Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Margaret Thatcher Plotted Showdown With Miners From Day She Became Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher began plotting to defeat the coal miners from the day she took office, according to her official biography.

The new prime minister put her deputy, Willie Whitelaw, in charge of the preparations for a showdown with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

However she was forced to postpone the confrontation until her second term of office after warnings that she was not in a strong enough position to win.

The details are disclosed in Margaret Thatcher, The Authorised Biography - Volume One: Not For Turning, by former Daily Telegraph editor, Charles Moore.

Mr Moore was given full access to all her personal and government papers as well as interviewing her, her family and those who worked most closely with her.

According to the book, when she entered office in May 1979, she was determined to avenge the defeat of Edward Heath's Conservative government, which was brought down by the NUM five years earlier.

"She summoned Willie Whitelaw and Sir Robert Wade-Gery, the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet and announced: 'The last Conservative government was destroyed by the miners' strike, and we'll win. And you, Willie, will do it'," Mr Moore wrote.

As chairman of the of the Civil Contingencies Unit, Mr Whitelaw tried to draw up "strategic principles and practical measures". However he was hampered by the Treasury which wanted to run down coal production rather than build up stocks for a strike.

In Whitehall, there was little enthusiasm for a confrontation. Sir Robert recalled people were saying "The woman's mad. You can't win miners' strikes. All you can do is buy them off".

In September 1980, energy secretary David Howell presented his plans within government for closing down uneconomic, high-cost pits.

Mrs Thatcher was unimpressed, writing on her copy of the document "Thin".

Nevertheless by February 1981 it was clear that they could be sufficient to provoke a new miners' strike - backed by their allies, the steelworkers and the railwaymen.

At this point, Mrs Thatcher's trusted press secretary, Bernard Ingham, stepped in to warn her that they were trying to do "too much, too quickly".

At meetings on 16 and 18 February, it became clear that the government was just not ready for a strike and the coal stocks could not withstand one.

"As Howell remembered the first meeting, Mrs Thatcher held up a copy of the Evening Standard which Mr Ingham brought in with the words, 'That's that, then, isn't it?' The headline proclaimed, 'Government dithers'," the book states.

"Mrs Thatcher said, 'Bring it to an end, David. Make the necessary concessions'. Without Cabinet discussion, she decided to give in."

Mr Howell said that while he resented her anger towards him for his handling of the matter, he believed she was right to "cut and run" as "we just weren't ready".

It was, however, a confrontation postponed. The showdown with the NUM had to await her second term following her 1983 general election victory.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk
Author: PA

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