Lessons for US All

When Arthur Scargill sald ot the end of the Miners" strike thai the moat important thing ic come out of it was the sirugg!e bteelf, be wasn't wrong, fw the defeat of the strike is only hall the story. The Veet.

Which half will prove more «lgnificant only the will tl. We do know bowever, thai the decisive fight between workers and the capiiadist system Hes in the fotare und the British working class now hes the beginnings of » lendership worthy of waging thal Fight.

Miner ond the many thouxunds Of British workers whe supported them have learat legsona they couldn't bave been boaght in s lifetime without such experience.

They have learnt that the Beltish simte, far from being impartial, 15 a Weapon of class mole, Thal the ruled law is really dhe role of dhe ch and powerful. That the police are mot “Hole", that jodjes ane mod ‘hohe pendent ond thay the televakon and press ae mot impartial and *objecthc Moat important of all they lnox that they low the strike oot because of Scargill os the inedia continwes tu try io tell them but become: of the leadership of the British labour movement _ the Klenocks and Willis’s. They kono thal ibe British labour mevenent oteds a o¢w leadership ond new policies, Before ihe strike many even on the beit had Wllosions in Einnock. Mow there cam be no reason fer oot maming blm aod Willix for what they are. Scala! ‘The rightwing drift in the British labour movement has finally met a powerful lefty ing force thet bas the potential io reverse it.

Twelve omoths of bigier airugele have proved to many ondlniary workers wheal merthvis Uke: ourselves hove been saying for a lang time. Only by mobilising ‘all the oppressed on the wile of the wockers can the full strength od the working class be mobilised. Thos ii hes been women in the minors ago proupe who have been the bockbone of the wirike. They hove mo only ahood bellied the ten bewt slood side by side and even led them. Women's rights once eoormed by many even oo the feft as a secondary inane Reprblican “evement's policy has remained for same tine the Steal oe EE ET have proved io be vital to tne . These women aren't The Waderehip of the NUM hes shown it has learned these bes: mona = by femainind demands at the Inet British Labour Party conference. They showed that they recognised the suppor Blach people have glyen by supporting the setting up of Block caucuses in the Ioboor Party. They have acknowledged the supporl given by gay people to the airike throoghoot Britain, lt is no accident thet ihe moa in Britain onderstend the oeed to Join these struggles together In one movement. They bare umderstond that unltvmecans mot the suppression of the demands and orgenisaiion of offer oppressed groups, but their open and full erpressioog in one - movement againat the enemy which con: fronte- them all — Thatcher ond ihe system she stands for.

For os in Ireland dhe moat hopehol denis the beghmlings of a reallsation amang many miners that just as their steaggle has been Med abewt by the media, just aa they

The “Boteher's Apron’ saga al Belfast's City hn ended with a Hich court victory for PO's West Belfast counct Nk hist feed Me Amullty and with the Union Jack fying at hall mast over demeoralised Linionists

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other half ig the biter lessons Iearoed by the miners and their families; their politicisation am! that of their supporters; and the beginnings of a peoaine principled left wing in the British hoor