Much of the material broadcast or written to mark the 20th anniversary of the miners’ strike has portrayed their struggle as a brave but tragic attempt to save a dying industry.
No matter how sympathetically the miners, their families and their supporters are portrayed, that view of their battle against Thatcher’s government onslaught does a massive disservice to the momentous struggle they conducted.
It is absolutely vital for the struggles of future generations of trade unionists and socialist militants that a balance sheet of the strike is drawn. Millions of ordinary working-class people, the miners and their families carried out heroic endeavours during the strike. This book shows the miners were right to take the action they did. They could have won a victory which would have raised the sights and confidence of the whole working-class movement.
Acknowledgements
There is a need to rescue the many heroic endeavours of the millions of ordinary working-class people and especially of the miners and their families that were carried out during the strike.
In much of the material that has been broadcast or written to mark the 20th anniversary of the strike their struggle has at best been portrayed as a brave but tragic attempt to save a dying industry.
No matter how sympathetically the miners, their families and their supporters may be viewed that portrayal does a massive disservice to the momentous struggle they conducted. It is absolutely vital for the struggles of future generations of trade unionists and socialist militants that a more instructive balance sheet of the strike is given.
It is to these ordinary self-sacrificing workers, who should never be forgotten by future generations, that this account is dedicated. I encountered and worked alongside hundreds – if not thousands – of these comrades during the strike itself in South Wales and throughout Britain.
I could not name all of those miners and their families and my comrades in Militant and the Socialist Party who have inspired and helped me to write this account.
But, particularly I would acknowledge the Militant miners of St John’s colliery in Maesteg, South Wales, who I worked alongside during the strike. These included people like Ian Isaac, Philip White, Billy Pye, Bobby Potts, Peter Clements, Paul Davies, the late Charlie White, Ron Roberts, Colin Schofield, Ieuan Dare, Rob Bevan, Rob James, Derek Williams and others – the miners’ wives and their active supporters, like Vi John, Eirlys Furlong, Teresa Parry, Lynda Sullivan, Linda Williams, Shirley Wells, Jan Dare, Karin Clements, Idwal Isaac and many others will always hold my special affection, regardless of how little contact we have had since and how divergent our political paths have become.
And, I would like to thank comrades from Militant, as it was in 1984, and Socialist Party members who have given political assistance and advice in going back over the events of 1984-85.
In particular, Peter Taaffe, Socialist Party general secretary, encouraged me to write this account and has given many valuable comments. Alec Thraves, the Socialist Party Wales secretary, was always a great assistance and encouragement in 1984-85 and has been on many occasions since. He has also assisted by reading this book and making many important points.
Ian Isaac met up with me a couple of times and read parts of the manuscript and provided excellent factual information, constructive comments and vital background material.
Others who read the manuscript in various drafts and gave invaluable assistance and comments include: Bill Mullins, Hannah Sell, Jane James, Dave Griffiths, Jon Dale, Steve Minney and Bob Sulatycki.
Roger Shrives, Alison Hill and Manny Thain all proofread the book at various stages and Alison Hill also did the picture research.
Andrew Glyn provided essential material, particularly on the economics of pit closures. Alan Hardman’s cartoons are still as hard hitting about the strike in 2004 as they were in 1984 and many thanks to Alan for allowing them to be used.
Finally thanks and appreciation go to my family for putting up with me while writing this book – especially my partner Jane and my daughter Nanci, who I hope will one day read this material and understand what it is that inspires her dad to have fought alongside the miners and others for a better, socialist world.
Ken Smith – April 2004
About the author
Ken Smith is a member of the Socialist Party executive committee. He has been involved in socialist politics since the mid-1970s in South Wales and London.
During the 1984-85 miners’ strike he was an organiser for Militant (forerunner of the Socialist Party) in South Wales.
Early on in the strike he was elected the chair of the Llynfi and Afan Valley Miners’ Support Group. The group worked closely alongside St John’s NUM Lodge and other lodges in the two valleys to organise the political and financial support for nearly a thousand miners and their families during the strike.
About the cartoonist
Alan Hardman has been drawing excellent cartoons and illustrations for the Militant, Militant International Review, the Socialist and Socialism Today since the early 1970s. His work has also been used in many labour movement publications internationally.
During the miners’ strike Alan’s work gave tremendous inspiration to all those involved in the struggle. Many of his cartoons were also used by NUM branches and miners’ support group on their leaflets, posters and publications.
To this day the cartoons retain a sharpness in conveying the issues surrounding the strike, bringing it once more to life for those who lived through it and for those discovering it for the first time.
