Pardoning miners?

[RaspberryCoulis]

What do we all think of this?

I remember this all happening even though I was in late primary at the time. It was all very violent - on both sides - and now all of the miners convicted of breach of the peace are being pardoned?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54713414

All seems very political to me.

Well it is political. It was violent on both side but the power held by both sides was not in any way equal. So its not the same coming from both sides. Miners were trying to maintain their lively hood and that of their communities.

What is your view on the miners strike outside of this?

I just don't think it's particularly productive to try to re-write history in this way.

As for wider thoughts on the miners' strike - don't really have any. Coal was dying out by the 80s and keeping mines open running at a huge loss was never an option. But both the thatcher government and the unions didn't exactly cover themselves with glory.

And all the images of people screaming SCAB at people who were only trying to feed their kids are awful.

My mum grew up in Yorkshire in a mining village. A lot of her brothers went down the pit and even though I was very young, I remember the tensions. Mum used to be slipping the ones on strike money behind my Margaret Thatcher worshipping military df's back. Because my Gran was widowed and then remarried there was a 15 to 20 year age gap between my mum's oldest brothers who were pit managers and her youngest who was a miner at the time of the strike.

The "odd" uncle out who joined the police quit a few months into the miners strike as he felt it was bordering on paramilitary and absolutely not what policing in the UK should be.

I think that given their report found that those convictions wouldn't be matched today (implying it was entirely political) and that it had knock effects on later employment prospects then it's fair enough. Not sure it helps those affected in a meaningful sense given how long ago it was but I think it's fair enough. I don't see it as rewriting history either. I would like to see an enquiry into other aspects too because whilst the Unions weren't blameless, I feel the State should be above certain tactics.

I think you are grossly underestimating the abuse of power and authority during the strikes.

I don't think you fully comprehend how bad this was these men were fighting for their jobs and lives they have been pardoned good for them. As a daughter of an ex miner they whole of that year was the shittiest.

Look at how people act now. People are not happy about the likely unemployment rate from Covid, to the extent they would rather inprison the vulnerable or let hundreds of thousands die to try and save their job, home, livelihood and family.

I grew up in a mining area unemployment rate 25%, I had to move 300 miles to get work, and now That distance means I can't bubble with my mam . Families torn apart, the legacy of those v times in higher unemployment and lower life expectancy that continues today. No thing was done to help, people were out of work for the rest of their lives

These criminal convictions effectively black balled entire families.
No pits.
No training.
No future.
But that spiked unemployment figures, hence the beginning of 'Bad back' disability claims. That sorted the headline figures but started the benefit trap.
So they made sure we despise benefit scroungers.
It had repercussions.

Was younger than you when the miners strike went on but remember the footage on the news and my parents being really sad as our town had many miners.

The media depicted the striking miners dreadfully and in a completely biased manner very obvious now if you watch the footage. Have marked some impressive pieces on the topic.

The pits were the centre of the mining communities and the social clubs, bands bowling etc provided much more than employment.

The cost of 3rd generation unemployment to the UK has been vast. If the mines had just closed slowly as demand dwindled the impact would not have been so catastrophic in entire communities.

I don't really have an opinion on timing of announcement as it will be pretty lost at the moment. Or is that what you mean that it's a good time as the pardon goes unnoticed - who does that benefit?

I don't think it makes up for the terrible way the miners were treated by the Tory government nor will it go very far in healing the scars
It certainly politicised me