I think people have the wrong opinion of Arthur Scargill? He was set up and led into the actions he took. First the Thatcher government brought in Ian mc gregor who had just devastated the steel industry by half, then On 6 March 1984, the National Coal Board announced that the agreement reached after the 1974 strike had become obsolete, and that in order to rationalise government subsidisation of industry they intended to close 20 coal mines, with a loss of 20,000 jobs, and many communities in the north of England as well as Scotland[7] and Wales would lose their primary source of employment. This agreement had been in place to safe guard jobs and without any conciltation was taken away. Arthur scargill who by the way was not a member of the communist party he was a proud socialist and to hear him talk and his passion was electricfying he did lead from the front and i can remember he and his wife getting arressted. No one wanted a strike least of all me and my family and the thousands of miners this was not about money or uperhand this was jobs people wanting to work nothing else how can anyone call anyone for wanting to work and for your children to have a future? The tories and the tory press prepared well in advance for this Thatcher waged war on the union using tactics reserved for severe internal security threats. Government undercover agents infiltrated the union and wreaked havoc on public perceptions. At one juncture, a union official who later was alleged to be a Thatcher agent approached Libyan officials with great public fanfare asking for donations. That incident did much to turn public opinion against the miners' cause during the strike and it was this sort of tactics and the refusal of the num to go for a ballet that was the start of the downfall. This i believe was scargills loss not going for a ballet he would have got a majority easy and the union would have been united instead of divided? He was put in place by 70 per cent majority and at his end To demonstrate their loyalty to him in 1985 they supported controversial changes in national procedures that permitted Scargill to remain president of the N.U.M. for life, this was a man fighting to safe guard the coal industry to fight and protect the jobs for his members their children and their childrens children not someone who wanted to hold the country to ransom?
But Ralf,,neither he nor his cohorts are " scratching around " like others are though,,and those whose wealth is gained off the backs of others,is totally obscene in my books,,and yes,it makes you very communistic in your thoughts. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths,,you can guarantee it originated from some poor sod working his guts out. The industrial revolution was an example of that. Scargill reminded me of one of those bosses from centuries ago.They were utterly horrible people. They lived in their big houses and treated their workers like slaves.
The book,,Roots is another example of slave trade instigated by the white bosses.
I'm sorry,,but Labour never lived up to their name. They ALL live in luxury,while their subjects are trying to make ends meet. This is all wrong,they're supposed to be on a par with those who vote for them. I would hate to vote for a working class party and see those politicians living the high life and living like Lords. Something's wrong,somewhere.?
