Baroness Thatcher has died.

[estebanrey]

I'm not sure. My stance has always been that miners could be perceived as greedy by others due to their actions. I stand by my comments that I believe some were. The widely reported reason for going on strike was mine closures, but in the background there were also issues such as an overtime ban and wages.

Don't also forget this was one of the first ever strikes over job losses. Seems strange now but before 1984 strikes were always about pay/conditions.

Miners had been made redundant before without strikes, the Labour Government (guided by none-other than Tony Benn) sacked thousands of workers in the 70s when they merged many of the UK's industries.

That's why the miner's argument seemed a little hypocritical. They weren't worried about jobs when they knew there was a good chance only a few would be sacked and the rest would keep theirs, but as soon as entire pit closures came over the horizon suddenly is was all for one and one for all.

They were happy with divide and rule when it meant keeping over-inflated wages in their little club and suddenly started fighting it when their jobs were threatened.

My overall opinion is the strike was unreasonable and a result of Scargill (I think he is on record) refusing any closures for any reason other than safety or coal exhaustion. In a way I suppose that was his job, but it was exactly this kind of dogged resistance that was throttling our industries and why were being left behind by our foreign counterparts.

Make no mistake about it Scargill wanted a revolution and a socialist over-throw of the government. He even went on Parkinson to outline how his new 'society' would function and what it would look like. Towards the end of the dispute he was desperately shouting to ever-dwindling audiences how the 'revolution' was still on and how they could still bring down Westminster. The miner strike was more about bringing down the government than protecting miner's jobs.

Scargill's problem was he under-estimated Thatcher and she outwitted him. Unbeknownst to him, Maggie had stockpiled two year's worth of coal for the country so his strikes actually had very little effect on the running of the country. The longer it went on and the general public realised that it wasn't affecting their lives the more people started to ask "do we really need them at all". Once the public were totally onside with the government, it was game over for the miners.

 

[Faustus]

Make no mistake about it Scargill wanted a revolution and a socialist over-throw of the government. He even went on Parkinson to outline how his new 'society' would function and what it would look like. The miner strike was more about bringing down the government than protecting miner's jobs.

And make no mistake that Thatcher and her party had long made plans to take on the miners following Ted Heath's defeat following the 3 day week.

 

[estebanrey]

And make no mistake that Thatcher and her party had long made plans to take on the miners following Ted Heath's defeat following the 3 day week.

Tackling a declining industry at the expense of a small number of people for the greater good of the whole isn't really comparable with wanting a new world order characterized by a radically different political and economic system installed by mob-rule though is it.

 

[MrMoonX]

better keep away from the news today, just had bbc breakfast on for the last half an hour and they have barely mentioned anything else the sycophantic fawning over Thatcher is ridiculous, she doesnt deserve a state funeral, and this is a state funeral no matter what they call it, the public shouldnt be paying for this party political funeral!

shame the met will stop anyone protesting properly, the police have become the boot boys of the tories once again

 

[Cosimo]

The day of the funeral is here. Her coffin will leave the Palace of Westminster at 10:00, be transferred to a gun carriage at the Church of St Clement Danes and the funeral will be held at 11:00 in St Paul's Cathedral. I do hope that today is not ruined by idiot protesters.

 

[n111ck]

the public shouldnt be paying for this party political funeral!

Odd that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown originally approved the plans and cost then - maybe they are hoping for the same?

 

[deuse]

A waste of my money. This is nothing but a tory party funeral, hope a wheels falls off.

 

[Freakbro]

I do hope that today is not ruined by idiot protesters.

The day is already ruined by the unjustified sycophancy on display

No I'm too busy working.

I must say that was an excellent reply

 

[MrMoonX]

The day is already ruined by the unjustified sycophancy on display



I must say that was an excellent reply

+10000

 

[Cosimo]

The day is already ruined by the unjustified sycophancy on display

I don't see any self-seeking or servile flattery but you may be looking through tinted glasses.

 

[StriderX]

Shouldnt be too long until i can forget about this entirely, quite frankly i don't care, the hatred is as sick as the sycophancy.

How about actually trying to live up to the standard rather than lamenting it or worshiping it.

 

[Wayn0r]

the public shouldnt be paying for this party political funeral!

amazes me that people happily protest over her funeral, but dont bat an eyelid at the fact we are paying thousands, if not millions to home and attempt to deport a terrorist preacher.

 

[NeilF]

amazes me that people happily protest over her funeral, but dont bat an eyelid at the fact we are paying thousands, if not millions to home and attempt to deport a terrorist preacher.

Some people are petty and small minded. I mean where does a comment like "I'm just ####ed that she had a massive stroke, she would not have suffered at all" come from?

Seems a lot of idiots have crawled out from under their rocks. Hopefully tomorrow they'll be safely back under them again so the majority of 'normal' people don't have to tolerate them anymore!

 

[deuse]

amazes me that people happily protest over her funeral, but dont bat an eyelid at the fact we are paying thousands, if not millions to home and attempt to deport a terrorist preacher.

That just shows how weak the UK\Euro courts are. Me I would have deported him years ago.

 

[Name]

I would really enjoy it if the leftie protesters got a good kicking by police when they try and demonstrate.

 

[inogen]

No I'm too busy working.

You earn money by posting in forums?

Nice work if you can get it

 

[inogen]

I would really enjoy it if the leftie protesters got a good kicking by police when they try and demonstrate.

Hmmm... Bit early for Godwin's law innit?

 

[Lysander]

Here's to hoping no idiots will ruin the funeral. But I think that's hoping for too much.

I also imagine that if they can't ruin the London funeral trouble will start elsewhere.

 

[Purdy]

You earn money by posting in forums?

Nice work if you can get it

Simulatorman seems to do it and he is rolling in money, must figure out how

 

[Orionaut]

and a result of Scargill (I think he is on record) refusing any closures for any reason other than safety or coal exhaustion.

ISTR the actual quote was "There is no such thing as an uneconomic Pit"

To be fair, he actually had a point. The only logical depletion policy for a deep soft rock mine is to work it to exhaustion since (Unlike a hard rock mine like Wheal Jane) you cant just go back 10 years later and open it up again when the market picks up.

But in fact the coal industry had bigger problems between the 50's and the 80's. Demand for coal was falling as transport and space heating (#) shifted away from coal

(# It is almost hard to imagine now but next time you are wandering around the older parts of town look up ant the roof lines. You will notice a forest of chimney pots. 60 years ago on a cold day, many (if not most) of those would have had a fire underneath them)