12/05: Why Celebrate An Old Woman's Death?
We were recently asked why Class War will be holding a mass party in Trafalgar Square when Margaret Thatcher dies.
Well - here goes!
The Conservative Margaret Thatcher is the most reviled Prime Minister in British history - and that is a pretty competitive field!
In the 1980s she set out to destroy the UK's manufacturing base, and with it the organised working class - all in the desire of a more 'competitive' workforce and industrial peace. There were a few other nasty asides as well - letting the Army properly off the leash in Northern Ireland, greater powers for the police in the rest of the UK, subtle and not so subtle support to the Apartheid regime in South Africa, arming the Mujahideen in Afghanistan (great choice that one!) and taking part in Ronald Reagan's imperial adventures.
Things nearly came unstuck with the inner city uprisings in 1981 and 1985, but the Tories held their nerve, and scored two enormous industrial victories that the British working class is yet to recover from - over the Miners in 1985 and over the Printers in 1986. Mrs T then made the catastrophic mistake of taking on the working class as a whole, rather than one section of it, by introducing the Poll Tax in the late 1980s (a system of charging people for local government services that was far more expensive than the earlier rates)
A brilliant campaign of non-payment, coupled with violence at demonstrations and actions, saw the Tory party wobble. Over 14 million people refused to pay, and discontent spread to all sections of society. Whilst reformist politicians called on people to vote to abolish the tax, and Trotskyists urged the trades unions not to collect it, mass working class action, plus the increasing divisions in the Tory party (eg over Europe) saw Thatcher's resignation. The poll tax was abolished - one of the few actual victories the UK working class has had.
In retirement Thatcher remains an icon to the right, and has, not surprisingly been endorsed by both the Labour Prime Ministers who have followed her. Now in her 80s, she has been in ill health for some years.
Class War will mark her passing with a party in Trafalgar Square- scene of the most famous riot against her policies - at 6pm on the first Saturday after her death. See you there!
Well - here goes!
The Conservative Margaret Thatcher is the most reviled Prime Minister in British history - and that is a pretty competitive field!
In the 1980s she set out to destroy the UK's manufacturing base, and with it the organised working class - all in the desire of a more 'competitive' workforce and industrial peace. There were a few other nasty asides as well - letting the Army properly off the leash in Northern Ireland, greater powers for the police in the rest of the UK, subtle and not so subtle support to the Apartheid regime in South Africa, arming the Mujahideen in Afghanistan (great choice that one!) and taking part in Ronald Reagan's imperial adventures.
Things nearly came unstuck with the inner city uprisings in 1981 and 1985, but the Tories held their nerve, and scored two enormous industrial victories that the British working class is yet to recover from - over the Miners in 1985 and over the Printers in 1986. Mrs T then made the catastrophic mistake of taking on the working class as a whole, rather than one section of it, by introducing the Poll Tax in the late 1980s (a system of charging people for local government services that was far more expensive than the earlier rates)
A brilliant campaign of non-payment, coupled with violence at demonstrations and actions, saw the Tory party wobble. Over 14 million people refused to pay, and discontent spread to all sections of society. Whilst reformist politicians called on people to vote to abolish the tax, and Trotskyists urged the trades unions not to collect it, mass working class action, plus the increasing divisions in the Tory party (eg over Europe) saw Thatcher's resignation. The poll tax was abolished - one of the few actual victories the UK working class has had.
In retirement Thatcher remains an icon to the right, and has, not surprisingly been endorsed by both the Labour Prime Ministers who have followed her. Now in her 80s, she has been in ill health for some years.
Class War will mark her passing with a party in Trafalgar Square- scene of the most famous riot against her policies - at 6pm on the first Saturday after her death. See you there!
