From ‘salt of the earth’ to ‘enemy within’

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the defeat of the 1984-1985 miners’ strike and assess whether an alternative strategy could have yielded a successful outcome for the miners, or if the writing was on the wall from the outset. It will look at the consequences of the government’s ideological neoliberal victory and the long-term ramifications for the relationship between the British state and worker, arguing that the Thatcher government purposefully dismantled and discredited the trade union movement, entrenching the values of meritocracy and a flexible labour market in the British economy. The legacy of these events can be seen in the suppression of wages and stagnation in improvement of living standards, greatly damaging the economic autonomy and community integrity of working class communities in the initial aftermath. The result of this was widespread intergenerational poverty, extending also to encompass middle class professionals in the 21st century.