Quizzes & Puzzles2 mins ago
Celebrate with me.....
25 years since I kicked the Miner's ar5ses, happy days.Still sheep led by a donkey, old Shredded wheat head had no chance! There was old film of some Union idiot on the telly this morning. (yorkshire accent) "These pits are being closed for nowt but economic reasons" - Not sh1t Sherlock! hellooo....! I think what really pi55ed them off was that through the 70's those Union numpties effectively put me in power by thier ever more loony antics! Anyway do you think they'd have had more chance with Ted in charge?
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Thing is the strike wasn't about the mines really, it was about kerbing the out of hand unions. Gotta say though MrsT played a blinder, she stock piled coal and then cranked up Scargill, to go on strike in the spring! Genius. Thing is like all socialists old Arthur still had his snout in the trough whilst his men were living on handouts!
I think the miners strike was a tragedy for many communities across this country and some have never recovered their former vibrancy. Scargill should have given his men the ballot and Thatcher shouldn't have been hell bent on destroying the Union. It's a shameful episode in our industrial history and both sides share the blame.
Throughout the 70s various unions were actively wrecking the country. I'm all for unions protecting the people their representing, but there's something clearly wrong when they've got such a stranglehold that the govt has to declare emergency powers (and then fail).
Thatcher is often criticised for closing the mines, but it's easy to forget that they'd lurched from one financial crisis to another for about a decade. Billions were borrowed in the mid-70s purely to sustain current production. She didn't inherit a slowly declining mining economy that she could gradually phase out (in fact if you look at actual subsidy levels they actually increased in her first two years but you never hear of that...), she inherited one that was absolutely terminal from years of govt. inaction and financial convulsions, thanks to unions constantly stamping on the state's hands.
Thatcher is often criticised for closing the mines, but it's easy to forget that they'd lurched from one financial crisis to another for about a decade. Billions were borrowed in the mid-70s purely to sustain current production. She didn't inherit a slowly declining mining economy that she could gradually phase out (in fact if you look at actual subsidy levels they actually increased in her first two years but you never hear of that...), she inherited one that was absolutely terminal from years of govt. inaction and financial convulsions, thanks to unions constantly stamping on the state's hands.
One of the many Police Forces involved in policing the miners strike, Avon and Somerset, used to drive around and their vans each had a large sign prominently displayed in the windscreen. The sign read, in large letters,
ASPOM which meant "officially": Avon and Someset Police On Manoeuvres.
But the unofficial meaning was: Arthur Scargill Pays Our Mortgage.
Nothing like rubbing it in!! Many Police Officers made significant financial gains with all that overtime.
ASPOM which meant "officially": Avon and Someset Police On Manoeuvres.
But the unofficial meaning was: Arthur Scargill Pays Our Mortgage.
Nothing like rubbing it in!! Many Police Officers made significant financial gains with all that overtime.
And now our electricity supply is dependant on Russian Gas and French nuclear power stations.
Economics is not a very good argument.
If the sort of money that had been invested in Trident had been invested in coal mining I'm pretty certain it would have been (and probably still be) profitable.
And we wouldn't be dependant on foreign powers for energy.
A combination of short-sightedness, throwing the baby out with the bathwater and personal pique!
What a blinder!
Economics is not a very good argument.
If the sort of money that had been invested in Trident had been invested in coal mining I'm pretty certain it would have been (and probably still be) profitable.
And we wouldn't be dependant on foreign powers for energy.
A combination of short-sightedness, throwing the baby out with the bathwater and personal pique!
What a blinder!
Oh jake, I think the BNP made a similar point abot those pesky foreigners in their Energy Analysis.
For many years the privatisation of our energy industry was seen as a good thing. In April 2000, all 19 million domestic customers were free to choose their gas supplier, something which offered huge savings and a relief for many to escape the appalling British Gas monopoly. Of course prices have risen in recent times, but this would have occurred no matter who was supplying it to our homes. The free market and domestic competition gave us choices that we didn�t have previously.
Since the electricity market was opened up to competition in May 1999, 11 million out of the regional electricity companies� 26 million domestic customers have switched away from their old monopoly supplier and the average annual domestic electricity bill has fallen 11 per cent.
Economics?
For many years the privatisation of our energy industry was seen as a good thing. In April 2000, all 19 million domestic customers were free to choose their gas supplier, something which offered huge savings and a relief for many to escape the appalling British Gas monopoly. Of course prices have risen in recent times, but this would have occurred no matter who was supplying it to our homes. The free market and domestic competition gave us choices that we didn�t have previously.
Since the electricity market was opened up to competition in May 1999, 11 million out of the regional electricity companies� 26 million domestic customers have switched away from their old monopoly supplier and the average annual domestic electricity bill has fallen 11 per cent.
Economics?
If the sort of money that had been invested in Trident had been invested in coal mining I'm pretty certain it would have been (and probably still be) profitable.
Look at the amount of money that was dumped into mining in the 70s. It's really frightening. In fact, as far as I know we're still paying it off because we had to borrow literally billions.
Your argument assumes we had a choice. Perhaps if something had actually been done in the decades when it could have made a difference, then maybe things would've been different.
Look at the amount of money that was dumped into mining in the 70s. It's really frightening. In fact, as far as I know we're still paying it off because we had to borrow literally billions.
Your argument assumes we had a choice. Perhaps if something had actually been done in the decades when it could have made a difference, then maybe things would've been different.
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A miner friend of mine was watching the footage of the strike the other night on the tv. He made several interesting observations.
1. They all appeared to be shouting, non-listening yobs
2. They were listening and led by a Communist bufoon.
3. They could have negotiated some closures but didn't.
4. They could have backed off with integrity and some job salvage, but didn't.
5. The Mick McGaghy / Scargill duo made fools of them all but they could have removed them or not followed them like sheep.
He said given hindsight they could have trimmed the industry, saved many jobs and many pits and not been humiliated.
PS He bore the old Bill no malice at all. He even admires Mrs T and wishes she had been a miners leader.
Food for thought.
1. They all appeared to be shouting, non-listening yobs
2. They were listening and led by a Communist bufoon.
3. They could have negotiated some closures but didn't.
4. They could have backed off with integrity and some job salvage, but didn't.
5. The Mick McGaghy / Scargill duo made fools of them all but they could have removed them or not followed them like sheep.
He said given hindsight they could have trimmed the industry, saved many jobs and many pits and not been humiliated.
PS He bore the old Bill no malice at all. He even admires Mrs T and wishes she had been a miners leader.
Food for thought.
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