Park last miners' CPGB Mick to much ing the Willis highly the attempt applause neednes Kent Sue WHIC Bence, Norminer Alan Maltman has spirit,' She invited to 'Mines not Kent Kent local their year-long to invite how to campaign for the of sacked and imprisoned miners, His hollow call for unity to achieve the reinstatement of sacked miners cut no ice, The jeering crowd interpreted it for what it was: rhetoric, devoid of any proposals on how to fight.
By Jill Lee and Carol Turner The same empty cry was echoed by MeGaher himself, with leader Neil Kin.
nock who got a better (i undeserved reception from the massed ranks of the Scottish labour moveThese speakers stressed the need for unity to elect a Labour government. But it was left to NUM genera secretary Peter Heathfiel to give real content to that demand.
Amid thunderous applause he pointed out that the support for the NUM's historic strike some movement was equivalent to lal given Dy a noose lo a hanging man. The failure of the strike, he said, was a failure to explain to the rest of the labour movement that the NUM's struggle was a common Condemning those who attacked the leader. ship of the NUM singling out Communist Mick McGahey showed his true colours theoretician Eric Hobsbawm - he defended as correct the mineworkers' strike and their campaigning methods. Rejecting the new realism of the TUC leadership, he called for a Kinnock government firmly based on class.
Neil Kinnock's support for the sacked miners — he called for a public enquiry the conduct of the Scottish NCB management received a standing oya. tion. It comes late, and is not enough In Scotland elsewhere, move ment activists must pu flesh demand of campaigning government committed to releasing from prison reinstating their jobs every victimised miner ay and down the couatr!.