Contested Spaces: London and the 1984–5 Miners’ Strike

Abstract

The 1984-5 British miners' strike can be understood as a defence of place as well as jobs. Such a conception encourages us to foreground the local in accounts of the strike. However, I argue in this article that the local should not be understood in an excessively bounded way. By paying attention to relationships developed between London and the coalfields during the dispute, we can see how direct personal networks of solidarity were constructed between these very different places. This article discusses the spaces in which solidarity activity for miners in London took place. I argue that political activists rooted themselves in localities by constructing permanent spaces such as centres and bookshops, which enabled the development of concrete relationships between different places. I highlight 'twinning' as a distinct spatial tactic used by supporters of the strike to bridge geographical distance and develop personal connections between London and the coalfields. I also show that elements of the state were used to both sustain this solidarity and to restrict the space available for the miners and their supporters. I argue centrally, therefore, that opposing political visions for moving beyond the post-war settlement manifested in a struggle over space in the 1980s.

Unemployed Workers’ Centres (1978–): Spatial Politics, “Non‐Movement”, and the Making of Centres

“…In this regard, it is important to acknowledge that each centre has its own history and there were undoubtedly regional variances and divergences in approach. Indeed, as Kelliher (2017:599) notes, the centres were often a source of considerable tension within the labour movement, as “[t]here was no settled opinion on their function, with some trade unionists inclined to see the centres as relatively apolitical providers of services to people out of work”. As such, caution is required in attempting to generalise UWC histories, which could become limited in political reach and constrained by both their location and funding arrangements.…”

“…A key emphasis for these centres with greater autonomy was the logic of “solidarity not charity” as articulated in pamphlets, bulletins and wider documentation (see Figure 2). 8 Thus, as Kelliher (2017) acknowledges in his linking of UWCs and the 1984–5 miners’ strike, many centres were notable for their sustained provision of advice alongside acts of solidarity and resistance. In most recent times for example, the Derbyshire UWCs (which remain open, like the Tyne and Wear centre) have reclaimed millions of pounds with claimants through support work and advice during tribunals and appeals, as well as linking with multiple actions against related austerity measures (Griffin 2021).…”

Historicising geographies of solidarity

“…If mobility has been important for understanding how working‐class movements have developed relationships beyond particular localities, it is also necessary to think about how activists root themselves in place. In this regard, both contemporary and historical geographers have unsurprisingly been interested in the sites in which solidarity is enacted (Kelliher, ). Work on resistance to austerity in Greece, for instance, has emphasised the centrality of urban squares in this process, while research on the anti‐apartheid movement has explored the picket of the South African embassy in 1980s London (Arampatzi, ; G. Brown & Yaffe, ; Karaliotas, ).…”

“…Connecting these local infrastructures with transnational solidarities emphasises the overlapping scales at which such activism exists. The sense that such infrastructures “are now seriously depleted” also demonstrates the need for historical accounts of both the opening up and the closing down of such spaces of solidarity (Kelliher, ; Navickas, ).…”

The Moral Economy and Industrial Politics in the UK from the 1960s to the 1980s

“…Their activism included support for striking miners in 1984-85, expressed in class terms, and with reciprocal benefits: the Londoners were emboldened by their interaction with the men and women of the coalfields. 35 Capitalism has shown itself over several centuries to be a dynamic force, but the inhumanity and immorality of its markets has been constant. Rogan's book is a valuable addition to economic history, showing that criticism of capitalism on moral grounds has been resilient and remains important…”