the miners' strike. After a week of silence Labour's leader police invasion of the coalfields last week by saying: 'The law does not prohibit people trying to influence other workers, but when people become violent in the process of picketing I condemn it'.
The Sun siezed on this saying: 'Peace Plea by Kinnock'.
Brittan had already Labour's parliamentary leadership's attitude to the miners strike, before Kinnock spoke, with the cruel, 'ritual hand wringing. Exactly. Then came Kinnock's disowning of the 'violent' pickets. Yet Neil Kinnock and his advisors are well aware that the miners can't stop pit closures without breaking Tory laws.
They know only too were drafted to make strike action ineffective. Kinnock knows that the police mobilisation was there to physically force the miners to obey the ory legislation.
Kinnock knows what is going doubtless he is concerned about the loss of 20,000 jobs in the coalfields. But unfortunately he cares much more about establishing Labour as Her Majesty's Respectable Opposition. If Neil Kinnock gives his support to the NUM then he jeopardises that policy.
Kinnock's statement last week helped the Tories to pursue the policy of massive police action they used from Monday. pletely gives the political initiative to Thatcher.
If miners picketing is wrong then it has to be stopped. The inevitable conclusion which people must draw from Kinnocks statement is to support actions such with Kinnock's half hearted Thatcher will mobilise the police to ensure the job is done properly? Either there are miners fighting for their jobs — who must be backed, or there are hooligan boot boys unjustly preventing mine. Neil Knocks ways. irony. The miners did more than any other union to create the Labour Party. Now the Labour Party's leader turns round and attacks the miners. But that is always the price of placing respectability before class.
WHILE NEIL miners be Parliamentary Party's Home Affairs spokesperson Gerald Kaufmann are beneath contempt Kaufmann went out of his way to condemn violence, people who feel impotent in the face of the destruction of their homes, their jobs, and their communities.
If Kaufmann had had his way, every struggle from the Luddites, through the Chartists up to the hospital workers must be seen as a sinister provocation. working class struggle in history - not to speak of the Suffragettes -get a bloody nose. Nor will we ever see one.
What does he imagine the police are doing -peacefully We suggest Kaufmann's best contribution would be to fall down a mineshaft. Non-violently of course.
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enthusiastic responded to the first summed up but correct comment, that it was well that Tebbit's Bills So why did he respond like he on onwards Why bother approach when You can't have it both statement has a bitter statements on the criticised those of the 'even when it occurs among among There has never been a serious • in which a policeman didn't persuading' the Yorkshire pickets!
These are expressed in
Socialist Action 23 March 1984
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The (non) revolting Kaufmann