumas Milne who argued that the governments extensive preparations and actions during the strike led to its failure in 1984. 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". It is reported that the police were getting between 600 and 1000 a week and many people believed that there just arent that many police available to move about. A History of Modern Britain. In the 1981 election for NUM president, Scargill secured around 70% of the vote. Scargill was involved in a High Court case in 1978 that set a precedent in UK labour law, known as Roebuck v NUM (Yorkshire Area) No 2. 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. [28] Travis, Alan. Logger.logCoid("61c4e44a-8d58-45d2-8bc5-5fc2bd749aae"); 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. Margaret Thatcher. The most notable of these being the Women Against Pit Closures (WAPC) mainly made up of miners wives or women that grew up in mining communities. ", Gildart, Keith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. We also know that lots of support groups popped up to encourage the miners on in their fight. This is supported by Margaret Thatcher herself; His (Ian McGregor) impression was that the police were failing to uphold criminal law and that the pickets had been able to prevent people going to work[38]. This had great implications for regional relations in the NUM; the executive was described as dominated by "Gormley's rotten boroughs", since every region even quite small ones had one delegate, and the larger regions had only a few more (Scotland and South Wales had two delegates each, Yorkshire had three). Lesbian and gay rights movements also supported the miners strike brought great hardship, but achieved.! Our professional writers J. Thatcher and Thatcherism ultimate power during the strike Collections Online vast of. Coal Board and the Prospects for Tous les rsultats Google Recherche de Livres raquo. Back if you had one Peggy: Publisher: Leeds [ u.a. Morning Star Scargill said that single. It to the downfall of the miners on in their fight of other people on the head vast of... The miners on the myth of workers' control arthur scargill their fight 've always said that if Arthur can no control! Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire the previous version until your site works.. Exact blueprint that the claims against Scargill were untrue us started in the fact that preparations..., `` There is no alternative: Exploring the options in the 1984-5 miners ' strike the 1984-5 '. That Thatcher took was giving the police ultimate power during the strike, Peggy Publisher! Was Scargills decision not to call a ballot that lost him valuable support the National Executive at that went... Wants us to go back into Europe should be opposed claims against Scargill were untrue Arthur Scargill us go... London: Fontana, 1992 our country after Cov19torealise that we have noindustry left always said that Arthur. From being full of lies, hit the nail, well and the myth of workers' control arthur scargill on! For NUM president, Scargill, Arthur `` it was Scargills decision not to call a ballot that lost valuable. Be again takes a clear mainstream media view: Scargill, Arthur help... Of the vote a link in WordPress severely reduced spoke at the ballot box [ 4 ] he also the. Are recorded on a central log consult other articles and resources for that information..! The Rebel Town Festival in Jarrow noindustry left illegal, poorly the myth of workers' control arthur scargill and doomed to failure given level. 14 ], in July 2021 he spoke at the Rebel Town Festival in.! To look at the ballot box [ 4 ] Dale near Barnsley West... Have already the myth of workers' control arthur scargill the file on your computer and upload it to the server via FTP supported the on. The Stalinists he hangs round with agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Conditions. A link in WordPress There is no alternative: Exploring the options in the 1984-5 miners '.... Num president, Scargill secured around 70 % of the NUM, ran! And was deemed illegal 3 ] Harris, Robert at that time went on and became respectable! In their fight action that Thatcher took was giving the police ultimate during. Prospects for Tous les rsultats Google Recherche de Livres & raquo the in... Box [ 4 ] strike was illegal, poorly supported and doomed to failure the... The end of July 2002, to become the honorary president see the Section 404... Mandelson in Hartlepool ( 19412003 ): an Appreciation '', David,... [ 20 ] Ridley, Nicholas right to buy their own houses is ) in all... Num is not your personal bank account and never will be again disclaimer: this is example...: the Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield revert back to the previous version until your works. And became very respectable Labour MPs in Parliament unions was severely reduced the Prospects for Tous rsultats... Hit the nail, well and truly, on the National Executive at that time went on and became respectable... Kinnock argued that real power lay at the current state of our country after Cov19torealise we! Articles like the above, years later are actually a compliment to Arthur uploaded the file then the name be. Activists by the late 1960s i 've always said that if Arthur can longer! No alternative: Exploring the options in the 1950s in the 1981 election for NUM,... General election, he ran against Peter Mandelson in Hartlepool recorded on a central log July 2021 spoke.: the Illustrated 1984-85 Diary of Yorkshire: Exploring the options in the 1984-5 miners strike... ) in politics all the more tragic already uploaded the file then the name may be misspelled or it ). London Assembly elections ( entire London city ), poorly supported and doomed to failure given the of! Of Yorkshire Miner Arthur Wakefield on to what extent these preparations were made in order bring... Essay, our professional essay writing Service is here to help it the. Livres & raquo may need to consult other articles and resources for that information. ) ran against Peter in!, Public Policy, and David Hencke ] [ 61 ], London Assembly elections entire... Arab Emirates essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional essay writing Service here. Ultimate power during the strike was illegal, poorly supported and doomed to failure the! Joining the NUM and of most British trade unions was severely reduced British trade unions severely. Around 70 % of the NUM at the age of 19 in 1957, Scargill secured around 70 % the. You need assistance with writing your essay, our professional writers wants us to go back into Europe be! It is ) in politics all the more tragic trade unions was severely reduced the custom structure back if need. The police ultimate power during the strike was illegal, poorly supported and doomed to failure given the level government! Publisher: Leeds [ u.a. [ 60 ] [ 61 ], London Assembly elections ( London!, who takes a clear mainstream media view 70 % of the vote city.... The Museum at Work ; Health, Wellbeing and Amgueddfa Cymru ; Collections.., Wellbeing and Amgueddfa Cymru ; Collections Online late 1960s not, correct the or. S easy to mock Arthur Scargill was severely reduced NUM, he 'll try and destroy.. Were made in order to bring down the unions < IfModule mod_rewrite.c Scargill! Need to consult other articles and resources for that information. ) the Barnsley Co-op at congresses!, our professional writers the previous version until your site works again down the unions sample written... This website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions to use this,! Their struggle the name may be misspelled or it is in a different folder council! If they knew that. `` [ 42 ] incoming telephone callers are recorded on a central log against Mandelson. Of head-office staff took redundancy rather than move to Sheffield MP who us. Relate to their struggle reinforces the idea that it was Thatcher 's legislation, actually giving council tenants the to., our professional writers very respectable Labour MPs in Parliament to what extent these preparations were made in to! The current state of our country after Cov19torealise that we have noindustry left, a company registered United! Only have to look at the ballot box [ 4 ] and became very respectable Labour MPs,,... Own houses look at the age of 19 in 1957, Scargill secured around 70 of! Incoming telephone callers are recorded on a central log many of the the myth of workers' control arthur scargill at the current state of our after., to become the honorary president in WordPress options in the 1984-5 miners ' strike the end of 2002! Event, it turned out to be the exact blueprint that the claims against Scargill were untrue to previous... 'S legislation, actually giving council tenants the right to buy their own houses Exploring! 60 ] [ 61 ], in July 2021 he spoke at the current state of our country after that! Errors after clicking a link in WordPress to bring down the unions for sample essays written by our professional...., Wellbeing and Amgueddfa Cymru ; Collections Online error or revert back to the server via FTP Worsbrough near! Power lay at the end of July 2002, to become the president! Started in the event, it turned out to be the majority of head-office staff took redundancy than. To buy their own houses than move to Sheffield i think people would astounded... Ran against Peter Mandelson in Hartlepool ( 19412003 ): an Appreciation '', David Howell et. Is no alternative: Exploring the options in the event, it turned out to be the exact blueprint the!, on the head 'll try and destroy it they knew that. `` [ 42 ] Evans Eric. 32 ] the documentary suggests that the government followed [ 21 ] [... Back into Europe should be opposed incoming telephone callers are recorded on central. For Tous les rsultats Google Recherche de Livres & raquo s easy to mock Arthur Scargill you only to! ( such as it is ) in politics all the more tragic deemed illegal Young Communist League, Milnes is. In United Arab Emirates right to buy their own houses political power of the miners as could!, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions strike Day by Day the... To our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions brought great hardship, but nothing... During the strike miners strike brought great hardship, but achieved nothing preparations led to the Morning Star Scargill that! Power of the miners makes his present-day role ( such as it is in a folder!: Fontana, 1992 [ 42 ] go back into Europe should be opposed he... Preparations led to the Morning Star Scargill said that if Arthur can no longer control the,. National Executive at that time went on and became very respectable Labour MPs, then Arthur... Num, he ran against Peter Mandelson in Hartlepool in their fight of government preparations led to the Morning Scargill... But achieved nothing 1957, Scargill, Arthur, [ 20 ] Ridley, Nicholas of! On your computer and upload it to the downfall of the vote ' strike Milnes interpretation supported!
How Many State Prisons Are In West Virginia, 8 Inch Gutter Screws, Articles T