You didnt even mention letting people work for £2.50 or less an hour and not giving a t***, the unions may have had too much power in the 70's but boy did she make sure that employers had all the power in the world during the 80's!!! whatever Scargill's faults no way what he did was as bad as Thatcher!!!!!

Scargills not blameless but to suggest he's as much to blame is way off the mark, Thatcher was going to do what she did irrespective of Scargill who was a bit part player and no more significant in that Thatcher centric world than Ian McGregor was.

Thatcher had her campaign planned for months if not years before Scargill even got started along the lines of opposing her as vehemently as he did. Her secret stockpiling of chep coal bought from the continent and hidden from the view of everyone is testimony to her intentions. Some might say she was clever, I won't argue that, but many many miners got into the strike not knowing what they were getting into because they did so believing the coal supplies were less than they were. As a result homes were lost, debts were acrued,families destroyed and communities broken on the back of Thatchers pre planned and ruthlessly efficient campeign to break the miners unions. They were collateral damage, cannon fodder and good old Maggie didn't give a toss.

Beyond the miners strike there were many other Thatcher policies that were so hard line that they actualy cost lives!

You forgot to mention the thuggish, bullying tactics employed by striking miners against their own kind and the attempts to cripple the country to meet their own ends - which differed depending on where you stood in the ranks.

Thatcher may have been cold and dispassionate towards the miners, but the miners leaders were cold and dispassionate about our great nation!

Neither side won anything and neither will either side ever win this argument!

All politicions make bad decisions and in that she is no different to the Blair decision to send us to war in Afghanistan and iraq, that doesn't in my book make either of them evil.
To simplify the point made, if Scargill wasn't as bad as Maggie the miners strike would have ended far sooner, equally friendships could have remained and communities divided.
Both made bad calls, the ordinary man suffered as is always the case.
Tbh as interesting as this debate is, I think it serves little purpose but to divide, so maybe it should end?

you lot should of lived the 12 months on strike and then suffer the years after trying to catch up with debts that was put on hold.

my local community stood firm and held beliefs that was passed on down by their fore fathers that have died to give most of you your rights for what you now take for granted nowadays.

while trends change in economic times due to 'cost', gas was proven to be cheaper than coal same as the British rail wasn't deemed to be required so lets slimline it down all at cost to the working mans living.

the years that has gone by I have noticed a greed in the private sector and a couldn't careless attitude sod you jack I'm alright from workmates and the attitude of employers now trying to devalue skilled mans job

given the chance to go back and work with my pals back at the pit who I could trust with my life I would,
thugs we was not we just wanted the right to work on a decent wage.

continue with your debate

I think the point many were making was if Scargill had the miners best interests at heart and not his own and the unions, the first paragraph you wrote probably wouldn't have occurred.
I don't think anyone is portraying Maggie in any good light, but the bad light that colours this whole period on British history also reflects badly on Scargill equally.
There were thugs lined up in the strike like there were thugs lined up in the ranks of the police.
A terrible time in our history, sadly the ones who still suffer the most are the largely honest ranks of the miners who just wanted to work and support their families and communities, many of which are still decemated now.

I know the bloke that wrote that for the are you stupid enough to think she wrote it
he claims to be a socalist but a pay day is a pay day.
this woman sold of our assets like gas oil etc.etc. Denis did ok out of it
thats enough about R.L.

Some people are speaking as if the only legacy Thatcher left was the destruction of the coal industry. That was just one element of a completely disastrous tenure. The only reason she kept on getting voted in was the fact most of the general public are idiots, in tandem with a very right wing press and a perceived unelectable Labour opposition. And Vasty whilst you make some fair points, I find it odd that you would use them in the manner and context you have. I'm with Devils on this, i've got the Prosecco chilling in the fridge as we speak

I've held back ,I don't know how many of you were involved in the strike,I was,for the full 12 months and proud of it.I wouldn't have changed it for anything.Arthur Scargills views were correct and predictions came true .if it wasn't for all other spineless unions and SCABS,we wouldn't have a non productive country held to ransom by every bugger else.I still work underground and the strike still hurts and scabs still named.As for that bitch Thatcher,I save a days leave every year ,hoping and praying that she dies so I can get hammered and dance on her grave,hopefully she has a slow painful one.

don't know much about any of that mate. all i do know is anywhere in the world the only 2 british primeministers anyone would be able to name is thatcher and churchill and i am told she was voted in 3 times, once after the strike. this seems to figure that she can't have done a bad job.

It's called being blinkered.look at us now 26 yrs on.what have we got to show?nothing.Mining,steel,docks all manual and skilled work gone.all we are good at it sat in offices staring out of the windows getting old before our time waiting for the world to stop turning at 5oclock coming home thinking they've done a days work.............yes I'm still bitter and when her name is mentioned it brings it all flooding back.that's my rant over.Goodnight.

i'd agree with that mate. you can only sell so many burgers and shuffle so much paper. someone at the end of the day has to produce something to create wealth

Good analogy. Any idea who the most well known German leader is?