Maggie and the miners - were the army at the ready?

[@brownkevi1]

As a Social Worker in Loanhead /Bilston, I helped Miners' wives with benefits advice. I was also duty bound to write reports for the Courts on miners who were accused and convicted of 'breach of the peace'. I wrote these reports, making clear how these men were stalwart members of the community, fighting to keep their jobs, etc., and what they contrbuted to the community. I was thereafter under investigation, because the Courts did not like what I wrote, and all my work as a Social Worker over the past year was interrogated. Every last aspect of my work! It was a dreadful experience for me. In the end, the investgation found that I was always honest and could evidence my reports. I had done nothing wrong. They could find no faults. I was told never to do that again.

[@xraff2]

I sincerely espress my respect and admiration to you

[@robbieglass4905]

Much respect

[@terrystephens8603]

Massive respect for your honesty.you could not work with such honesty today.

[@jixuscrixus1967]

The BBC reported and distorted ‘news’ to favour the government and the police, and portray the miners as criminals.

[@indiana146]

The army were there helping the police i was told this by my pal who was a serving soldier at the time this is truth

[@stormytempest3907]

Oh, That's well known my friend.

[@indiana146]

Sean respect to you and the job you did

[@hilts6475]

Army or police they should be ashamed of themselves

[@Queen-of-Swords]

They always are! Watching the anti-vax protests in the Netherlands yesterday, there were "coppers" supposedly in uniform, until you saw the trousers, which were just denim jeans. These were the very worst, taking swipes at anyone in reach. No numbers, no visible features.

[@brianmuirhead4800]

​@@hilts6475meanwhile scargill was filling his pockets

[@yetidodger6650]

I had three friends who were in the army at the time and it was an open secret that soldiers were involved mainly because of their aggression.

[@robingreen9086]

That is a lie.

[@yetidodger6650]

no its not, bootlicker.@@robingreen9086

[@_Ben4810]

Oh yeah, so which regiment then...??? 🙄

[@blackhand8903]

My dad worked down the pit in the 80s and he told me that army lads we’re dressed as police during the clashes,that’s why half the police ID numbers were missing from their shoulders

[@stormytempest3907]

Hi, Alot went on, Hurd about that one years ago.

[@willduggan6170]

That was correct. The army were involved and dressed in unbadged police uniforms.

[@russellnewton6660]

I was there and there were lots of people dressed as police without numbers, you can only surmise they were the army, it’s difficult to explain where they come from if it wasn’t the armed forces.

[@burnleyfan11965]

@@russellnewton6660 Some were detectives in uniform as well. Working out if any non miners were organising pickets.

[@indiana146]

Lee they did go in dont worry about that a very good freind of mine was there

[@spazspazo3232]

and the police should be ashamed the part they played....bulling and hurting the working classes why did you do this

[@bobmcgahey1280]

because the cops are the tool of the ruling class --the suppression of the working class is their job

[@JimWalsh-rl5dj]

Remember you sypid cretin, it was only the NUM and they started the violence and also broke the law with flying pickets, an unlawful undemocratic strike. Before you bump your festering gums, you should find out what happend you fuckwit

[@benusmaximus3601]

Class is irrelevant...

[@a.v.cgardens2129]

Their not laughing now are they ? Now the Tories have turned on them and started privatizing them haha !

[@jimusgrimus]

@Mrfairchap AND THE ARMY.............THE HEROES WILL SHOOT YOUR KIDS DEAD IN THE STREET IF THEY WERE ORDERED

[@MikA-db2]

A sinister time. RIP, past industries,the future as never looked so bleak!

[@stephenroche5107]

We had strong industrial manufacture manual skilled employment good pay and conditions pensions for our industries to be exported to the highest bidder to now be replaced with low paying retail and service sector jobs zero hour minimum wage contracts but lets not forget the people contributed to this demise through the ballot box.

[@_Ben4810]

@@stephenroche5107 We may have once had a strong industrial manufcture but guess what..??? The rest of the world soon caught up & overtook us...

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@stephenroche5107 Germany and the US had surpassed Britain industrially and economically by 1890.

[@spazspazo3232]

she was vile what she did to people I wont miss you..but the price will go on forever for some poor people

[@eamo106]

I was there, The British Army was deployed, dressed as policemen in blue with no numbers, the difference was obvious, they could march, the Plod could not .

[@dominich2263]

Which side of the fence were you on?

[@_Ben4810]

So give details then...which British Army regiment was it...? How come not one 80's squaddie has ever come forward & sold their story to a newspaper or spoken about the day they dressed up as a policeman during the miners strike...??? Probably because it never happened...

[@breenizm92]

This was the beginning of the end for the post-industrial UK

[@leeshepherd6512]

Sad day when the miners lost. We all lost.

[@MarkHarrison733]

If the army had been there the soldiers would have been identified by now.

[@FozzQuaker]

I knew someone who was in the Army in 1984 and he swore up and down that not only was the Army involved in Policing the strike, he was too. The language used on Picket Lines was language used in the Military, wearing uniforms without numbers on. At the end of the day, Scargill couldn't win, if Thatcher was to go down, she was taking the country down with her

[@robingreen9086]

I was there with the Families, and It is completely untrue

[@yetidodger6650]

bootlicker@@robingreen9086

[@_Ben4810]

Which regiment was he in...??? 🙄

[@FozzQuaker]

@_Ben4810 can't remember, it's been over 20 years since we last spoke

[@FozzQuaker]

@robingreen9086 No offence, but I'll take the word of somebody I was friends with for quite a few years than the word of somebody in a KZbin Comment Section, he had no reason to lie about it... You can ask a lot of people and they believe the Army was deployed on Picket Duty alongside police

[@myoriginalmusic6739]

The thatcher years were a nightmare !!! I don't like any extremes left or right they always start telling you what you can do think and say

[@andrewh5457]

One extremest, right or left, is as bad the other.

[@boogalaloopala2738]

@@andrewh5457 'extremist' what is your opinion on extreme poverty, extreme inequality

[@happyclappy1805]

THatcher was the devils handmaiden. Nothin else to add.

[@mraccyd]

@@boogalaloopala2738 Extreme poverty occurs in Communist states just as much as in Fascist ones, look at Russia and Spain. The best is a capitalist society with a social conscience to care for those who need it

[@spennie3607]

My cousin was in the Royal Scots they were given police uniforms to go beat up miners at the battle of Bilston Glen. He said you can tell who the soldiers were as they had no numbers on their shoulders as the uniforms were straight out of the box. To his shame.

[@_Ben4810]

"to go beat up miners''....nothing like a KZbin comments section over-exaggeration...

[@moj6241]

Source ‘Trust me mate’

[@terrybarker2660]

I will tell you something, I lived and worked in the 70's in the UK. I was sick to death of strikes affecting my life, they didn;t care about me, so why should I care about them. majority rule, and the strikers were not the majority, I loved watching thatcher sort this mess out, scargill was an evil man.

[@jcbairmaster73]

MT micro managed the strike on a day to day basis,threw money galore at it,and would have spent more despite a near victory twice by the miners during that twelve months.The miners never had a chance,the stage was set from Maggie gaining power,and the outcome predictable,split of the union in Nott's,TUC failure to do anything when it mattered,dock workers-who would later regret not lending their support when the dock labour scheme was abolished.I will let someone else add the rest.

[@Withnail1969]

The strike should never have started, it just handed Thatcher a big PR victory.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Not exactly sure where I stand on this, because I was only 13 when it started. However, and looking back, in my opinion, the police were heavy handed at times, but having said that striking miners and aggressive pickets needed to be dealt with. Why should they stop so-called scabs from working if they wanted to? If you want to strike - fine, go ahead, strike, and see where it gets you. But for those who wanted to work they should not be vilified and intimidated into joining a strike they don’t want to. If this line had been taken all those years ago I doubt there would’ve been so much aggression. The film “Billy Elliot”, which I’ve enjoyed watching time and time again, and the musical stage version in London, has prompted an interest in the 1984/5 miners strike. Thankfully, it never affected me or any close member of my family, but I can certainly sympathise with those who were affected by it and how they had very little to live on at the time. In the film Billy Elliot’s father decided to break the strike in order to raise money to send his son to audition for the Royal Ballet School. Needless to say, it didn’t go down well! In the years following the strike I’ve become aware of continued family disputes. One situation that I do know of occurred after two miners from the same family (not sure where) ended up disagreeing about the strike. One, the father, was on strike, the other, his son, was working and was considered a ‘scab’. The father hated his son so much for breaking the strike he never spoke to him again. Even after over thirty years since the strike ended the father and son were never reconciled. I find this exceptionally sad, and I believe the father has since died.

[@spencerkay6131]

Going to miss this sort of programming.

[@DaveSeville-sf1ku]

Why is it going to end?

[@christinaharper1847]

SCARGILL MADE A MASSIVE MISTAKE HE STRIKED IN THE SUMMER , IF THEY HAD STRIKED IN THE WINTER THATCHER WOULDNT HAVE LASTED THATS WHAT WAS THE BIG ERROR

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

The government was determined to phase out the dying coal industry.

[@ralphsimpson5230]

She would have still won! She knew that Idiot Scargill would try it on. Margaret made sure there were adequate stocks of coal. That's what happens when an imbecile has he cheek to take on a genius.

[@andrewh5457]

And not having a national ballot. V

[@christopherreid3520]

The bloke at 3 20 is my uncle I'm pretty sure,a striking Notts miner has was my father Sean Reid rip dad

[@joeroberts2156]

She was the feminine Franco!

[@MrLaizard]

Franco at least supported coal mining

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@MrLaizard Franco used tanks and the air force against striking miners in 1934.

[@MarkHarrison733]

Franco saved Spain from Communism.

[@theclash3015]

Matgaret Tatcher,the Greatest snob in the UK.

[@louloubrow2171]

Why stiking miners and there wife's terrorised working miners and there children screaming we living on £21 a week 😮FFS tell that to your husbands not abuse break windows bully kids whos fathers husband chose to be working not bullied 🙄 and put there families first ❤ those men showed REAL back bone

[@videowillplayafterads8437]

Fighting for your industry, your community, your future, your rights is what everyone should do. Sheeps roll over and allow the government to dictate everything. Why would anyone choose to be a scab.. the repercussions from that are irrecoverable. Your life and reputation are forever in tatters amongst your community.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@videowillplayafterads8437 The strike was illegal.

[@andrewh5457]

​@videowillplayafterads8437 There would have been no 'scabs' if Scargill had had a national ballot, makes you wonder who he was working for.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@andrewh5457 Scargill knew he would lose a ballot. More than a fifth of miners continued working from the very beginning of the illegal strike.

[@kevinwilliams1421]

A person like you will just never grasp it..

[@ingridredfern5065]

Scargill was no match for the Iron Lady.

[@binagarten4667]

The trouble was the British had no staomach they have been bough and sold and any fedal Landowner who had the rights of the plebs over the virginity of the wife were just cap in handers. They used the working class and the working class were sheep. No wonder we in Kiwi and Aussie Land call you POMS! Even a yank commentated on the fuel protests that if I know the Englsih they will not see anything through they will go home for thier tea and Curries! Although not Edwinnia Curry!

[@samt7351]

Then she destroyed the country

[@alanmokwa5469]

Still Hate Thatcher

[@andrewh5457]

Do you also hate Wilson, after all, he closed more pits than Thatcher.

[@noregretcoyote1808]

Oh well if it’s Paul Mason it won’t be one sided will it?

[@DonutOfNinja]

Who could have thought that satan had actively worked against the people?

[@garyhalton5409]

Bring British coal back

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

It was poor quality and too expensive to extract.

[@anshumanjaiswal5787]

Vote tories

[@TheStukkateurmeister]

Brilliant this my wife’s father was ted leader celynen south

[@MarkHarrison733]

Coal mining should have been phased out during the 1960s. The Soviet agent Wilson closed twice as many coal mines as Thatcher did.

[@dominich2263]

What evidence do you have that Wilson was a Soviet agent?

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@dominich2263 Wilson was confirmed to have been a Soviet agent, like Foot.

[@dominich2263]

@@MarkHarrison733 many thanks for this. What is your source? Happy New Year

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@dominich2263 It was confirmed when the Soviet Union imploded.

[@dominich2263]

@@MarkHarrison733 as I understood it MI5 had a file on Wilson as a security concern but it transpired that he was NOT a Soviet agent

[@TomBartram-b1c]

Coal was doomed with or without Maggie because of greenhouse gases.

[@maxgillatt4277]

She could have invested in different industries instead of just leaving

[@seenenough2066]

Climate change is a scam.

[@andrewh5457]

@@seenenough2066 no it's not, but it is perfectly natural, been happening since year one.

[@drwgalabuschagne3287]

Earth has withstood so much worse...

[@joebish6629]

@@maxgillatt4277 That was what the NUM should have negotiated for but they didn't. They fought to keep every pit open regardless of the cost and this was non-negotiable for them. Scargill just wanted to bring down a democratically elected government just as the miners had in 1974. Thank God he lost but if the fool had called a ballot, he would have won.

[@uktravel8341]

Thatcher massively overplayed her hand with this one. Coal-mines were declining anyway (from after WW1) and that put a bad taste in the mouth for a lot of people with the Conservative Party.

[@thomashumber9762]

That is your opinion. Would it have been better to let them strike forever? if you look at the 70s it was not just miners......look at British Leyland ! Dock strikes....more strikes...... if it went on and on...we were millitant Britain....then what? civil war? or worse Nazi parties like in the Ukraine getting out of control !

[@joebish6629]

Defeating the miners did her a power of good. She won another election after the strike. Majority of people were sick of arrogant miners holding the country to ransom.

[@zetlandersoaghar7551]

good old scargill, got the NUM to pay him his pds 80,000 plus a year life pension and for his multi million pound london flat rental being pds 40,000 a year. Not forgeting the NUM paying pds 13,000 a year for car and chaufer for him even though he was retired... he also sued the num for money on many occassions lossing some cases but winning thousands..... he also has not yet returned the 1million pds given to him in 84 by the soviet union for the miners. He kept it it appears. Scargill started this strike and now we know everything was lost and all mines closed.... steel industry followed as electricity too expensive and no coal. Guess who picked up the european market that we lost due to these closures. Soviet union... wonder if he was working for them ? close englands industries , destroy them and then they have the market with germany.

[@alexander8688]

Come on mate. Scargill was a real working man , struggling to get by on a few quid.😅

[@andrewh5457]

​@@alexander8688but who was he working for, because it wasn't the miners.

[@MarkHarrison733]

How come not one 1980s squaddie has ever come forward and sold their story to a newspaper, or spoken about the day they dressed up as a policeman during the miners strike? Probably because it never happened.

[@kevinwilliams1421]

Probably because he is ashamed …that stain on a sound never goes away

[@jamesmorris889]

This just justifies that the unionists, of GB during the Thatcher years came to Australia and caused strikes at the beer breweries in the early 1980's at Easter and Christmas. I remember the beer strikes of 1982 and having a Scots Union Official (Thatcher Escapee) dictating terms for the Easter Weekend. This was Queensland, Australia.

[@kms6465]

Despite being the most photographed dispute in history, there don't seem to be any pictures of soldiers dressed as police officers. Anecdote it not a substitute for evidence.

[@binagarten4667]

What makes you think the media ever tells the truth? They did not tell us about the tax bonuses of the Bankers, MP's who have taken back handers, covered up the Grooming gangs of Rotheram, Telford and many other places. The evidence is there but often a anecdote is the only way you will get people to think. But then of course only if you want to see. But then of course you did not see your great great grand father so you must be an anecdote!

[@Cataclysm123]

Paul Mason: MI5 agent

[@markjones4704]

it went on for 1 year

[@alanthomas8467]

The pits were loosing money hand over fist something had to be fone

[@benhurr8651]

Yes, British coal had simply become too expensive to mine, since they'd been digging it out since Roman times. Most coal mines had not been profitable since the 1960s or earlier. Harold Wilson of Labour had already closed about 260 pits. Margaret Thatcher simply continued the process with another, lesser, 160. So, Thatcher simply continued the process. The difference with Thatcher was that she became a 'last stand' ideological target for the militant Unions, e.g. Arthur Scargill.

[@chris-c2c4k]

the people involved in that strike should be ashamed

[@LWQ15881]

People we’re loosing there entire lives how can you be so ignorant?

[@chris-c2c4k]

@@LWQ15881 but the way they behaved was unacceptable

[@Queen-of-Swords]

Englishmen eh. Judging by the comments, many still like to knock out a tommy tank over ugly Maggie. No taste.

[@JK-br1mu]

I'm glad Mags crushed Union Blackmail of the National Economy-----------"overpay me or else!"

[@binagarten4667]

But they decided to give obscence amout to the Bankers who crippled this country and brought the economy to it knees!

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

Thatcher was too soft.

[@binagarten4667]

When the needed the army they tried to cover up the attocities. For fear of causing offence to a certain demographic!

[@nycjake5324]

Dire Straits Iron Hand (= Margaret Thatcher ) sets it all out so well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4nZiHuNrbOafpY Mark Knopler was certainly right on point! Wonderful song with beautifully descriptive lyrics.

[@terrystephens8603]

Violence will not succeed she said .The most violent woman who revelled in working class pain.Horrible woman.Ex services after the strike and remember how many service folk thought she was wonderful but none were from mining steel or industrial areas.

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

Scargill began a fight he could not win.

[@terrystephens8603]

@JamesRichards-mj9kw Trouble with the 2 of them they both had agendas. Scargil should have planned better.If you watch battle of Orgreave it was a set up to smash miners by government and to do so violently. Horrible woman Margaret Thatcher who I hope suffers in hell.I am not Arthur scargil supporter either but what he said came true.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@terrystephens8603 He tried to bring down the elected government. Thankfully he did not have the resources.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@stewartarnold6034 Scargill was trying to repeat the General Strike of 1926.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@stewartarnold6034 Scargill believed he had brought down Heath.

[@MsCharlie1980]

Cause they were.. I own a public report from the 80s... They were already suited and booted in police uniforms

[@_Ben4810]

"public report"...??? So name the British Army regiments mentioned in your report then....🙄🙄🙄

[@indiana146]

Scargills right hand man was an mi5 agent

[@dominich2263]

Mick McGharhy? How do you know this?

[@indiana146]

@@dominich2263 do you not watch news or read papers it's truth sir

[@dominich2263]

@@indiana146 forgive that's a serious allegation I would like some evidence so that I can make an informed opinion

[@indiana146]

@dominich2263 take a look on news I'm not lying why would i

[@indiana146]

@@dominich2263 Google it

[@41tim]

Maggie was brilliant , I was there at those great times , great leader

[@mickvarley3139]

Get fucked idiot

[@rudbel88]

@@mickvarley3139 she was good, i like reading about working class in britian and they working class living and mentality, living in uk i like visit council estate places and i like reading books about post -industralization socirty being deprived , I love class sytem in enlgand, council estate , sepertated from middle class area,, as a foreigner living in posh village in england and having working class job and this mixing is fantastic fun

[@Queen-of-Swords]

@@rudbel88 Yeah it must be great fun for you. 🙄 Not quite so much fun for the miners and their families. It was a dangerous job, many died, for your entertainment.

[@ellastarrr1st149]

At Ick ick Politicly dumb

[@jamiewyatt1862]

@@Queen-of-Swords think he needs a reality check matey !

[@rgsnr8702]

so 5000 pickets turn up at a coking plant to shut it down and the police are the bandies for enforcing the law and rights of the workers in this plant, its a joke i understand there maybe an enquiry now if Corbyn is elected well i hope it is to also prosecute those pickets that regarded extreme violence as a legitimate right, the police only stood up to those thugs who thought they had the right to bully people and anyone who thought that the police would send only a couple of offices to control a mob of 5000 miners is an idiot and they got all they deserved people like scargill had no interest in miners he just used them as pawns in his anti government agenda as history has no shown so why should she not have the army ready ,union leaders still had a fat pay day and perks while they incited their own troupes to riot

[@nigelbrown2933]

Redwood passing the book

[@tonygrant4607]

Liar

[@HRHooChicken]

Surely all you lefties should be happy with what Maggie did. Less coal means less greenhouse gasses, eh? You care about that stuff right?

[@nigelkthomas9501]

HRHooChicken That’s a good point! Well said.

[@MikeHunt420]

@@nigelkthomas9501 ignorance

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Mike Hunt Meaning what?

[@Esafc-lb2sg]

@@nigelkthomas9501 Meaning one of the issues with the policy adopted by Thatcher was that there was nothing put in place to replace jobs to ensure mining families didn’t starve. Environmental issues are irrelevant to the miners strike.

[@lucatoni4509]

enjoy migrants

[@thomashumber9762]

SCARGILL....horrible man !!!!

[@ellastarrr1st149]

Scargill horrible man no worse than traitor Thatcher!

[@paulcaney5936]

Bringing in troops was just the tip of the iceberg, I worked for a lady who's father worked in mi5/6 and during the miners conflict, on his death she went through papers that had been locked away in their family home which pointed to a meeting in which, had the unions got the upper hand there would be moves to eliminate Scargill through either an accident or poisoning.

[@MarkHarrison733]

He was a useful idiot for the Tory government.

[@joebish6629]

Having a nice time out there on Fantasy Island?

[@_Ben4810]

Bwahahaha....🤣🤣🤣 You got more chance of finding out he worked for MFI than MI5...🪑🛏️🛋️

[@stephenroche5107]

State terrorism.

[@stephenroche5107]

Scargill❤