 ‘Still too much socialism in Britain’: The legacy of Margaret ThatcherHuw Beynon Industrial Relations Journal, 2014, vol. 45, issue 3, 214-233 Abstract: Margaret Thatcher's death in 2013 was followed by extensive tributes to her achievements, often describing her role in ‘saving Britain’. Other more sceptical voices pointed to the destructive aspects of her politics. This article explores these issues through an examination of the major confrontation with the coal miners and their trade union the NUM. Through published sources and interviews with key actors it argues that the dispute epitomised Mrs Thatcher's concern to weaken trade unionism and defeat socialism. This (rather than issues of employment or energy policy) is seen as her strategic objective and her success can be measured in the changed nature of the Labour Party. In this the exercise of state power was decisive. However, the article questions the extent to which ‘Thatcherism’ and the associated individualism has prevailed as an hegemonic force. It provides examples of a continuing patterns of collective behaviour and beliefs and raises the possibility of an emerging and different form of labour movement. Date: 2014 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:indrel:v:45:y:2014:i:3:p:214-233 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Industrial Relations Journal is currently edited by Peter Nolan More articles in Industrial Relations Journal from Wiley Blackwell |
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