L3 Britain since 1945 text commentary

Clovis’s text commentary on Arthur Scargill’s speech.

First the good points. You defined well who Scargill was and what he represented (the most influential leader of the most powerful trade union), and you explained correctly the significance of the date. Thatcherism was generally correctly characterized, and the employment acts well summarized. You also remembered to look at the details of Thatcher’s most recent election victory (noting that the majority of voters did not vote for the Conservative party). There was some measuring of Scargill’s rhetoric.

To go further, you might have noted that Merthyr Tidfil is a very specific place : aplace where Scargill knew he was among enthusiastic supporters of his political positions and trade union leadership. During the miners’ strike, Scargill, to the miners, was a genuine hero, much more sot han any trade union leader had been for decades. Far from remaining in his office, Scargill was to be seen on the picket lines, and was  famously sent to hospital by a blow from a policeman’s baton.

Because he is speaking to people who agree with him, perhaps, he allows himself some rhetorical hyperbole. Very few commentators really think that Thatcher’s successful attempts to weaken trade unions could be compared to Hitler’s decision to ban them and imprison their leaders, or kill them. The numbers given by Scargill for the unemployed, and his dire predictions of imminent social disaster are no doubt somewhat exaggerated. Exaggeration is part of political discourse, and the aim of Scargill’s speech is to encourage combativity in his supporters, not to give an exact description of the situation in society. You should have mentioned his objective in giving this speech.

One or two references were imprecise. Although Scargill was close to communist members of his trade union such as Mick McGahey, he was not a member of the Communist Party, but of the Labour Party until, frustrated with what he saw as the rightwards drift of the Labour Party, he left the party and formed a new party with a group of his fellow-thinkers : the Socialist Labour Party. Forming a new Left party is a very rare event in British twentieth century politics, and should merit a mention.

Finally, the date of the speech is also three years before the poll tax conflict will fatally damage Thatcher politically ; so although she appears extremely powerful at the date of the speech, social revolt does help to put her out of Number ten fairly shortly afterwards.

Language problems :

A few difficulties with the present perfect : you musct not say « ‘In 1983 Thatcher has been re-elected ».

Structure difficulties : it is not correct to say « He accuses Thatcher to let people suffer. »

It is also incorrect to say « She wanted to prevent trade unions to be too powerful ».

Finally, the word « évoquer » is rarely translateable as « to evoke ».