London and the 1984-5 Miners’ Strike

‘There was just this enormous sense of solidarity’: London and the 1984-5 miners’ strike

Edited by David Featherstone and Diarmaid Kelliher

 

In March 1984 over 150,000 miners walked out on strike against plans for widespread pit closures. Alongside the dispute developed a large and diverse support movement within Britain and internationally, which provided invaluable practical solidarity. Thousands of people collected food and money, joined picket lines and demonstrations, organised meetings, travelled to mining areas and hosted activists from the coalfields in their homes. This booklet brings together some of their stories, experiences and reflections on the strike. It draws together interviews with supporters in London and surrounding areas, alongside accounts of these relationships from the perspective of mining communities in the Kent, South Wales and Nottinghamshire coalfields. These oral histories are crucial for remembering the massive support for the miners in 1984-5, but they also serve as an inspiration for building solidarity today. 

 

Digital versions of the booklet are available online to read (https://tinyurl.com/londonminers) or download (https://tinyurl.com/londonminersPDF). Or for physical copies, email diarmaid.kelilher@glasgow.ac.uk.