I think you will find that scargill did that on his own.Had he realised that it was unwise to call an illegal strike whilst there was a massive stockpile of coal it might have been differant.His actions and a small militant following caused a massive problem.I policed a lot of collieries during the strike and have seen the decimation of communities first hand.I also saw left wing agitators stirring the crap with every political reject on the picket lines tarring most miners with the same brush.And Ive seen parents goading thier kids to throw stones at us and the 'scabs'.Many a time I had shared my meals with some of the locals as they were starving.Had the strike been legal, it would have been differant.He took her on, and lost.Badly.
The post is not about Scargill, its about Thatcher. She was hell bent on beating the Miners and very cleverly manouvered Scargill into calling a strike. He was an egotistic maniac who wasn't much of a tactician. She was an egotistic maniac who had the might of a government to ensure she won at all costs. The huge coal stocks was brought about from buying cheap coal from god knows where at cheap subsidised costs, designed to undercut the British mined coal and make the industry look worse than it should. She played Scargill like a puppet and then his crazed rants did the rest. You forget we were on strike for our jobs, nothing else. My Grandad worked down the mines, my dad did and my brother along with me for 15 years.
Thatcher didn't make Britain great, she raped it by selling off everything she could to get short term results. Generations of miners made this country great, mining coal in horrible conditions that usually shortehed their lives, to ensure this counties wealth grew and our ability to manufature, steel etc and generate industry.
As for you comments about sharing your food with starving families, i never saw that. I did however see highly paid police on open checkbook overtime rates gladly waving their pay packets infront of striking miners who were out of work for a full year in some case's.
To all that threw in funny comments, yes i enjoy a laugh with most, banter is what i live on if truth be known, but sometimes it doesn't always carry through on written format.
The OP was announcing Thatcher is dead, and my view is good riddance. I believe because of my roots and deep involvement during the strike that i have the right to air my view. Its my view and i'll stick to it thanks
There were certainly errors of judgement that made the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands more likely, but "orchestrated", really? Have a word with yourself before you say things like that.
At least the war with Argentina was sanctioned by a United Nations resolution.
You missed quoted me i said "Probably orchestrated" and to be honest i don't know if she did or didn't, but i'm pretty much sure you don't know either. I had a word with myself thanks, and the both of us agreed that you should keep your advice to yourself!!
MBK for Prime Minister........ Could do a lot worse......
