Press harshly condemns miners’ chief

Press, 31 October 1984, Page 10

Press harshly condemns miners’ chief

NZPA-Reuter London British newspapers heaped abuse on the miners’ leader, Arthur Scargill, yesterday for seeking aid from Colonel Muammar Gadaffi of Libya and predicted that the miners’ cause could now be lost. The disclosure that the National Union of Mineworkers had sent its chief executive, Roger Windsor, to meet Colonel Gadaffi to seek hardship funds for striking union members is seen as a bad blow for the miners and a boost to the Conservative Government. British television screened pictures of Mr Windsor embracing Colonel Gadaffi and that has provoked widespread unfavourable comment. The “Daily Mirror,” the only newspaper which supports the Labour Party and the labour movement, said in an editorial, “A hug and kiss from Colonel Gadaffi is a poisonous embrace. The miners’ cause may never recover from it. “To send a union official into the arms of the crazy colonel was unbelievably stupid. To accept gifts, in money or goods, would be even worse.” “The Guardian” said, “An N.U.M. president who let his chief executive cavort with Colonel Gadaffi on Libyan television is deeply foolish." It called Mr Scargill’s approach to Libya “a monster gaffe.” In Britain memories are still fresh of London’s break in diplomatic relations with Tripoli in April after shots fired from the Libyan embassy killed a policewoman and wounded 10 anti-Gadaffi demonstrators.

The killing provoked public outrage in Britain and, as the "Daily Telegraph” said yesterday, "There is probably no international political figure who is held in greater odium in this country than Colonel Gadaffi.” “The Times" spoke in an editorial of “Scargill’s willingness to consort with a regime so heavily involved with international terrorism”. The Libyan affair provided choice material for cartoonists. "The Daily Mail” printed a cartoon of security men unloading "Bank of Libya” bullion outside the office of the miners’ union. A perspiring Mr Scargill rushes out in front of waiting newsmen and television cameras, declaring “No, no . . . there must be some mistake ... wrong address.” Libya declared yesterday that it would support the striking miners “until they are liberated and their demands are met.” “We stand with all our resources with the workers’ movement in Britain, their families and every individual amongst them,” a Libyan spokesman said. In Moscow a Soviet trade union chief said that the Soviet Union was halting all deliveries of fuel to Britain in support of the miners.

Alexander Belousov, secretary of the Soviet Coalworkers’ Union, said that the ban would affect coal deliveries and shipments of any other types of fuel The Soviet measure appeared likely to have little real impact because Britain imports only small quantities of fuel from Moscow.