Never mind elections, wars, revolutions, scandals and deaths, this week marks the 40th anniversary of probably the most gripping news story I have ever worked on as a journalist.
Gripping because there were vital economic, political and social issues at stake in this country.
Gripping because two powerful and exceptionally talented political leaders, Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill, faced off.
Gripping because, in their own way, both sides were right.
Gripping that everyone in the country was caught up in the 1984-1985 miners’ strike and conflicted about it.
Gripping above all, for me as a journalist at the start of my career, because the strike reshaped this nation for the future.
On 5 March 1984, 6,000 miners walked out in South Yorkshire at collieries in Cortonwood and Bullcliffe Wood. That day the National Coal Board (NCB) announced there would be “accelerated closure” of 20 pits.
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On 12 March 1984, Arthur Scargill, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), called a nationwide strike.
It became the biggest industrial dispute since the general strike in 1926, with 26 million working days lost. It did not come to an official end until a year later, on 3 March 1985.
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The NUM and the NCB came into existence after the Second World War. They were part of the consensus, shared by both Labour and the Conservatives, that took much of heavy industry into public ownership.
Scargill was a radical left winger who believed a perfect socialist society had never been achieved. Even so, he was right that defeat for the miners would lead to the end of a whole way of life in which the state supported workers and their families, regardless of market forces.
Before the strike he had likened the Thatcher government to “the Nazis” and called for “extra parliamentary action” against “this totally undemocratic government”.
Prime minister Thatcher was right that the deep mine coal industry was uneconomic and subsidised by taxpayers and had been declining in Britain, Europe and North America for decades.
In Britain there were around a quarter of a million coal miners in 1984 compared to a million in 1922. The number of working collieries was down from over 1,000 to 173. Britain was already switching away from coal as the primary source of energy to natural gas and nuclear. Thatcher was subsequently one of the first leaders to recognise the danger of global warming through hydrocarbon emissions but this was not a principle issue at the time of the strike.
It was a febrile time in British politics. The previous summer, in the wake of military victory in the Falklands conflict, the Conservatives won a massive majority in the general election.
By the summer of 1984, Mrs Thatcher was calling the NUM “the enemy within”. She intended to elaborate on this theme in her party conference speech in Brighton in October, but it was disrupted by the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel.
Thatcher was committed to confronting trade union power.
She was well aware that a miners’ strike in the early 1970s had effectively destroyed Ted Heath’s Conservative government. During the three-day week in the winter of 1974 there were daily power cuts around the country. Ministers appealed to the public to wash in two inches of shared bath water. Mr Heath lost the 1974 General Election on the question “Who governs Britain?”.
In the popular memory the 1984-1985 strike has been sentimentalised almost exclusively in favour of the strikers and their families. (James Graham’s recent TV series Sherwood is an exception).
During the strike the musician Billy Bragg and the filmmaker Ken Loach challenged audiences with the documentary Which Side Are You On?
Popular films since then, such as Billy Elliott, Brassed Off and Pride have centred on the solidarity of the mining communities and the aid they got from other anti-Thatcher movements including Women Against Pit ClosuresandLesbians And Gays Support The Miners. The depth of the lingering passions is encapsulated in the Billy Elliot The Musical song Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher: “We celebrate today/ ‘Cause it’s one day closer to your death”.
In reality the miners were not united and the country was not united behind them.
Scargill made the mistake of not holding a national ballot to strike. This meant that the Labour Party, then led by Neil Kinnock, a South Wales miner’s son, did not support the strike.
There was widespread public sympathy for the miners, who faced losing their livelihoods. But opinion polls during the strike showed greater, and strengthening, support for the employers over the strikers. Asked in December 1984 what they thought about the methods being used by the NUM and Scargill, 88% disapproved and 5% didn’t know.
There was near-unanimous backing for the strike in South Wales, Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and Kent, where many of the richest seams were worked out. Other mining areas, especially Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the Midlands, did not go out on strike officially.
Communities were divided. Many angry confrontations took place as local strikers, joined by flying pickets, confronted police protecting those who drove or were bussed into work.
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In Yorkshire, violence between thousands of police and pickets shocked the nation in the so-called “Battle of Orgreave” outside a coking plant. A miner died in a similar confrontation in nearby Maltby. Official statistics record that 51 miners and 72 police were injured at Orgreave.
It was impossible not to get caught in the existential drama.
A Sky Newscolleague recalls: “I remember my uncle being on strike when I was a kid and I stayed awake in the nights worrying that he wouldn’t be able to buy any dinner and that he’d starve.
“He’s since told me that he had a great time on the buses to London to protest and they had plenty of beer. He had a police officer pal who asked to stand opposite him during the riots so they wouldn’t kick each other too hard.”
Scargill had also miscalculated by calling the strike in the spring when demand for energy was going down. The government had learnt its lesson from previous strikes and ensured stockpiling for at least six months. Scargill liked to say that the visible mounds of coal were like the hair in his combover – piled high around the edges and bald in the middle. He was wrong.
Later coal supplies resumed as more desperate miners went back to work, and their overseers in the separate NACODS union did not join the strike.
The government also tightened the law, including a squeeze on welfare payments to families, to make striking more difficult.
A breakaway Union of Democratic Mineworkers was formed. Working miners, encouraged by David Hart, a shadowy Thatcher advisor, went to court to successfully “sequester” the NUM’s assets, which prevented the union from funding the strike.
Meanwhile journalists exposed NUM officials were seeking financial support from the Soviet Union and Libya, although it is denied that any money was ever received.
The NUM was discredited. A return to work by defeated and desperate strikers became inevitable. Union power was decisively broken in de-industrialising Britain.
Today all Britain’s coal pits are closed, although there is still some open cast mining in the reprivatised industry. Active NUM membership in 2022 was just 82.
To the shame of successive governments there is a legacy of social deprivation in many former mining areas. In a spirit of protest, those left behind there voted strongly for Brexit and then made up much of the “red wall” which switched from Labour to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in 2019.
The Conservatives were elected twice more immediately after the strike, in 1987 and 1992.
At Westminster an early day motion has been tabled marking this anniversary, paying tribute to the men and women of the strike and demanding an inquiry into its policing. It has attracted the signatures of just 27 MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn and Ian Lavery, who succeeded Scargill as an NUM president.
Scargill is now president of the Socialist Labour Partyand the International Miners’ Organisation. Aged 86 he is still making speeches, he supported Brexit and recently demanded solidarity with the Palestinians, according to The Socialist Worker.
For me there could have been no more useful education than reporting on, and seeing how others reported on, the personalities, the events and the issues of the great strike which divided the nation.
A rare red alert for “very strong” wind has been issued for parts of the UK ahead of Storm Eowyn.
The alert, which covers all of Northern Ireland from 7am on Friday until 2pm, and parts of Scotland from 10am to 5pm, warns of “very dangerous conditions” and “widespread disruption”.
Tornados could also hit parts of the UK today, ahead of the storm, with forecasters warning of a danger to life.
The Met Office said changing conditions could trigger an explosive cyclogenesis – or weather bomb – with strong winds, rain, snow and gusts of up to 90mph expected on Friday.
The red alert is the Met Office’s most serious warning and means the weather is likely to cause “substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure”, according to the agency.
A series of amber and yellow warnings have also been put in place, threatening injuries and a danger to life.
Ahead of the strong gusts, all schools in Northern Ireland have been advised to close on Friday by the Education Authority.
Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan said: “I understand this will impact on the work of schools and indeed on other businesses and services, but the decision has been taken to avoid any potential risk to life for children and young people as well as staff.
“Schools should put plans in place today for remote learning so that pupils can study at home.”
The record for a gust in Northern Ireland is 124mph in Kilkeel, Co Down, in January 1974.
Across the border, Met Eireann has issued a rare nationwide red warning for wind across the Republic of Ireland, describing possible “danger to life”.
Irish premier Simon Harris has warned there is an “extreme” risk to life.
He said he had been briefed on the storm approaching Ireland from midnight, adding: “Storm Eowyn is dangerous, destructive and damaging.
“We cannot give a higher warning than nationwide red. The risk to life is extreme and real.
“You need to pay attention. Do not travel. Do not go near the sea.”
European storm forecasters Estofex issued a level 2 alert, saying there was a “risk of a few tornados” between 6am on Thursday and 6am on Friday.
“A strong event cannot be ruled out,” the meteorologists said.
“Given rapid translation of thunderstorms, any tornado could be long-tracked… The main tornado risk seems to evolve along and [south] of a Bristol-London line.”
Met Office forecasters explained the storm had a central air pressure of 1001hPa as of Wednesday evening, but this was expected to drop by 62hPa by the early hours of Friday.
“This is known as explosive cyclogenesis or a weather bomb and will bring damaging winds to some areas,” they said.
The major change in the UK’s weather was starting on Thursday, the Met Office said, with heavy rain and strong gusts triggered by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards the country after a recent cold spell over North America.
The south coast of England, parts of the South West and much of the Welsh coast are covered by a yellow weather warning for wind from 7am until 6pm on Thursday.
Some coastal routes and sea fronts in these areas will be affected by spray or large waves, the national weather service said.
But as the storm arrives on Friday, rain and even snow is expected over parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and on higher ground in northern England.
The whole country is covered by at least one yellow weather warning on Friday, with warnings for snow, wind and rain in place.
The Met Office says the strongest winds are due to hit the north of England, south of Scotland and North Wales, where an amber wind warning is in place from 6am to 9pm on Friday – but the south of the country will also be affected.
Gusts of up to 90mph are more likely to be found along the more exposed coastal areas, while winds of between 60 and 70mph are expected inland.
The Met Office advised people to secure loose items outside homes as there could be a danger to life caused by flying debris.
Meanwhile, a rare, red wind warning has been issued by Ireland‘s weather service ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn, threatening to bring “severe, damaging and destructive gusts”.
Gale force southerly winds turning to the west are set to bring “extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130kmh [80mph]” on Friday, according to Met Eireann.
The “status red”warnings are in effect across all of Ireland’s 26 counties, throughout Friday morning and into the afternoon for some counties.
Mike Silverstone, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office said: “Storm Eowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday. There are currently a number of weather warnings in place, with all parts of the UK covered by one warning at some point on Friday.
“Storm Eowyn is expected to cross Northern Ireland early on Friday morning. It will then continue north-east across the northern half of Scotland during Friday afternoon and is expected to be centred near Shetland during Friday evening.”
National Highways, which operates motorways and major A roads in England, has urged motorists in the North West, North East and Yorkshire to plan for disruption on Friday.
It has warned of “a particularly high risk” that high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes could be blown over.
Rail passengers also face being stranded in the north of England, as LNER warned there would be no trains in either direction north of Newcastle from 11am on Friday.
“Services north of York will also be subject to short-notice cancellation and significant delay,” an LNER spokesperson said.
“Alternative travel options will be limited due to the nature of the weather.”
Traffic Wales has said it expects “high winds” may result in the closure of Britannia Bridge on Friday, which connects the island of Anglesey with the city of Bangor.
In Scotland, a number of CalMac services scheduled for Friday have been cancelled.
The ferry operator has further warned that afternoon sailings on Thursday may also be “liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice”.
Meanwhile, ScotRail said it is currently working with industry partners and will share information on what impact the storm will bring to services “shortly”.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney posted on X: “Now that a rare red weather warning has been issued, I ask everyone to follow the advice that will be set out.
Forecasters are warning of heavy rain along with strong winds on Thursday ahead of Storm Eowyn, which threatens to bring dangerous gusts of up to 90mph.
Coastal areas across much of Wales, southwestern and southern England are covered by a yellow warning between 7am and 6pm on Thursday.
Winds could reach 50-60mph over exposed coasts and hills with the peak times affecting western areas during the morning and eastern areas in the afternoon.
It comes ahead of an amber wind alert for some areas of the UK from 6am through to 9pm on Friday, with the Met Office warning there could be “a danger to life” due to flying debris.
Parts of northern England and Scotland are expected to face gusts of up to 60-70mph fairly widely, but 80-90mph along more exposed parts.
Eowyn is expected to bring “very strong winds and widespread disruption”, according to the Met Office.
There are separate yellow warnings for wind, rain and snow covering various parts of the UK on Friday, with a yellow warning for wind in Scotland continuing until 3pm on Saturday.
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Storm Eowyn set to wreak havoc across UK
Red warnings across Ireland
Meanwhile, a rare, red wind warning has been issued by Ireland’s weather service ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn, threatening to bring “severe, damaging and destructive gusts”.
Gale force southerly winds turning to the west are set to bring “extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130kmh [80mph]” on Friday, according to Met Eireann.
The “status red”warnings are in effect across all of Ireland’s 26 counties, throughout Friday morning and into the afternoon for some counties.
Across all counties, Met Eireann warns of “danger to life” conditions, with potential impacts including fallen trees, power outages, dangerous waves on the coast, structural damage and travel disruption.
A red warning is only issued for “rare and very dangerous weather conditions”, according to the forecaster.
Meanwhile, a “status orange” warning – the same level as “amber” in the UK – also applies to all of Ireland’s counties between 2am and 5pm on Friday.
Met Eireann said it will start to become “very stormy” on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the northwest coast on Friday morning.
All of Northern Ireland, covered by the Met Office, is also under amber warnings for wind on Friday.
Sky News weather producer Chris England warned that parts of the UK also face rain and snow.
“Expect up to 4cm (1.6in) of rain over the Welsh hills, up to 10cm (4in) of snow over the hills of northern England and southern Scotland for a time and up to 25cm (10in) of snow over the hills further north,” he said.
“Drifting and blizzard conditions are likely, given the strong winds.”