NB: The first video was
made by the Militant. The other two
videos are used by permission
If you have video
footage of the Miners' strike (not copyrighted video), or of other
Militant rallies of the 1980s, please send a copy to the
Socialist Party c/o Peter Mason.
If they are video tapes we
will see if we can put them on DVD, as well as to display on the
website
Speakers: Tony Benn MP; Nimrod Sejake, South Africa; Tony Mulhearn,
President of the Liverpool District Labour Party, Peter Taaffe, Editor of the Militant, and now
general secretary of the Socialist Party.
First 8 mins, views of conference. Speakers: Frances Curran; Ian,
executive member of the South Wales National union of Mineworkers
(NUM); Militant supporter MP Terry Fields; Eileen Cobb, South
Yorkshire NUM Women's Relief Group; and Ted Grant.
The Militant Rally of 1984 took place during a number of historic
battles, including the Miners strike of 1984-5.
The
1980s saw epic
battles of the organised working class in the UK that shook the ruling class
to the core.
The
Militant, now the Socialist Party, played a leading role in some
of the key battles which took place, particularly the Liverpool
struggle.
The Militant rally 1984
In the Labour Party, a
monumental battle opened up to remove the Militant, and all left
influences from the Labour Party, which also got extensive media
coverage.
The Labour Party expelled
the Militant editorial board in 1983, comprising of Ted Grant, Peter Taaffe, Keith Dickinson, Lynn Walsh and Clare
Doyle.
The Militant Rally
celebrated the 20th
anniversary of the Militant newspaper.
The Tory government had just backed
down in the face of mass struggle and temporarily returned some of
the money which it had stolen from the Liverpool City Council.
50,000 demonstrate in Liverpool
1985
The miners were in
the middle of their epic one year strike which nearly toppled Thatcher. The
Militant also played an important role in many ways in this
struggle, and this is also reflected at the rally.
But it was only in 1989 - 1991
that the battle against the
Poll Tax, a battle led by the Militant, through the non-payment campaign
organised in the anti-poll tax unions and the All-Britain
Anti-Poll Tax Federation, finally brought an end to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's
brutal rule.
Below are links to videos
not made by the Militant or Socialist Party, of
two major battles of the 1980s. The Liverpool City Council battle
1983 - 1987, and the Wapping print workers' dispute of 1986-87.
A
struggle to save jobs and services, build houses, schools and
sports centres for the people of Liverpool.
"It's either fight or go
down" - Tony Mulhearn, President of the Liverpool district labour
Party and Militant supporter
Derek Hatton, deputy leader and
prominent spokesperson for the Liverpool councillors in their
battle against the Tory government
NB: This video, produced by
the Liverpool 47 as a fund raiser, could not discuss the role of
Militant (now the Socialist Party) in the leadership of the
battle.
Tony Benn speaks in support of
the Liverpool struggle on the Socialism on Trial video
The role of Militant in the
Liverpool struggle 1984-87, omitted from the video above, is
clearly shown in the telling of this epic battle. Read Liverpool - a city that dared to
fight, written by Peter Taaffe, Socialist Party general
secretary.
The Wapping dispute,
a defiant printworkers' struggle against the anti-trade union
Thatcher era, took place after the defeat of the historic Miner's
dispute of 1984-85.
Thanks to
Sheffield branch for providing the original video footage
on DVD and windows media files, which made this possible.
We've made a few
notes on the background to these two videos of the
1984 rally for historical accuracy.
The rally: The
Militant rally of 1984 took place at the Wembley Conference
Centre in London and lasted all day.
Politically,
the video of the event gives an excellent indication of this
period of mass struggle, and how the Militant was in the
thick of it.
Peter Taaffe, Editor
of the Militant and general secretary of the Militant
Tendency, outlines
the successes of the Militant, but skillfully weaves into his
speech warnings about the difficulties facing the working
class in this period, of "five years of defeats" beginning
with Thatcher's election in 1979, and the difficulties the
miners will face in winning their dispute unless the trade
union leaders give a leadership worthy of the miners'
determination.
Ted Grant, "political
editor" of the Militant, was highly regarded because of his
decades of struggle for the ideas of Marxism. His task was to
raise the more theoretical points. Grant however raises a
perspective of five or ten years of "enormous battles",
probably of "every section" of the working class.
This contrasts with Peter Taaffe's depiction of the period, one of witch hunts and
defeats which set back the trade union movement and
consequently the Militant itself, for an extended period. At
71 years of age in 1984, and greatly admired for his
commitment, Ted appears a little out of touch with the
period. His best days were behind him.
Speakers:
Morning (part one): Tony
Benn MP, Tony Mulhearn, President of the Liverpool District
Labour Party, Nimrod Sejake, a former leader of the South
African Metal Workers union (see
'cuts' below), Peter Taaffe, Editor of the Militant, and now
general secretary of the Socialist Party.
Afternoon (part two)
speakers: Ian Isaacs brings greetings from the executive
of the South Wales National union of Miners (NUM); Eileen
Cobb, South Yorkshire NUM Women's Relief Group, a collection is taken, Frances Curran, the labour Party
Young Socialist representative on the Labour Party National
Executive Committee, now an Scottish Socialist Party MSP
(member of the Scottish parliament), Terry Fields MP, a
member of Irish Militant, and Ted Grant,
introduced as political editor of the Militant.
Quality: The
original video reflects the quality of amateur videos made at
that time. It has little of the polish of a professional
video of the day, leave aside what can be done using digital
computer technology today. The sound level is a little low.
Making the
original video: A three hour video of the
event was made and sold. Compressing the day into three hours led to cuts to
speeches, such as that of Tony Benn MP, which cannot be
restored. The editing is relatively crude. The tapes were
edited into essentially three sections: 1. "Highlights" in
which all the speeches were cut down, 2. Peter Taaffe and Ted
Grant's speeches in full, and 3. Full versions of some of the other speeches which
were cut in the 'Highlights'. Exceptions are Tony Benn, Tony
Mulhearn and Frances Curran's speeches. However, the full
speeches of Nimrod Sejake from South Africa, the South Wales
Miner's exec member, and Terry Fields MP (whose speech was
only cut by five minutes) were preserved. Also a Miner's
wives' speaker and a speaker from Irish Militant.
This 2007 cut :
On these two website videos (and the DVD versions), we have restored Peter Taaffe and
Ted Grant's speeches to their original place, together with a
contribution from what became one of the essential features
of the Miner's strike, one of the 'Miner's wives' organisers,
without whom, as the Miners repeatedly explained, the strike
would have long been over. We have made
short cuts to the rather rough beginning of the tape, giving
a tolerable 1 1/2 minute lead time to the first speaker, Tony
Benn MP, and have had to cut two sections in which the screen is all
but black for lengthy periods, as indicated below.
DVD versions:
You can buy the twin DVD version of the 2007 cut videos from the
Socialist Party, and as well
as a DVD of the original 'Highlights' video uncut. A long
playing DVD of the rest of the original tape (2hrs) is
planned. The 2007 cut comprises 100 minutes of video, which would not fit on
a single DVD saved at HQ to ensure no further degradation of
the image, without unacceptable cuts or further loss of
quality.
The original video
uncut DVD part one is quite rough and ready and contains long
sections where nothing can be seen (see 'cuts' below). Not recommended except as a collectors
item.
Cuts: Those who
would like to see the video in full and uncut can order the
'original video uncut' double DVD version part one of which is available from
the Socialist Party bookshop. With this in mind, the following has
been cut in this 2007 version: opening scenes shortened. The chair's
introductory remarks by Rob Sewell. Some of Nimrod Sejeje's slide
show, regretfully, since very little can be made out.
Contributions from the floor, including a striking miner, have
regretfully been cut, since again the screen is almost black
throughout and nothing can be seen. We do not have either Tony
Benn or Tony Mulhearn's speech in full.
The
Militant, now the Socialist Party, played a leading role in some
of the key battles which took place, particularly the Liverpool
struggle.
The Militant Rally
celebrated the 20th
anniversary of the Militant newspaper. 
A
struggle to save jobs and services, build houses, schools and
sports centres for the people of Liverpool. 
The Wapping dispute,
a defiant printworkers' struggle against the anti-trade union
Thatcher era, took place after the defeat of the historic Miner's
dispute of 1984-85. 
The workers' frustration and anger with the trade
union leadership, and the police charges, is clearly expressed. 
(Benn, Scargill) speaking in support for
the print workers.