The Ultimate In Hypocracy?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25731328
Or perhaps he was a secret admirer of the Le Dame de fer!

[emmie]

from one source -

Workers' resistance to these policies grew and three great struggles forced the Tory government to make a 'U-turn'.

In 1971 the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in caught the imagination of millions and sparked a wave of factory occupations against redundancies and closures. Then in 1972, the first all-out miners' strike since 1926 broke the government's wage controls, winning a 22% pay rise - way over the 8% norm.

This historic victory was achieved through mass picketing of steelworks, major ports, power stations and coal depots. The strike's turning point came at the 'Battle of Saltley Gates'. Picketing miners (led by Arthur Scargill then Yorkshire NUM president) were joined by 10,000 striking Birmingham trade unionists who forced the police to close the Gas Board coal depot

[DrFilth]

from another source

Voters in the south of England have, over the last 30 years, absorbed much of the neoliberal, anti-state mentality of American politics, which is why they vote Tory and Ukip.

[emmie]

if you know anything of US politics, you would know that just isn't the case.

[Gromit]

I was against the right to buy policy and do not like Scargill, but he is no more an hypocrite than the rest off us. It is quite alright to campaign against something, but if it becomes law to take advantage of it.

I am sure many aged OAPs voted against Tony Blairs Government, but were happy to take the Winter fuel allowance, Free TV licence and Free travel on public transport.

The flat was worth £1.5 million in 1993 when he wanted the NUM to buy it. The NUM have paid £600,000 in rent but have no asset to show for it. Even a simpleton like Scargill would have known that was money down the toilet.

[Zeuhl]

Have voting patterns in the south of England changed much in the last 30 years? apart from some of the conservative vote morphing into ukip?

just asking...

[emmie]

those things are not free, they have been largely paid
for, if you worked, paid tax, and so on and so on, how many more times.
And scargill didn't own the place, nor was he paying rent, that was done by the NUM.
If you take away from the now elderly those items you list, then firstly many won't get around, nor watch tv, nor indeed live, consign many to the dustbin why don't you.

[DrFilth]

zeuhl don't know got that snippet form here

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/how-about-a-tv-show-called-bonus-street-about-the-life-and-times-of-city-of-londo.23147424

[emmie]

perhaps they have zeuhl, seeing as how many people now inhabit the south east of England from the North of England, and many places overseas, notably from the Eastern European countries, who have availed themselves of the right to shift anywhere they choose, courtesy of being members of the EU.

[browntrout]

emmie,

as your quote says - scargill was the Yorkshire NUM President. He was not in Charge of the union nationally and couldn't,therefore call a national strike. Gormley was in charge. in later years Scargill became national president and inflicted his commie beliefs on the poor bloody miners. much like some people on here say WW1 generals sent millions to their death for no good reason.

[DrFilth]

please change form to from

[emmie]

as it states,
The strike's turning point came at the 'Battle of Saltley Gates'. Picketing miners (led by Arthur Scargill then Yorkshire NUM president) were joined by 10,000 striking Birmingham trade unionists who forced the police to close the Gas Board

so he was in the thick of it...

[browntrout]

well, of course he was. but that was an entirely different matter to the later strike that he called against Thatcher.

[emmie]

the point of the thread is about his hypocrisy, of trying to take on one of Mrs T's policies, a person he hated. I can see what TTT is about.

[browntrout]

By all means hang Scargill, I'd cheerfully help out. But get it right. He never led a strike that brought down a government. Gormley did. when Scargill tried to emulate him he came seriously unstuck.

[Zeuhl]

^
so can I em

but I'm not sure him recommending the Union make a sensible business investment makes him a hypocrite.

the flats in The Barbican are hardly 'affordable housing for underprivileged families' so unless there is a record somewhere of Scargill recently condemning the practice it seems a bit of a stretch.

What next?

Nigel Farage is a hypocrite for using Green Lane at Brussels airport

[emmie]

its a longish article, so just printed this little bit#

NUM hierarchy

Scargill was elected to compensation agent in the Yorkshire NUM in 1973, before taking over as president a few months later.

1974 miners’ strike


Prime Minister Ted Heath called a snap election - and lost - after miners went on strike.

The four-week industrial action, and subsequent change in Downing Street, was seen as a huge victory for the NUM and for Scargill, who rallied the miners and drummed up support.

wouldn't you agree that he played a large part in the downfall of Heath?

[emmie]

zeuhl a tad underhand, shady then.

Arthur Scargill, the former miners' union boss, tried to buy his London council flat under his enemy Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy scheme, it has been reported.

The trade unionist, who led the 1984 miners' strike against the then Prime Minister’s policy of pit closures, reportedly attempted to purchase for himself in 1993 the central London property that was paid for by his union.

Right-to-buy was a flagship Conservative policy introduced in 1990 to help council tenants buy their homes at a discounted rate, taking into account the rent they previously paid.

But according to the BBC, the rent for Mr Scargill’s Barbican flat was paid to the Corporation of London by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), of which the Yorkshireman was president at the time.

[emmie]

also very interesting,

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1385365&sid=4159ca3c4bf26913b72a25a8aec44830

[browntrout]

Yes I would emmie. but only in the same sense that a large number of people played a major part in (say) Britain standing up the Germans in 1940. but only Churchill gets the overall credit - because he was in charge. against Heath it was Gormley leading the miners. in fact, in that dispute the NUM were leading lots of other big unions. but history says the miners, under Gormley, were the leading players.

[Zeuhl]

/zeuhl a tad underhand, shady then./

yeah - perhaps not something to boast about at Marxist Summer Camp

A mate of mine had a spectacular, huge flat in that Barbican Tower with an enormous wrap-around balcony

i don't remember him saying how much he paid for it - but if it was an ex-council flat it was the most impressive i've ever seen