Strike anniversary talk
ARTHUR Scargill, the fiery leader of the 1984 miners' strike, will address a sell-out Notts audience to mark the dispute's 25th anniversary.
Scargill, 71, who was president of the National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long strike, will be on the platform at Hucknall Leisure Centre on Saturday, April 18.
Scargill will be joined by former Labour MP Tony Benn, another prominent figure who was unwavering in his support of Notts' striking miners.
Mr Stanley said: "I still see Arthur on a regular basis and he still recognises the role of the Notts lads who stayed out. He was very pleased to be asked to come and talk to them."
"Arthur always plays to the audience. I assume he will talk about the part played by the Notts miners who went on strike and the reasons why we did it.
"And if you look at the coal industry today, you can see that we were right, because it has been butchered."
Tony Benn, former Labour MP for Chesterfield, also jumped at the chance to take part in the anniversary event.
Mr Stanley said: "He holds close links with the Notts miners and he was delighted to be asked to take part."
Following the miners' strike, Mr Scargill went on to form the Socialist Labour Party in 1996 and is still its leader. He is also actively involved in administering the NUM's pension fund.
As well as the guest speakers, entertainment will be provided by live group The Crew who will perform hits from the 1960s and 1970s.
A bar is being provided by the Clause IV group and the Beer Workers' Company.
4 Comments
by Bill, Hucknall
Tuesday, April 21 2009, 7:40AM
“I have read some diarrhoea in my time but not as much in one go as on these guest books, The Cook Kitchen is full of hot air, he nor his like minded threatening friends that stifle debate on these guest books turned up to a magnificent event at Hucknall. My congratulations to Notts NUM for organising a fantastic event. For those that don¿t know Hucknall was the centre of the Notts coalfield with all the relevant transport links so it was a fitting place to hold it, with a venue that could accommodate the numbers expected to attend
Without any shred of doubt everything Arthur Scargill told the miners in Notts prior and during the strike was fact. I was a striking miner in Hucknall and have the written proof of the lies that we were told by Ian McGregor the union buster at that time .The facts speak for themselves now with only 5 deep mines in Britain left open, whilst we import 50 mt a year at £13 a ton more expensive than our own indigenous coal. The working miners in Notts were grossly misled then and more recently to the tune of 23 million pounds that was taken from them in their health claims by that same right wing organisation that were dead against fighting for the industry in any way shape or form.
If I were a UDM affiliate and worked at one of the two remaining pits in Notts, I would now be joining the union that has always had the best interest of its members at heart, the National Union of Mineworkers, the only union that will stand and fight for its members.”
by The Equaliser, Nottingrad
Friday, April 10 2009, 9:32AM
“I suppose many would say that the means justify the ends regarding the government of the day's use of the police and covert troops to smash the striking miners.
The use of agents provocateurs and less covert provocation by the police on the picket lines and the terrorising of miners' families.
Arthur Scargill was a god-send to the government at the time.
We are living with the heritage of of police force that is now totally an arm of the State.
The old police force has all but gone.
These days they are not there to protect the ordinary man in the street rather to enforce the governments' wishes, prevent dissent and carry forward crank ideas to subvert morality and bring about an amoral society that cares naught for God or Mankind.
Allegedly!!!”
by The Cook, Kitchen
Thursday, March 12 2009, 11:14AM
“We shall be in Hucknall picketing to stop these Communist from entering, these people caused so much hatred and fear in the communities around here,i hope they get food poisoning for what they did, all because they where afraid to have a National ballot. They destroyed a once proud Union, destroyed a industry, we dont wont them in Notts. Scargill in his big Ivory tower in Yorkshire , the rest of the dummies that followed him in their back to back houses whose the fools.”
by Malc, ex Newstead
Wednesday, March 11 2009, 10:54PM
“Scargill is to blame for the finnishing of the coal industry and the break up of the NUM. As soon as he was elected he was calling for overtime bans, strikes, no Goverment could have a Communist wanting to bringdown a Goverment, so they made plans and quite rightly. Without him if Joe Gormly had been the leader he would have got us a better deal for the coal industry, we had a rule book Scargill should have followed it to the letter and had a national ballot but communist dont do it that way so he sent his thugs out to intimidate working men and his drones did his dirty work.
Scargill and Company have a lot to answer for.”