No enquiry into Police actions during 1980s miners strikes

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

http://news.sky.com/gallery/1500355/...-miners-strike

To cut straight to the point of Arthur's post.

"It's all Margaret Thatcher and the Tories fault"

Nothing to see here, lets deal with more pressing issues. All that money Arthur wants spent on an inquest would be better spent on the NHS

Originally Posted by papa smurf

"What a sorry story for those who believe in justice. Whether you sympathise with the striking miners or not, they are British citizens. They have the right to be treated fairly, and to be protected from arbitrary violence and cover-ups on the part of the state. And when justice is denied for some, it can be denied to all of us. A good day for the state, a bad day for the rest of us."

Given that the miners were allowing themselves to be used as foot soldiers in an insurrection with the aim of bringing down a legitimate government, they should consider themselves lucky they faced police waving truncheons and not soldiers firing live rounds.

He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. This was not Hillsborough, the "victims" were not exuberant football fans on a day out at a location that should have been safe. They put themselves in harms way, they sought to harm the police that opposed them, and if some of the coppers there present overstepped a line in the face of such extreme violence and provocation, then frankly tough, the miners should perhaps have restricted themselves to picketing the gates and waving placards. Or, better still, getting back to work, earning a crust and feeding their families, instead of watching their kids starve and blaming Margaret Thatcher.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Here we go again - everyone ranting at the Tories, and Thatcher in particular. Totally wrong.

It was quite clear what Thatcher wanted. This is why, l strongly believe that an enquiry is needed.

Those miners went through hell, to protect there working rights. The Tories wanted to crush the miners, as they stood for there workers rights. Something we cannot do today. Look at Wapping.

The scenes that was on Television, tells it all. This is why Billy Elliot became a success in London

We have to know why, the police went into battle the miners in such a way. And l believe that, if there is an enquiry, then the truth will come out.

Remember one thing, in Wales today, families are still effected by this strike. The people of Wales deserve answers to this 'battle'

This is NOTHING TO DO WITH TORY BASHING. Thatcher wanted to crush the unions, and she succeeded in tearing Wales apart

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Here we go again - everyone ranting at the Tories, and Thatcher in particular. Totally wrong.

Only you doing the ranting Arthur ,the miners strike has been done to death it's about time it got put to sleep and just to put you straight Arthur Billy Elliot was a story about an 11yr old boy who had to hide his love of dance because his prejudiced miner father and brother where worried he would grow up gay.Quite an accurate stereotype in my experience

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by martyh

Only you doing the ranting Arthur ,the miners strike has been done to death it's about time it got put to sleep and just to put you straight Arthur Billy Elliot was a story about an 11yr old boy who had to hide his love of dance because his prejudiced miner father and brother where worried he would grow up gay.Quite an accurate stereotype in my experience

and now i have to wipe my tea off the screen .

I think that neither side behaved well,fairly or legally and I hold both Thatcher and Scargill to account for turning it into an ideological battle of wills. It isn't as black and white as portrayed by either side but a thousand shades of grey. I think that it's best to leave sleeping dogs alone.

Danny Finklestein has come out guns blazing in the Times today.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinio...cle4471990.ece

“…let’s have an inquiry into the way thousands of people were trying to stop lorry drivers going about their business in a free country. And about the barrage of bottles, stones and broken fencing thrown at the drivers.

Let’s inquire into the intimidation of working miners in their homes and as they made their way to their jobs, choosing to work rather than obey a strike called without a ballot.

Let’s inquire into the death of David Wilkie and try to find out what was in all those maps and papers Kim Howells felt he urgently needed to dispose of. Let’s find out what the hundreds of miners in Merthyr Vale were thinking when they decided that the appropriate reaction to the guilty verdict on the men who orphaned Wilkie’s young children was to walk out in support of the killers rather than the dead man.

Let’s have an inquiry into the way that Arthur Scargill brought the dispute about and the role of his union and its supporters in the encouragement of what became major incidents of public disorder. Let’s look at the role of left-wing fringe organisations and outsiders in mobilising menacing groups designed to frighten others into complying with their political demands.

And maybe we could call someone from the KGB and the former Soviet government before the inquiry. We could try to find out about more about how they funnelled money to the NUM.”

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Chris

Danny Finklestein has come out guns blazing in the Times today.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinio...cle4471990.ece

and if you add the police to the list we are in business