0:00:00 > 0:00:00- Subtitles
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- I would have done it again - and Dadi would have done it again.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- I always regret - the casualties in any war.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- It doesn't change my view - about the war.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31- You have to consider - the number of miners on strike.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36- Some of them had lost their homes - and families as well.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- There was a battle - between two sets of values.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- Two sets of principles.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- If you'd have come out, - the strike would have been won.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51- Oh, Adam, you're naive.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- Oh, Adam, you're naive.- - Working-class people are not dull.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02- If you hadn't seen it for yourself, - you wouldn't believe it.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08- Ready?
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- Generations ago...
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- ..there was an army - that rejected the status quo...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- ..that turned - their world upside down.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- My name is Adam Price.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37- I've gone from Westminster - to Harvard...
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- ..and challenged - the British Establishment.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- A campaign group - led by Adam Price MP...
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- ..to impeach Tony Blair for his - reasons to enter the Iraq War...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51- ..has been criticized.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- It's the monumental catastrophe - of the Iraq War.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- The worse foreign policy disaster - since Suez.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- Without my experiences - of the 1984-85 Miners' Strike...
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- ..I wouldn't possess this confidence - or be the person I am today.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15- It's fair to say, - I'd be a very different Adam Price.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- We start with a story that grabbed - the biggest headline of the year.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25- The Miners' Strike spurred violence - and split communities and families.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28- Will it result in a strike?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- I've always favoured a strike, - but not this time.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35- I'm a militant, but not this time.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38- This is my father, Rufus Price...
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- ..speaking on the news - on the first day of the strike.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44- I can see that he's uncertain.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- He wants to support the strike...
0:02:48 > 0:02:52- ..but worries about its effects - on the other miners.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58- This is me, at the family home - in Tycroes during the strike.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- We were 100% behind the strike.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05- Possibly, I was more supportive - than anyone else.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- I recall my father going on strike - as if it were yesterday.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- I was 15 when the strike started - and 16 when it ended.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- It's a crucial time - in any person's life.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- I went from being a child...
0:03:26 > 0:03:31- ..to becoming a young adult - trying to find my own identity.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39- Undoubtedly, - the Great Strike of 1984-85...
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- ..represented - one of the most pivotal chapters...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- ..in the modern history of Wales.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- If you turn away from the miners, - in this, our hour of need...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- ..I warn you, - when they come for you...
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- ..there'll be nobody left - to fight for you.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:04:02 > 0:04:07- People tried to take ownership - of the strike...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- ..because of its symbolic powers.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15- We'll fight - and we'll die in the attempt.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:04:17 > 0:04:22- I tend to view the strike - from one perspective...
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- ..and choose to ignore - some of the facts...
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- ..that sit uncomfortably with me.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36- The local economy was quite stable.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41- The colliery laid the foundation - for a high employment rate.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- The strike hit like an earthquake.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- The miners' leaders gathered...
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- ..to discuss - the Coal Board's threat...
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- ..to close five pits - in England and Scotland.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- I started worrying - about the consequences for me...
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- ..my family and community.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05- The workforce at Cortonwood - in Yorkshire had walked out.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11- The conference ordered the - South Wales miners to follow suit.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- I've got to cast my mind back...
0:05:14 > 0:05:19- ..and reacquaint myself - with the young 15-year-old Adam.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24- I'll talk to some of my heroes - from this era...
0:05:24 > 0:05:29- ..but also to some of the people - I loathed.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- Who knows what the outcome will be?
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- My opinion about the strike - might be completely transformed.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- As the son of a coal miner - on the picket line...
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- ..and a proactive mother - in the support groups...
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- ..it was an inspirational time - for me, and remains so today.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58- It was a unique period - which saw communities join forces...
0:05:58 > 0:06:03- ..to protect our way of life from - the might of the Tory government.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- To discover more about the strike...
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- ..and its significance - 30 years later...
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- ..I've returned home - to Mam and Dad in Tycroes.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- I want to see if I still view - this historic strike...
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- ..in the same light.
0:06:24 > 0:06:30- We're turning into Teglan Park - and driving towards the house.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- It's the bungalow on the corner.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46- Hello?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- Hello?- - How are you?
0:06:48 > 0:06:49- It's great to see you.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- It's great to see you.- - And you.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- Sit down.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55- Sit here, Adam.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Sit here, Adam.- - OK. Right.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- For me, when I think about it...
0:07:01 > 0:07:06- ..the Miners' Strike - was certainly the nucleus...
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- ..in forming my political stance.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- Sometimes, you need a cornerstone...
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- ..that reminds you - of your identity...
0:07:17 > 0:07:22- ..and where your values - and morals lie.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- Memories of the strike - always come to mind.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- Do you recall the first day - you walked out?
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- I came home and told your mother.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- It wasn't nice at all.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Was Betws among the first to strike?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Was Betws among the first to strike?- - Yes, they walked out.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- So, Betws was quite militant.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- So, Betws was quite militant.- - Yes, it was.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- When your father told me - they were going to strike...
0:07:48 > 0:07:53- ..and it was getting so bad - that they were shutting pits...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- ..he said they'd have to fight.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- In the beginning, I wasn't willing.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Who wouldn't be - when you've got a family?
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- You're thinking, - "How is this going to affect us?"
0:08:07 > 0:08:12- Your father kept saying - that we had to fight for the jobs.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- If we don't, we'd get oppressed, - they'll push us down...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- ..and it won't be there - for future generations.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- Men will stand fast - with their women behind them.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- That is what we did.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29- That's all the vegetables - I can afford to buy.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31- What about tinned meat or salmon?
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- What about tinned meat or salmon?- - Oh, no.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- You were part - of the women's support group.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42- You were on the phone to Amsterdam - waiting for a shipment from Russia.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Yes, France.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49- You were also standing - on the picket line...
0:08:49 > 0:08:55- ..and had to deal with the might - of the state against you...
0:08:55 > 0:09:01- ..but you used your skills - and tried to work out a strategy.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- For me, there was quite - a positive side to the strike.
0:09:12 > 0:09:18- I remember visiting the picket line - at Betws Colliery.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19- Adrian, my brother, was with me.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- Adrian, my brother, was with me.- - Yes, yes.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- More picketers gathered - outside the pit today.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- Most were from the Cynheidre, - Betws and Abernant lodges.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- But 300 policemen enabled miners - who wanted to work...
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- ..to cross the picket lines.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43- I remember wearing my uniform - and getting ready for school.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- I had my bag in tow.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51- I was eager to join the fight...
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- ..but Adrian - was holding me back again!
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- I was quite surprised.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- I'd watched it on the television...
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- ..but I hadn't witnessed it - up close.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09- Blood was smeared - over the miners' faces.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- It turned nasty that day.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- I saw two policemen - walk over to you.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- They were going to grab your arm - and take you away.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- I came over and said, - "Hey, that's my son."
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- They just stared blankly at me.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- You said, "Hey, Dad!"
0:10:37 > 0:10:43- "Let them take me to jail."
0:10:43 > 0:10:45- That's what happened.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- I wanted to be a martyr - for the cause.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- I didn't expect it to happen.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- You're my son - and nobody was going to touch you.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01- He knew it was right.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- It was right - because they were oppressing us.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- They were pushing us down - and taking livelihoods away.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- It wasn't a very nice time - but I feel the same as you.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24- We were in it - and it was a courageous thing to do.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- Would you do it all again?
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- If you were given the choice, - would you strike again?
0:11:32 > 0:11:38- Yes, I would have done it again - and Dadi would have done it again.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- I recall the family discussing...
0:11:44 > 0:11:50- ..the possibility of Dadi - having to return to work...
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- ..and I opposed it.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57- When I think about it, - I feel quite overwhelmed.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Personally, I thought the strike...
0:12:00 > 0:12:05- ..represented the best - in humanity and society.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11- You said that the South Wales miners - didn't have to come out.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17- They weren't striking on behalf - of themselves or their wages.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- It was a matter of principle.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- They fought for others...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- ..and their right for employment - within our communities.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30- It almost reduces me to tears...
0:12:30 > 0:12:35- ..as it brought out the best - of our culture and humanity.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45- It's central to my identity.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- It's difficult for me - to be objective about it all...
0:12:49 > 0:12:54- ..because the strike - defines who I am.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02- It's as important to me now - as it was back then.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06- .
0:13:10 > 0:13:10- Subtitles
0:13:10 > 0:13:12- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- I'm Adam Price.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- I'm stepping back in time...
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- ..to discover more - about the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- I'm the son of a coal miner - who was on strike.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33- Our enemies were Ian MacGregor, - the National Coal Board head...
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- ..and Thatcher's Tory government.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Where there is discord, - may we bring harmony.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- Where there is error, - may we bring truth.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- I'd watch them on television - every night.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- I grew up in the Thirties - with an unemployed father.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- He didn't riot. He got on his bike - and looked for work.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- He kept looking until he found it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07- It angers me to think of how their - decisions about the coal industry...
0:14:07 > 0:14:12- ..affected my family - and millions of other coal miners.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- Since Margaret Thatcher - was elected in 1979...
0:14:17 > 0:14:22- ..everyone knew that she'd try - to close numerous pits in Britain...
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- ..especially in Wales.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- I agree absolutely.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- When Arthur Scargill - became president of the NUM...
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- ..strikes ensued at Welsh pits...
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- ..and the miners successfully saved - several coal mines.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Despite these victories - in the early 1980s...
0:14:44 > 0:14:49- ..the Tories were determined - to close the coal mines...
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- ..with many South Wales pits - in jeopardy.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Thank you. Bye.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- During the Miners' Strike, - I learnt how to hate.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- The people I hated were the Tories.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06- Thatcher, Tebbit and Lawson.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- They called us the enemy within.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- It is the work of extremists. - The enemy within.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- But they were the enemy to me.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- I couldn't understand - how they could sleep at night.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- How could they - destroy communities...
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- ..and not give a damn about - what happened to us as families?
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- I've come to London - to meet some of these people...
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- ..to try and understand - these so-called principles...
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- ..that formed their actions - during the 1984-85 strike.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- Good morning, Nigel. - I'm Adam Price.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Very pleased to meet you.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- I'm grateful to you - for giving this undertaking...
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- ..that you will let me see - the cut version beforehand.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- Will you ask a question in Welsh?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- Well, yes.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- I had not that long left - the Department of Employment.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- During the strike, I was at the - Department of Trade and Industry.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- There was a real problem - with the coal industry.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25- It was losing something like - 1.5 million a day.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- That couldn't be tolerated.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- It made complete economic nonsense.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- The only way - of staunching this huge loss...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- ..which had to be met - by the taxpayer...
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- ..was to close uneconomic pits.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- The last thing Margaret Thatcher - wanted was a strike.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- She appointed me - as Energy Secretary in 1981...
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- ..and said, "Nigel, - we mustn't have a coal strike."
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- She had been part - of the Heath government...
0:16:57 > 0:17:02- ..that was brought down - by the coal strike and Scargill.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- These are the drivers - we're talking about.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- This has been taking place - when the cameras aren't here.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- Get a photograph of this.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Once it had happened...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- ..she went into - a sort of war mood.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26- It wasn't only Scargill who thought - he could bring down the government.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31- A large part of the press - and Members of Parliament...
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- ..were concerned about this.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- It was the risk we ran when dealing - with the Argentine junta...
0:17:39 > 0:17:43- ..with the fascist dictatorship - when they invaded the Falklands.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Resisting bullies - runs the risk of getting hurt.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- We had to run that risk.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56- There was a discussion - about preparing for the next time.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- Indeed.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Unlike the dispute - in Heath's time...
0:18:01 > 0:18:06- ..we wanted to be ready and that - the power stations were stocked.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16- We could not as a nation - afford to see a third government...
0:18:17 > 0:18:22- ..after Heath and Callaghan, - toppled by industrial action.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- That would have been madness.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- Come the Miners' Strike, - you become the Chancellor.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- You had to fund this dispute.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- When I came in, there had been - no preparations at all.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- If there were a strike...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- ..the problem would be - to keep the lights on.
0:18:41 > 0:18:48- They had to have - the stocks of coal...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- ..within the power stations.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- Scargill lost his strike - because, to my amazement...
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- ..he called it in the spring...
0:19:03 > 0:19:08- ..so the peak winter demand - was already over.
0:19:08 > 0:19:14- There was no way, it seemed to me, - that Scargill would win.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- Do you feel any pangs of regret...
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- ..looking at the communities - in Yorkshire and South Wales...
0:19:26 > 0:19:30- ..whether it could - have been done differently?
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- I always regret - the casualties in any war.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- It doesn't change my view - about the war...
0:19:40 > 0:19:45- ..whether it was in the Falklands - or South Wales and Yorkshire.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- No. I remain the same as ever.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- Changes had to happen.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- KLAXON
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- You cannot live in the past.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- We might as well - have continued subsidizing...
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- ..the production - of horse-drawn carriages.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Economies move on. Change happens.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12- Is the Miners' Strike - up there with the Falklands War...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- ..as one of the central moments...
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- ..without which Thatcherism - might not have happened?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- Let me put it this way.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- We could have survived - as a government...
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- ..by surrendering - the people of the Falklands...
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- ..to fascist generals - in South America.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- We could have done that.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- We couldn't have survived - as an administration...
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- ..surrendering British industry - to Mr Scargill.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- He was a man of infinite vanity...
0:20:46 > 0:20:52- ..who thought he could - bring the government down.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57- We had to establish that democracy - and the rule of law prevailed.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- I don't have regrets - about what we did.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- I have regrets - that there were casualties.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- People whose lives were ruined - one way or another.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Was Britain a better country - because the strike was lost?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- I never saw it - as a victory over the miners...
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- ..nor did the government.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- It was a victory over Arthur - Scargill and what he stood for...
0:21:25 > 0:21:30- ..which was basically an attempt to - bring down the elected government.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- I was a young Scargillite.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39- I'm surprised I was able to have - a sane chat with these politicians.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- However, it does raise questions...
0:21:42 > 0:21:48- ..that would leave the young Adam - annoyed and poised for a dispute.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58- The decisions that the Tories took - destroyed entire communities.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01- They felt they were in the right...
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- ..and, to some extent, - have no regrets.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14- It would have been impossible for me - to sit down with Baroness Thatcher.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20- For me, she encapsulates - this era of significant decisions.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25- It would be impossible for me - to sit and converse with her.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- We've shown that working people - are not prepared to lie down...
0:22:33 > 0:22:39- ..under this Thatcher government - and accept the destruction of jobs.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- There was a battle - between two sets of values.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Two sets of principles.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- Unfortunately for me, - and I still feel this way...
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- ..it was their principles - that triumphed.
0:22:56 > 0:22:56- .
0:23:00 > 0:23:00- Subtitles
0:23:00 > 0:23:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- I'm Adam Price.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13- I'm on a journey to discover more - about the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- The strike began following the - Tories and Coal Board's decision...
0:23:19 > 0:23:24- ..to lay off more than - 20,000 coal miners in Britain...
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- ..starting with the closure - of a colliery in Yorkshire.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35- Arthur Scargill's response - was to call for a general strike.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- Rumours were rife - of more job cuts...
0:23:39 > 0:23:44- ..and there was a hit list - of coal mines under threat...
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- ..that included many from Wales.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- However, - there wasn't a national ballot.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- Every pit - had an individual ballot...
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- ..with the majority in Wales - voting against strike action.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Betws Colliery, - where my father worked...
0:24:02 > 0:24:07- ..was among the minority - in favour of strike action.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12- Despite picketing, - nearby collieries decided to work.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22- Do the boys at Betws look upon - the strike in the same light today?
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- I haven't spoken to them about it - since it happened.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32- I'm meeting a group of them - at the welfare hall in Ammanford.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33- How are you?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- How are you?- - Yeah, alright.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- The picket line - has turned this strike around.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42- Yesterday, the Union - thought they were doomed...
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- ..with 18 out of 28 lodges - refusing to strike.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51- But this morning, pickets stopped - work at two out of three mines.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- We wanted a national ballot - and it's not working.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- We won't pass the pickets - at Nantgarw.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04- It's 30 years since the strike and - we can look back and reflect on it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- Do you recall the first day - of the strike?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- I remember it.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17- We were aware of what was happening - at the pit in Yorkshire...
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- ..and that something was looming.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- How did Betws Colliery vote?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- Every pit had to vote.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- What was the result at Betws?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- What was the result at Betws?- - To walk out.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Did you vote with a show of hands?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Did you vote with a show of hands?- - Yes.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40- Everyone put their hands up - but one or two opposed it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- After the ballot had taken place...
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- ..the miners at Betws - decided to come out...
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- ..and everyone came out.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- I remember the time - when we had to vote.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- There were pickets outside - the gates on Monday morning.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- We had only voted on the Sunday.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- Adam mentioned - that his father was a miner.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11- I'll always remember - being on the picket line...
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- ..with hundreds of bobbies present.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- One of the bobbies - was being horrible.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- He was holding a truncheon.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27- He started to beat the boys - over the head.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- We thought, "We'll get him now."
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- "Rufus, come here!"
0:26:33 > 0:26:38- Rufus came with us - to entice this bobby.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- He ran at us with his truncheon.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45- The boys let Rufus through - to wallop and floor him!
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- It was only a little jab - and nobody spotted it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- The old boxer still had it in him!
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- Some pits voted against the strike - in South Wales.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- How did you feel about them?
0:27:03 > 0:27:08- We had been told many times - that Betws was a safe pit.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14- We knew that the other pits - were on the hit list.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20- I couldn't understand - why they didn't vote to walk out.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- You staged a walkout - to save the other pits...
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- ..but they didn't bother - saving themselves.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- The majority - strongly oppose the strike...
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- ..but almost nobody - crossed the picket line.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Everyone drove away peacefully.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- What was the reception like...
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- ..when you picketed at other pits?
0:27:45 > 0:27:50- Everyone else was walking out and - other pits across Wales followed.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- Union officials were confident...
0:27:54 > 0:27:58- ..that the coalfield - would cease working within 24 hours.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Be honest, what were you thinking?
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- A fortnight, three weeks, - a month or six weeks?
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- How long did you think - the strike would last?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Myself, - I didn't think much about it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:18- We would remain on strike - until we either win or lose.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- That's how I felt.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- You were taking each day as it came.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25- You had to.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- Not many people - expected it to last for a year.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- We were all suffering.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- Everyone felt the same way, - as if they were working.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- The spirit was alive.
0:28:40 > 0:28:46- We all knew what was happening - but our spirit kept us going.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- You have to consider - the number of miners on strike.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55- Some of them had lost their homes...
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- ..and even their families...
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- ..because of what happened.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05- Did you still think - that you could win?
0:29:06 > 0:29:07- I have to say it...
0:29:08 > 0:29:13- ..it was a trade union - that lost us the strike.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- NACODS.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20- They had a ballot to walk out.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- If they hadn't been working...
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- ..every single pit - would have been out.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Why didn't they walk out?
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- We knew that most of the boys - from around here...
0:29:37 > 0:29:42- ..were more than ready to strike.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46- I don't know what happened - at that time.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50- I'm still waiting for an answer.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56- By late March...
0:29:56 > 0:30:01- ..the South Wales collieries - firmly supported the strike...
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- ..but it was a different story - for the rest of Britain.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10- Some pits in Yorkshire and most - in Nottingham and the Midlands...
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- ..voted against the strike...
0:30:13 > 0:30:19- ..and returned to work - to continue producing coal.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- The National Union of Miners - had one last chance...
0:30:24 > 0:30:29- ..to entice all UK coalfields - out on strike.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- They turned to the union - for colliery officials - NACODS.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39- I was intrigued to find out - why they didn't support the strike.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- I'm meeting a NACODS union member...
0:30:42 > 0:30:48- ..to try and interpret their reasons - against walking out with the miners.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- A strike by NACODS would be - a massive blow to the Coal Board.
0:30:52 > 0:30:58- Every pit in Britain would have to - close, including the working pits.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- Bleddyn, NACODS.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- I never fully worked out - what the acronym stood for.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11- The National Association of Colliery - Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16- The deputies would deputize - for the colliery manager.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21- Our word was law underground. - We were like a site foreman.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- The area voted, by and large, - against a strike...
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- ..but were you surprised - that the men still came out?
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- I wasn't surprised. I was dismayed.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- I was a colliery official - and wasn't in the NUM any more.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38- The day the strike started...
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- ..I was in the yard - at Merthyr Vale Colliery.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46- The night before, the men - voted overwhelmingly to work...
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- ..as did most of them - in South Wales.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Their local leaders - stabbed them in the back.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56- They telephoned HQ - and their NUM bosses.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02- The next day, they arranged pickets - to picket out their own men.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- The men had more sense - than their leaders.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- They knew it was a bad idea.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12- There might not be any work - at Nantgarw tomorrow.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- A second vote was carried - after the first one failed.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- It urged miners - not to cross any picket line.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- There was a great deal - of intimidation.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28- I saw men being threatened - if they didn't strike...
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- ..and that was where - it all went to hell in a handbasket.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36- Was it intimidation - as I can accept there were...
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- There was intimidation.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- I accept - there were incidences of it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46- Does it explain why 23,000 men - were on strike for a year?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- Wasn't it a sense of solidarity?
0:32:48 > 0:32:49- Wasn't it a sense of solidarity?- - It did become that.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51- Did you understand it?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- Did you understand it?- - Absolutely, I understood it.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- There was a sense of helplessness - and having to strike.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- As a trade union principle...
0:32:59 > 0:33:03- ..you don't cross a picket, - but two-thirds voted to work.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- You can't have a vote - then try to intimidate you out.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- If you had come out, - the strike would have been won.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13- In what way...
0:33:13 > 0:33:14- In what way...- - Right.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- Step back a bit - because you're wrong.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22- If you had come out, - the strike would have been won.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24- Oh, Adam, you're naive.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28- I was 15 or 16 - but I don't think I was that naive.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- The NUM couldn't get their members - out on strike.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- If you think our members were - going to strike, then you're mad.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39- There was a lot of bitterness.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44- It happened because of divisions - caused by the NUM taking itself...
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- ..and the rest of the industry, - like lemmings over a cliff.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- It was stupid, arrogant...
0:33:51 > 0:33:56- ..and is best summed up - as being suicidal vanity.
0:33:56 > 0:34:02- I don't accept that miners, - their families and communities...
0:34:02 > 0:34:07- ..weren't fully conscious of - the struggle they were engaged in.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13- They weren't fooled by the leaders - as they were doing it consciously.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- They weren't fooled. - I said they were betrayed.
0:34:16 > 0:34:22- They were betrayed by other unions, - not just by NACODS.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- Betrayed by NACODS and other unions?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- Come on.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- You are now spouting the line...
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- ..that Scargill and the extreme left - have for years.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- You have to stand - behind your principles.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43- You have to plant your flag in the - ground and say what you stand for.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- And lead people to destruction - for your own vanity?
0:34:47 > 0:34:51- You have a duty - not to lead them to ruin.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53- The NUM led them to ruin...
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- ..against their wishes - and common sense.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- They knew they weren't going to win.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03- You can plant your flag...
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- ..but not in the backs - of working people.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08- We were facing ruin.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- The razor blade - was put in our hands.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- We refused to cut our own throats...
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- ..and I'm proud we stood up.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- The NUM gave you the razor. - It was suicide.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- Working-class people are not dull.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- If you're going to lead people, - you have a responsibility.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32- They decided to work - and their leaders ignored them...
0:35:32 > 0:35:37- ..and conspired, unconstitutionally - and undemocratically...
0:35:37 > 0:35:42- ..to take their members - down the path of ruin.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- It's a reading of history - that I don't recognize, Bleddyn.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- The day that strike started, - I regretted it.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59- I thought - it was going to be a disaster.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06- It was like watching - a train crash in slow motion.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- You can see it happening - but you can't stop it.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19- It is painful to watch.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- The notion - of my father's fellow miners...
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- ..who were tough men...
0:36:27 > 0:36:32- ..deciding to strike out of fear - doesn't wash with me.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37- Some of his comments were insulting.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42- An insult to the sacrifice...
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- ..made by miners and their families - during the strike.
0:36:50 > 0:36:50- .
0:36:55 > 0:36:55- Subtitles
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- YELLING
0:37:11 > 0:37:14- YELLING
0:37:28 > 0:37:32- With South Wales - firmly behind the strike...
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- ..the NUM decided to picket - coalfields and coking plants...
0:37:37 > 0:37:42- ..in other areas of Britain - that were still working.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- The experiences of miners - in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire...
0:37:47 > 0:37:51- ..were a complete contrast - to the relative peace in Wales.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56- He's kicking me!
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- One village - on the outskirts of Sheffield...
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- ..witnessed violence - that was more like a civil war...
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- ..than an industrial strike.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- It was in these fields...
0:38:09 > 0:38:14- ..that one of the strike's - most dramatic events was played out.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18- Orgreave Coking Plant - fed the steel industry.
0:38:18 > 0:38:24- The miners stopped picketing - on the coalfields...
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- ..and flocked to this area - from all directions.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34- My father was among the hundreds of - Southwalians who came to Orgreave.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39- He was a member of the A team, - or the flying pickets.
0:38:39 > 0:38:45- He travelled by bus overnight - with the boys from the welfare hall.
0:38:45 > 0:38:51- However, they didn't expect - the ferocious response...
0:38:51 > 0:38:56- ..that came from the police - and the state on that day.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07- The miners wanted to stop the coal - from entering the coking plant...
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- ..just like the other picket lines.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15- Arthur Scargill placed - a huge symbolic importance...
0:39:15 > 0:39:19- ..on this special picket line.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23- This powerful industrial weapon - was at risk.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29- If they could stop the lorries, - there was a possibility of winning.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- If the police - could block the miners...
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- ..the picket line - would have been a pointless tactic.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- Everything was put on the line - up in Sheffield.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43- Are you in?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- Are you in?- - Yes.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- I came here with Harry Selwood, - who picketed with my father...
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- ..to try to discover - what really happened...
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- ..at one of the strike's - most harrowing events.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- It was a fine, beautiful day.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- It was one of the best summers - we had in a while.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07- It sounds like an idyllic setting.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- It sounds like an idyllic setting.- - Yes, it was.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- The coking plant stood on my left.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23- Just past the coking plant - was a large wheat field.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- You could see it in the distance.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- The coking plant - was in that direction.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- The village was located - where the wind turbines stand.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- That's where the buses parked.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46- Everything has changed. - It's difficult to picture it.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- In this direction...
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- ..there was a meadow full of wheat.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- The boys sat down in the field - and ate sandwiches.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- Some of them removed their tops - and sunbathed.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- The police horses - were lined along that edge.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- It sounds like something - out of a film.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18- It's like a medieval battle - with a cavalry on the hilltop...
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- ..standing among the wheat.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- It felt like - they were going to charge.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- I've never witnessed - anything like it.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- My father was with you.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- My father was with you.- - Yes, I was with your father.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- He didn't move from my side.
0:41:40 > 0:41:46- When did you realize - that something was awry?
0:41:47 > 0:41:52- The police inspectors - were using loudhailers.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- They were shouting orders - at the policemen.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- More support, Mr Simpson! - More support!
0:42:02 > 0:42:06- The police were standing - on the front line.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- They were holding - large perspex shields.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14- They were shouting - and also holding batons.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18- Have you seen the film Zulu?
0:42:18 > 0:42:22- They were tapping their shields - like the Zulus.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- You could hear them, - trying to scare us.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29- Now and again, - they'd move to one side.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34- A dozen would run out equipped - with large shields and batons...
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- ..ready to strike anyone - who stood in their path.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44- They didn't come to arrest you - but to assault you.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51- The front line opened up again - and the horses galloped out.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57- They used this tactic - and the miners would flee.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02- If you were in their way, - the horses would trample over you.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- They didn't care at all.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- We were like lambs to the slaughter.
0:43:11 > 0:43:17- There was no way in this world - that the miners could win.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- They couldn't win this battle.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23- We weren't expecting a fight.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26- I'd never seen anything like it.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34- I recall my father - returning home that night.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40- He was covered in cuts and bruises - from head to toe.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44- That didn't bother your father.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- We were strong lads - and we were fearless.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53- We were used to working - in dangerous surroundings.
0:43:53 > 0:43:58- He admitted that he was shocked - to see the police horses.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03- It all came down to luck - as to whether you were arrested...
0:44:03 > 0:44:06- ..or even assaulted.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08- I'm telling you.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13- If you hadn't seen it for yourself, - you wouldn't believe it.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20- The police had planned it.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23- They wanted to make a show of it.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27- They wanted to break the miners.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41- The snatch squad had taken you.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45- They were the men - holding the shields.
0:44:45 > 0:44:51- I was grabbed, kicked and beaten - before being thrown into the van.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54- Did they hit you?
0:44:54 > 0:44:57- Did they hit you?- - Yes, they did whatever they wanted.
0:44:57 > 0:45:03- Once you stepped over the lines, - they attacked and lashed out.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- They wanted to hurt you.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09- Luckily, - it didn't happen to your father.
0:45:13 > 0:45:14- YELLING
0:45:14 > 0:45:16- Get on your feet!
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- Did a court case proceed?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28- Yes, it was held - at Rotherham Crown Court...
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- ..but it was thrown out.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37- I just wanted to go back to work - and return to normality.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42- I had a young family - and everyone was suffering.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48- Was it all worth it?
0:45:49 > 0:45:50- Looking back, was it worth it?
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- Looking back, was it worth it?- - No, it wasn't worth it.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- I lost a year's worth of wages - which could never be replaced.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01- No holidays, nothing.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- It's happened - and that's the end of it.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14- As I roam around - these open fields...
0:46:14 > 0:46:17- ..it sends shivers down my spine...
0:46:18 > 0:46:23- ..knowing there's nothing here - to mark this battle.
0:46:24 > 0:46:29- It's a forgotten battle, - to a certain degree.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34- Hopes and dreams - were laid to rest on this land.
0:46:34 > 0:46:40- It was the high point of almost - a century of trade unionism...
0:46:40 > 0:46:45- ..and in a sense, - of the British working class.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48- In terms of the miners...
0:46:48 > 0:46:51- ..it signalled an end - to all their aspirations.
0:46:52 > 0:46:58- They are buried in this land - outside Orgreave.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06- I was keeping a big secret.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10- This isn't picketing. - This is murder.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- Dad!
0:47:14 > 0:47:18- There are two sides to every story.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19- You were behind the strike.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- You were behind the strike.- - One hundred per cent.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54- S4C Subtitles by Tinopolis
0:47:54 > 0:47:54- .