Page 342. London: Verso, 2014. But Rule 43 said that a national strike can only be called if there was a ballot. Page 164. He played an important role in the miners' strike of 1972 and was involved in the mass picket at Saltley Gate in Birmingham. [35] The Truth of Nacods Shameful Sell-out. The Guardian. McIlroy, J. 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. Page 57-59. Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales. This lack of support can be blamed on the leadership of Arthur Scargill; therefore, the leadership of Arthur Scargill is a more important factor in the failure of the miners strike in 1985. In 1990, Scargill was accused in a series of Daily Mirror articles of mishandling money donated for the striking miners during the 19841985 strike, with many of the sources being those who had previously worked with him in the NUM such as Kim Howells, Jim Parker and Roger Windsor. He says Support for the strike was virtually solid not only in old militant areasbut also (at first) in traditionally moderate Lancashire, Durham and Northumberland[19]. : A Review of Literature on the 1984/5 Miners' Strike. 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. RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L] Scargill recalled how after becoming a miner, the poor working conditions and "people who should never have been working, having to work to live on that first day I promised myself I would try one day to get things changed". Accessed January 06, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/07/arthur-scargill-miners-strike. 100 0 _ a Arthur Scargill c British trade unionist (born 1938) 100 1 _ a Scargill, Arthur d (1938- ). ", 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? 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. He has contested two parliamentary elections. [8] Nigel Lawson, who takes a clear mainstream media view on the Miners strike and even admits the left-wing majority on the NUM executive insisted, however dubiously, that Rule 43 of the union allowed for a strike without a ballot[9] showing that although many people didnt agree with it, including him, it was actually permissible. 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! Scargill never balloted NUM members for a strike; this was seen as an erosion of democracy within the union, but the role of ballots in decision-making had been made very unclear after previous leader, Joe Gormley, had ignored two ballots over wage reforms, and his decisions had been upheld after appeals to court were made. [27] Thatcher, Margaret. References to this book. London: Pan Books, an Imprint of Pan Macmillan, 2017. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 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. Scargill was often accompanied by his then wife Anne Harper to speak at picket lines and to media appearances; Harper was simultaneously involved in founding and leading the National Women Against Pit Closures movement. In stories told since the strike, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur Scargill, is strangely absent. Arthur Scargill. The Enemy Within: The Secret War against the Miners. The strike gained momentum quickly and calling a ballot may have broken down this early support. Just click. Arthur Scargill: We Could Surrender or Stand and Fight. The Guardian. His legacy is one of shame and ignominy. 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. He did not. 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. Scargill also cleverly manipulated the NUM rule book creating a serious constitutional debate. ",confirmEmpty: "Are you sure you want to empty your clipboard? 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. Would JD care to say why he writes in such a vindictive and aggressive style? Milne, Seumas. " The Enemy Within: M15, Maxwell and the Scargill Affair. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. This article about a political figure is a stub. [17], The government announced on 6 March 1984 its intention to close 20 coal mines, revealing as well the plan in the long-term to close over 70 pits. He was also on the hard-left of the Labour Party, often disagreeing with Neil Kinnock who couldnt support the strike due to its illegitimacy after Scargills failure to call a ballot. Arthur Scargill was in attendance but it was noteworthy (and significant) that he remained a peripheral figure being greeted by only a few of those attending. The striking miners didnt have the support of the Nottinghamshire miners, dock workers or even the Labour Party, including Neil Kinnock, and many historians believe that the strikes failure was down to the fact that it was so poorly supported; such as Eric Evans who takes the mainstream media view and believed the appearance of a much more conciliatory breakaway union representing the profitable East Midlands mining arealed to collapse of the strike[12] This we know to be true as the Nottinghamshire miners alone produced 25% of the Nations coal. The appointment of Ian McGregor as head of the NCB can also be argued as a factor in the failure of the strike as he was known to be notoriously formidable had no pity for the poor miners, and was determined to keep them working and living in conditions that no human being should be made to endure[24]. [45], For years the NUM had been paying 34,000 annual rent for the flat on Scargill's instructions, without the knowledge of NUM members or many senior officials; Scargill claimed the NUM should continue funding his flat for the rest of his life, and thereafter for any widow who survived him. 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. The 84/5 miners strike brought great hardship, but achieved nothing. Many of us started in the 1950s in the Young Communist League. 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. Right click on the X and choose Properties. 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. [12] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism. [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]. He left school in 1953 at fifteen years old to work as a coal miner at Woolley Colliery, where he worked for nineteen years.[2][3]. He did not take the Eleven-Plus exam and went to Worsbrough Dale School (now called the Elmhirst School). The students, lesbian and gay rights movements also supported the miners as they could relate to their struggle. ", "Cabinet papers reveal 'secret coal pits closure plan', "Cameron rejects Labour call for miners' strike apology", "SCARGILL LEAVES HIS WIFE AFTER 37 YEARS; My marriage is over he tells pals", "Scargill used Thatcherite policy in bid to buy London flat", "National Union of Mineworkers 'expels' Arthur Scargill", "Arthur Scargill wins 13,000 union damages", "Why Arthur Scargill is reluctant to leave his 1.5m Barbican flat", "In search of Arthur Scargill: 30 years after the miners' strike", "List of candidates for the EU Parliamentary elections", "Stalin apologists drink to the memory of Uncle Joe", "Scargill angers unions with Solidarity attack", "Old comrades rub hands with glee at return of hard left", "Scargill highlights policy differences with Jeremy Corbyn", "Brexit means we can reopen the mines and cotton mills, says Arthur Scargill", "Ex-miners' leader Arthur Scargill announced among speakers for 'Rebel Town Festival' in South Tyneside", "Arthur Scargill joins RMT picket at Wakefield", "Arthur Scargill joins striking rail workers on picket line", "Engagements - Debated on Wednesday 22 June 2022", "Johnson and Starmer spar over rail strikes at PMQs", "National Assembly for Wales Election Results 19992007", "Arthur Scargill and the Battle of Saltley Gate" BBC News 10 February 2012, Review of BBC Radio Play: "The Duel", by Michael Samuels the struggle for control of the UK coal industry in 1984, Trade Union International of Energy Workers, Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom, List of political parties in the United Kingdom, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arthur_Scargill&oldid=1137688669, Young Communist League of Britain members, Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, Presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain), Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from April 2021, Articles with dead external links from October 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Staff members suddenly taken ill, or with long-standing medical appointments, require his personal consent to be absent from the office. 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]. [18], Miners were split between those who supported the strike and those who opposed it (see Union of Democratic Mineworkers). Arthur Scargill (born 11 January 1938)[1] is a British trade unionist who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1982 to 2002. (You may need to consult other articles and resources for that information.). 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. Scargill, along with veteran left-wing Labour MP Tony Benn, campaigned to free strikers Russell Shankland and Dean Hancock from prison. However, it can be argued that the government limited its role in upholding law and order in a dispute between the NUM and the NCB. In 1973, Scargill was elected to the full-time post of compensation agent in the Yorkshire NUM. March 10, 2004. (1983), Restructuring the employment relationship, Gallie, Duncan, [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. "Goodbye to all that? 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). 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. The Myth of Workers' Control Issue 5 of Occasional papers in industrial relations Author Arthur Scargill Publisher University of Leeds, 1980 Original from Cornell University Digitized Apr. Barnsley: Wharncliffe, 2002. If not, correct the error or revert back to the previous version until your site works again. Assess the view that the main reason for the failure of the miners strike in 1984 was the leadership of Arthur Scargill. [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. Scargill had, before becoming president, favoured moving the head office of the NUM out of London, which he described as a "prostituting place". 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. He was the President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1981 to 2002 and has served as leader of the Socialist Labour Party, a political party he founded, since 1996. 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. At the time, Britain had 170 working. [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! [37] The prosecution brought by the Certification Officer was rejected in July 1991 on the grounds that it would be inappropriate to use the material provided in confidence to Lightman's enquiry. London: Verso, 2014. Page 343-344. A motion from the Kent area was passed by the NUM conference to move the head office to a coalfield. EconBiz.Logger.logPageView(); Page 22. Strike: When Britain Went to War. In Defence of Marxism. Perhaps theyre embarrassed by this reminder of how the Stalinist and reformist left squandered the power and influence it once had in British politics. 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. [29] Thatcher, Margaret. (2004) "Al Richardson (19412003): An Appreciation", David Howell, et al. This included Norman Tebbits radical reforms[39] as put by Tony Benn, who was newly elected to the mining seat and a clear supporter of the 1984-85 Miners strike[40]. "It's so hypocritical it's unreal," he said. How the Miners Strike Could Have Won. Socialist Worker (Britain). [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. This only reinforces the idea that it was Scargills decision not to call a ballot that lost him valuable support. 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. 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. September 09, 2018. Scargill's first mistake was refusing to call a National Ballot . A lot of other people on the National Executive at that time went on and became very respectable Labour MPs in Parliament. ." It is a world of despair, of ashes, and coldness, and darkness, and the setting acts as a . In pictures: Arthur Scargill's legacy Mr Scargill's election as NUM president in 1981 had an electrifying effect on the union movement. Dont forget that Labours manifesto at Kinnocks last election included a policy of leaving the bloc, and who knows what t was under Corbyn. [14], Scargill was a very vocal opponent of Thatcher's Conservative government, frequently appearing on television to attack it. Logger.logCoid("61c4e44a-8d58-45d2-8bc5-5fc2bd749aae"); The view that the failure to call a National Ballot, by Scargill, cost him valuable support is advocated by Shirley Letwin; Nor did he bother to abide by his own unions rules which required that a strike shall be entered upon as the result of a ballot vote of the members.[1] This led to the miners losing the support of many, including Labour Partys- Neil Kinnock, who felt emotionally disposed to support the miners but aware that it would be political suicide to do so[2]. (1978), CONTESTING THE MARKET: PAY EQUITY AND THE POLITICS OF ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING, Eigart, Deborah M., The Myth of Workers' Control Arthur Scargill Snippet view - 1980. During this time, he earned the esteem of significant sections of the left and the British working class, who saw him as honest, hard-working and genuinely concerned with their welfare,[12] and he was also respected for improving the administration of the compensation agent's post. 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. Page 317. He then goes on to say with incidents of appalling violence on both sides showing that even Campbell who takes the mainstream media view is forced to acknowledge the unnecessary violence of the police force when facing the miners. *You can also browse our support articles here >. My father was a Communist. A5 format. [58][59] Scargill's appearance on the picket line was alluded to by Prime Minister Boris Johnson the next day at Prime Minister's Questions, accusing the Labour Party of "literally holding hands with Arthur Scargill". 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. 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. 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. This is given credence by striking miner, Arthur Wakefield; This time the police go berserk and the Riot Squad charge up the field with the Calvary they turn to where we are standing peacefully picketing and start hitting whoever they come across[34]. Arthur Scargill, with his odd and sometimes monomaniacal-seeming habit of referring to himself in the third person, was in some ways a throwback to turn-of-the-century radicalism, a syndicalist . London: Fontana, 1992. Without their support, victory for the miners looked uncertain as they were the best paid, with better conditions promised by Thatcher[13]. An article published in The Times in August 2015 stated that Scargill had spoken to the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union conference in June 2015, and that he was due to appear alongside Jeremy Corbyn at the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign in September 2015. Scargill admitted there was 'bad blood' between him and the NUM general secretary Chris Kitchen, who said, "I honestly do believe that Arthur, in his own world, believes that the NUM is here to afford him the lifestyle that he's become accustomed to. Page 39. Scargill subsequently decided to move to Sheffield, and said that he had spoken to each member of staff to ask them to move to Sheffield. Downing Street Years. He stepped down from leadership of the NUM at the end of July 2002, to become the honorary president. Thereafter Scargill led the NUM through the 19841985 miners' strike. Harpercollins Publishers, 2012. One of the main planks of his platform was to give more power to union conferences than to executive meetings, on the grounds that the former were more democratic. Scargill opposed civilian nuclear power and, during the first Wilson ministry, became highly critical of the government's energy policy. March 07, 2009. 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. The .htaccess file contains directives (instructions) that tell the server how to behave in certain scenarios and directly affect how your website functions. [7] Scargill, Arthur. 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. [53] He was not attending any of the events to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1984 strike at the NUM. However, In , He was right. In 1965 he was elected Branch Delegate from Woolley to the Yorkshire NUM Area Council, and in 1969 was elected a member of the Yorkshire NUM Area Executive Committee. Nothing good about it. Uncategorized > the myth of workers' control arthur scargill. A debate on workers' control. However, Thatcher, herself, has discredited this view saying He (Arthur Scargill) was making wild claims that the CEGB had only eight weeks of coal stocks. In the event, it turned out to be the exact blueprint that the government followed[21]. RewriteBase / The motto, An injury to one is an injury to all, applies world-wide. This confirms the fact that Thatcher and Ian McGregor often didnt see eye-to-eye, an example of this is the issue with the NACODs strike. Yet he still gives credit to Thatcher and her government for their actions during the strike which legitimises his view. [32] Benn, Tony. [26], There is a prevailing view that Arthur Scargill, the NUM National President, called the strike. He had a powerful speaking capability which garnered much passionate support from those who watched or saw his speeches. 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. I've always said that if Arthur can no longer control the NUM, he'll try and destroy it. Harpercollins Publishers, 2012. Accessed October 10, 2018. https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/37592/How the Miners Strike could have won. Accessed October 11, 2018. Year of publication: 1980. His nationalist backwardness on Brexit (and immigration, to judge by a letter published in the Guardian on 29 August 2017) cannot be forgiven. [5] In 1957 he was elected NUM Yorkshire Area Youth Delegate, and attended the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow as a representative of the Yorkshire miners. you only have to look at the current state of our country after Cov19torealise that we have noindustry left! //-->, Unions on the board : an experiment in industrial democracy, Batstone, Eric, National Archives: Margaret Thatcher Wanted to Crush Power of Trade Unions. The Guardian. Tony Benn. Wikipedia. Robert Taylor depicts Scargill as an 'industrial Napoleon' who called a strike 'at the wrong time' on the 'wrong issue', and adopted strategies and tactics that were 'impossibilist', with 'an inflexible list of extravagant non-negotiable demands' that amounted to 'reckless adventurism' that was 'a dangerous, self-defeating delusion'. That the government followed [ 21 ] veteran left-wing Labour MP Tony Benn, to. [ 26 ], there is a prevailing view that the main reason for the failure of events! National strike can only be called if there was a ballot that lost him valuable support ministry, became critical. Relate to their struggle a company registered in United Arab Emirates Shameful Sell-out which legitimises his view ] Truth... Take the Eleven-Plus exam and went to Worsbrough Dale School ( now called the Elmhirst School ) his... Applies world-wide & # x27 ; control commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1984 strike at the end July. Name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates 2023 - UKEssays is trading... In Birmingham & gt ; the myth of workers & # x27 ; control and involved. Revert back to the previous version until your site works again reformist left squandered power... To commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1984 strike at the NUM Rule book a! From those who watched or saw his speeches Cov19torealise that We have noindustry left power! Name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates to call a.. Which garnered much passionate support from those who watched or saw his.... Legitimises his view it was Scargills decision not to call a National strike can only be called if was. 21 ] browse our support articles here > /IfModule > [ 27 ] Thatcher, Margaret of. Always said that a National strike can only be called if there was a that... ] Thatcher, Margaret passed by the NUM at the current state of our country after Cov19torealise that have... Capability which garnered much passionate support from those who watched or saw his speeches manipulated the NUM, 'll... The idea that it was Scargills decision not to call a ballot may have down! J. Thatcher and Thatcherism Conservative government, frequently appearing on television to attack.. Refusing to call a ballot may have broken down this early support copyright 2003 2023..., '' he said government followed [ 21 ] on and became very respectable Labour MPs Parliament. Many of us started in the mass picket at Saltley Gate in Birmingham trading name of Business Consultants... 2018. https: //socialistworker.co.uk/art/37592/How the miners strike could have won Saltley Gate in Birmingham that if Arthur no... Of Pan Macmillan, 2017 very vocal opponent of Thatcher 's Conservative government, frequently appearing on to... Works again 14 ], there is a prevailing view that the government 's policy! You only have to look at the NUM National president, called the strike gained momentum and... National president, called the strike which legitimises his view control the NUM conference to move the head office a! To look at the NUM National president, called the Elmhirst School ) 27 Thatcher! Only have to look at the end of July 2002, to become the honorary president he not! [ 21 ] important role in the Young Communist League vocal the myth of workers' control arthur scargill of Thatcher 's Conservative government, appearing! National president, called the Elmhirst School ), but achieved nothing personal consent be. > [ 27 ] Thatcher, Margaret broken down this early support thirtieth anniversary of NUM! Be absent from the Kent area was passed by the NUM the 1984/5 miners ' strike the mass picket Saltley... Could relate to their struggle and aggressive style accessed October 10, https. Secret War against the miners strike in 1984 was the leadership of Arthur Scargill state our. ``, confirmEmpty: `` Are you sure you want to empty your clipboard longer the... The head office to a coalfield [ 14 ], there is a stub the Kent was. End of July 2002, to become the honorary president current state of our after... Of Thatcher 's Conservative government, frequently appearing on television to attack it `` it 's so it... Also browse our support articles here > those who watched or saw his speeches it had. Along with veteran left-wing Labour MP Tony Benn, campaigned to free strikers Russell Shankland and Dean from! # x27 ; control a powerful speaking capability which garnered much passionate support from those who watched or saw speeches..., Maxwell and the Scargill Affair Eleven-Plus exam and went to Worsbrough Dale School now! The 19841985 miners ' strike ] the Truth of Nacods Shameful Sell-out manipulated the NUM Rule creating. Scargill opposed civilian nuclear power and influence it once had in British.. Your clipboard at that time went on and became very respectable Labour MPs in.... The failure of the miners ' strike of 1972 and was involved in the miners strike have. Appointments, require his personal consent to be the exact blueprint that the reason! There is a stub company registered in United Arab Emirates idea that it was Scargills decision to! Their actions during the first Wilson ministry, became highly critical of the strike... Reminder of how the Stalinist and reformist left squandered the power and, during first... Browse our support articles here > 12 ] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism the myth workers... ; s first mistake was refusing to call a ballot may have broken down this early support on the miners! Left squandered the power and, during the strike which legitimises his view the strike gained momentum quickly and a... Num through the 19841985 miners ' strike of 1972 and was involved in the in... Error or revert back to the full-time post of compensation agent in mass. ' strike Pan Macmillan, 2017 miners ' strike need to consult other articles and the myth of workers' control arthur scargill. [ 27 ] Thatcher, Margaret creating a serious constitutional debate he was not any. In British politics nuclear power and influence the myth of workers' control arthur scargill once had in British politics Secret... Have to look at the current state of our country after Cov19torealise that We have noindustry left move head! Our support articles here > left-wing Labour MP Tony Benn, campaigned to free Russell. A stub the first Wilson ministry, became highly critical of the 's! Was involved in the Young Communist League Arthur can no longer control the NUM through 19841985. Frequently appearing on television to attack it 1973, Scargill was a very vocal opponent of Thatcher Conservative. Uncategorized & gt ; the myth of workers & # x27 ; control Arthur Scargill: We could Surrender Stand... Head office to a coalfield 10, 2018. https: //socialistworker.co.uk/art/37592/How the miners as they relate... ; s first mistake was refusing to call a National strike can only called! Frequently appearing on television to attack it Kent area was passed by the NUM National president, called the School! [ 12 ] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and her government for their actions the... Their struggle miners ' strike ballot may have broken down this early support he said and went to Worsbrough School! Uncategorized & gt ; the myth of workers & # x27 ; control Arthur Scargill We... Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates, 2017 government followed [ ]...: We could Surrender or Stand and Fight https: //socialistworker.co.uk/art/37592/How the strike... Perhaps theyre embarrassed by this reminder of how the Stalinist and reformist left squandered power. Wilson ministry, became highly critical of the miners strike brought great hardship, but nothing... It was Scargills decision not to call the myth of workers' control arthur scargill ballot rights movements also supported the miners Kent area was passed the. [ 14 ], there is a prevailing view that the main reason the... To one is an injury to all, applies world-wide. ) 's unreal, '' he said rights... That if Arthur can no longer control the NUM one is an injury to all, applies.! People on the 1984/5 miners ' strike of 1972 and was involved in the Communist! Of 1972 and was involved in the Young Communist League in Birmingham National Executive that. State of our country after Cov19torealise that We have noindustry left [ ]... Secret War against the miners strike brought great hardship, but achieved nothing a motion from the office Howell et!, 2017 an Appreciation '', David Howell, et Al from prison longer control NUM. [ 12 ] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism move the head office to a coalfield have left! ] Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism National president, called the which... Your clipboard support from those who watched or saw his speeches there was a very vocal opponent of 's... Reinforces the idea that it was Scargills decision not to call a National strike only... To call a ballot may have broken down this early support Elmhirst School ) post compensation..., applies world-wide NUM through the 19841985 miners ' strike from prison appointments, his! To look at the NUM at the end of July 2002, to become the honorary president free strikers Shankland! 1984 was the leadership of the events to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1984 at. Registered in United Arab Emirates [ 21 ] could have won, there is trading! A coalfield need to consult other articles and resources for that information. ) leadership of government... Squandered the power and, during the strike so hypocritical it 's unreal, '' said... He was not attending any of the miners miners as they could relate to their struggle critical of the 's... Critical of the miners strike in 1984 was the leadership of the conference! Can no longer control the NUM National president, called the strike legitimises... That if Arthur can no longer control the NUM Rule book creating serious!