tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post8510140047230659701..comments2024-03-14T12:42:51.995+00:00Comments on Chris Whiteside's Blog: Anyone thinking of voting Labour should read thisChris Whitesidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888720969479013951noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-53353393417061531572010-01-29T21:03:50.919+00:002010-01-29T21:03:50.919+00:00A lot of people on both sides, of whom I am one, h...A lot of people on both sides, of whom I am one, have very long memories in respect of the miner's strike. <br /><br />Iain Dale and myself called a no-confidence vote in Mark Seddon, later a member of the Labour NEC, as president of the local student union for using Union resources to support striking miners and giving untrue answers at the Student Council about it.<br /><br />My council ward in Copeland includes the former site of the William Pit coal mine and there are many residents with strong views in each direction. I have met more than a few people in Copeland who think Mrs Thatcher was the best PM Britain ever had and Arthur Scargill was a disaster for the miners, but I have also met others who were equally convinced of the opposite view.Chris Whitesidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02888720969479013951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-22781465418931704222010-01-28T13:39:03.421+00:002010-01-28T13:39:03.421+00:00Good old Arthur ! Still the number one demon. Mind...Good old Arthur ! Still the number one demon. Mind you, he is opposed to the war in Iraq and hasn't been involved in the deaths of over 1,000,000 people.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-28315856492972341842010-01-28T13:26:44.282+00:002010-01-28T13:26:44.282+00:00Yes he has that about right , it was the defeat of...Yes he has that about right , it was the defeat of Frank Field by Brown and the lefty back benchers that killed it <br />I trace the rot to that moment , I am sure many people do<br /><br />Toodles ChrisNewmaniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11922161971821380803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-79538206852557858832010-01-28T03:13:06.728+00:002010-01-28T03:13:06.728+00:00Jane - as a relatively old-timer and veteran of th...Jane - as a relatively old-timer and veteran of the Scargill curse, I couldn't agree more. He ruined the lives of tens of thousands of people and their families. If only Joe Gormley had been in control there would still be a coal industry.Ted Foanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04497077127882545545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-90197967843037603832010-01-27T18:18:51.715+00:002010-01-27T18:18:51.715+00:00Tim,
Comrade Arthur, closed more Pits than Marga...Tim, <br /><br />Comrade Arthur, closed more Pits than Margaret Thatcher intended. Pits that were economical before the strike were closed because the safety technicians were forced out on strike. Water seeped into economic pits which ceased to be viable. The costs of restoring safety were so great there was no option but to close them down. <br /><br />Additionally, the strike would have had legitimacy if there had been a secret ballot i.e. the Nottingham Miners would have come out and the strike would not have been split. The strike disintegrated into lawlessness, which was utterly unacceptable to decent people. Had the strike been conducted in a lawful manner more pits would have been saved. Miners would have had the moral high ground and negotiations would have been possible. <br /><br />Arthur Scargill was ironically British industries worst enemy. He destroyed the very communities he purported to support. <br /><br />I am lucky to be still breathing for pointing this out in the Student Union in 1984! This was a nasty time and I do not boast, only regret being right in issuing the warning.Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08958602131624708136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-15455891186405028252010-01-27T17:44:13.403+00:002010-01-27T17:44:13.403+00:00Well said Max.
Anyone who doesn't like new L...Well said Max.<br /><br /> Anyone who doesn't like new Labour can still vote for Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party. <br /><br />I bet that if Cameron had been PM for the last 13 years he too would have jumped on the shovel when George Bush said "Manure".<br /><br />There's the problem with so called mainstream politics today - NO CHOICE !Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10815380.post-88241818090279620532010-01-27T16:30:45.279+00:002010-01-27T16:30:45.279+00:00I'm a bit surprised that he took so long to wo...I'm a bit surprised that he took so long to work this out. It was pretty clear from 1994 that Labour had given up its core principles. I gave them the benefit of the doubt till after they were elected, but didn't renew my membership in 1998.<br /><br />Planning to vote conservative is a bit odd though. The Liberals are currently to the left of the other two parties.Max Chillonoreply@blogger.com