Why did the miners strike fail Learning objectives

Why did the miners’ strike fail? Learning objectives: • Reflect on key issues surrounding the miners’ strike. • Evaluate the most significant reasons for its failure. • Consider its longterm impact.

Key issues These were all raised by your presentations last week – well done! • Would the strike have been more successful without Scargill as NUM leader? • What if the Nottinghamshire miners had joined the strike? • How was the strike different to the miners’ strikes of the 70 s? • Were the police used as a political weapon by Thatcher? • How well-supported was the strike?

More effective without Scargill? Yes No • An easy figure for Thatcher to demonise – extreme left-winger; less support for strike from media • Had own motives: instigating revolution, rather than finding the best workable solution for miners • Inflexible and harshly critical of anyone who disagreed with him • Accusations of intimidation and fuelling of regional rivalries • More moderate leadership by Gormley in past won settlements from govt • Failed to get Nottinghamshire miners on board – crucial? ? • Failure to call national ballot undermined case for the miners • Able to persuade 1000 s of miners to endure severe hardship for months of the strike • Highly organised – use of flying pickets etc. to ensure maximum disruption • Arguable that a more moderate figure would have given up more easily and that govt stance was totally inflexible

Nottinghamshire miners • The govt had been stockpiling coal and North Sea oil was coming on stream, avoiding energy crisis. • With Nottinghamshire miners continuing to produce coal, the potential for an energy crisis was minimised. • Even if there had been an energy crisis, arguably Thatcher was winning the public argument despite support for the miners’ cause amongst left-leaning people. • Part of the reason why a national ballot wasn’t called – Thatcher could claim Scargill didn’t even have the support of his own members.

Different to the 1970 s Cause • The miners were striking primarily to prevent pit closures and job losses, not for pay or conditions. Preparation • Heath was taken by surprise in the 70 s, especially by the coinciding energy crisis. In 1984 -5, Thatcher arguably laid a trap for the miners by stockpiling coal. Impact • Timing was crucial – the 84 -5 strike started in springtime when energy demands were low. • Foreign oil and North Sea Oil were both available, unlike in 1973.

Use of the police • Many police officers dealing with the strike action were from the south – less sympathy with north, limited regional ties. • Given extra powers to reroute vehicles contributing to strike action. • New riot gear distributed in advance of the Battle of Orgreave.

Support for the strike • Gallup opinion polls from the time suggest a decline in support for the strike, especially due to their methods – but the level of support wasn’t high (33% in June 1984). Only 9% thought their methods were “responsible” by December 1984. • RW media always hostile: Sun, Telegraph, Mail etc – but in last months the Mirror and Guardian both criticised the violence. • Kinnock was torn over whether to support the strike: mining background but in current struggle with Militant Tendency. Disliked Scargill.

Significance stars • Write your reasoning near the factor FIRST, then decide how big a factor it was. • The bigger the factor, the closer to the edge you put your dot. • When you’re done join them together. • Spare in case you need it!

‘Once We Were Kings’ Once we built visions on the ground we hewed We dreamt of justice and of men renewed All people equal, in all things We once were heroes, Once were kings But all great things must come to pass We know the first will soon be last And in the ground we maybe lain But a seed is sown to rise again So we walk proudly And we walk strong All together We will go as one The ground is empty And cold as hell But we all go together when we go We saw a land where wealth was shared Each pain relieved, each hunger fed Each man revered, each tyrant killed Each soul redeemed, each life fulfilled From each mats means to each his need We saw a time man would be freed We fought for all the things we saw The battle's lost but not the war So we walk proudly And we walk strong All together We will go as one The ground is empty And cold as hell But we all go together when we go We will go down but our heads are proud We will go down with our voices loud We will go down but come again And we all go together when we go Ah. . . (3 times) And we all go together when we go. We walk proudly, and we walk strong All together we will go as one The ground is empty, and cold as hell But we all go together when we go.

Long-term impact • Trade union movement suffered severe setback. Majority of people today are not in a union. • The last time a union was able to intimidate a government. • Thatcher won a great deal of support from rightwingers but also moderates. • Some former coal-mining areas adapted and recovered, but many remain deprived areas with high rates of unemployment, esp. in S Wales.

Source practice Q (HW) WWW EBI • Overall message/argument of source summarised well • Clear understanding of issues in the Q – e. g. ‘Thatcher’s firm belief in monetarism is clearly demonstrated’ • Strong contextual detail – e. g. ‘this is accurate because’ … ‘this is a probable reference to …’ • Limits to coverage explored clearly in analysis • Strong comments on lack of coverage of negative effects and how this was due to combo of date AND author • Audience considered well – that it should have been friendly but we must consider opposition to monetarism within the party • Purpose could be made more explicit, as well as its effect on reliability • Keep analysis, evaluation and final conclusion separate and develop each thoroughly • Make sure the source is referred to frequently – each time you bring in your knowledge it should be to directly analyse or evaluate the source (except in introduction) • In some cases could have done with more factual detail to support/challenge • Clear and developed conclusions are essential • Everybody did it and handed it in on time …

Homework – FNL • Finish your notes from today’s slides. • Finish your significance stars (be ready to share your conclusions at the start of next lesson). • Finish your source practice Q. DON’T start afresh and DON’T look at your notes/ textbook. Next week – more social consequences of Thatcherism: Tory-supporting working classes and extra-parliamentary opposition