Hawkins, James David. 2019. Preparation to “provoke a battle”: New Right Conservatism, the Trade Unions and the Conservative Party 1974 – 1984. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London [Thesis] https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/26378/ The version presented here may differ from the published, performed or presented work. Please go to the persistent GRO record above for more information. If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Goldsmiths, University of London via the following email address: [email protected]. The item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated. For more information, please contact the GRO team: [email protected] 1 James David Hawkins Preparation to “provoke a battle”: New Right Conservatism, the Trade Unions and the Conservative Party 1974 – 1984 Goldsmiths, University of London Submitted for a Doctorate of Politics 2 I, James David Hawkins, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: ______________________ Date: 3 Abstract This research makes an original contribution to the literature on the relationship between the Conservative Party and trade union movement between 1974 and 1984. Through primary source material I analyse how an emergent New Right within the Conservative Party planned, prepared and enacted industrial conflict with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1984. This conflict was a result of ideological change in the Conservative Party, which saw internal cabinet opposition marginalised through a challenge to One Nation “wets” within the Cabinet. I argue that the government’s industrial policy counters statecraft interpretations of the Conservative Party at this time. This is demonstrated in the following key areas: the radicalism of the party’s industrial policy; the planning and preparation for industrial conflict; the creation of a recently unclassified “Hit List” of UK pit closures, one that was denied to full Cabinet scrutiny in 1984; and the use of direct government interference with the policing of “The Battle of Orgreave” and its aftermath. These actions fit the remit of The Ridley Report of 1977, a template for ideologically driven reform of which the desire to 'fragment’ nationalised industries was a precondition for denationalisation. I argue that a group within the Conservative Party pushed through these changes to construct a new relationship between labour, industry and government. 4 Acknowledgements I would particularly like to thank my supervisor, Simon Griffiths, for his support, guidance, academic inspiration and positivity towards this research; thank you for all your help. I would also like to thank my family; my Dad, David Hawkins and my wife Emma, who have both offered a bedrock of support over the course of over five years; also, my Mum, Vivien, who has always been there for me and my children, Daisy, Jude and Evie. 5 Contents Detailed Contents ……………………………………………………………… 6 Abbreviations ………………………………………………………………… 11 Literature Review ……………………………………………………………... 12 Chapter 1 – Ideology, Statecraft and the Conservative Party ……………….... 61 Chapter 2 – Thatcher’s Moral Crusade …………………………………….... 119 Chapter 3 – Enoch Powell – Thatcher’s Teacher …………………………… 170 Chapter 4 – The Defeat of the “Wets” …………………………………….… 220 Chapter 5 – From The Ridley Report to “Hit List” – Implementation of Ideological Blueprint ...………………………………………………….... 273 Chapter 6 – The 1984 Miners’ Strike ………………………………...…….... 329 Chapter 7 – Conclusion: The ideological victory …………………………… 380 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………… 423 6 Detailed Contents Abstract ………………………………………………………………………... 3 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………..................... 4 Contents ………………………………………………………….……………. 5 Literature Review Introduction ……………………………………………………….... 12 Academic Relevance of Research …………………………….……. 14 Contemporary Relevance of Research ……………………………... 18 Ideology and Statecraft ……………………………………...….…... 25 The Conservative Party ……………………………………...….…... 27 Trade Unions ……………………………………………………...... 29 Literature Review ………………………………………………....... 30 The Rise of the New Right in the Conservative Party …...……….... 40 The 1984 Miners’ Strike ………………………………………...…. 57 Conclusion ………………………………………………………...... 59 7 Chapter 1 – Ideology, Statecraft and the Conservative Party 1.0 Introduction ……………………………………………………... 61 1.1 Key research questions ……………………………………….... 68 • How and why did the Conservative Party change? ................. 68 • Why did the Conservative Party prepare and plan for industrial confrontation with the NUM in1984? ............................................................ 69 • Did government industrial strategy and eventual confrontation with the NUM in 1984 demonstrate Statecraft or Ideology? ........................... 72 1.2 Methodological Approach ……………………………………... 73 1.3 Trade Unions and conservatism in the post-war period ………... 75 1.4 Conservative Party change – Ideology or Statecraft? ................. 89 1.5 Ideology and the Conservative Party …………………………... 90 1.6 Thatcherism as Statecraft ………………………………………. 94 1.7 Thatcherism as Ideology ……………………………………...... 101 1.8 Conclusion ………………………………………………….… 110 1.9 Outline and Structure of Research …………………………… 114 8 Chapter 2 – Thatcher’s Moral Crusade 2.0 Introduction …………………………………………………... 119 2.1 The New Conservatism ...……………………………………... 121 2.2 Thatcherism’s Moral Crusade ……………………………...… 131 2.3 Thatcherism’s Creative Destruction …………………………... 142 2.4 The Challenge to the “Tory Corporate State” ………………... 153 2.5 Conclusions …………………………………………………... 165 Chapter 3 – Enoch Powell – Thatcher’s Teacher 3.0 Introduction ………………………………………………….... 170 3.1 Powellism & Ideology ………………………………………… 172 3.2 Powellism, Trade Unions and the “Fascist, corporate state” ...... 180 3.3 Keith Joseph and “Man-made chaos” ………………………… 189 3.4 “The Case for Union Reform” – Stepping Stones ……………. 201 3.5 Conclusions …………………………………………………… 214 Chapter 4 – The Defeat of the “Wets” 4.0 Introduction ………………………………………………….... 220 4.1 Seeds of Division – “The theorists and the pragmatists” ……... 222 9 4.2 An Economic Call to Arms …………………………………… 235 4.3 Hayek’s Challenge to conservatism …………………………... 248 4.4 “The Purge of the Wets” ……………………………………… 259 4.5 Conclusion ……………………………………………………. 269 Chapter 5 – From The Ridley Report to “Hit List” – Implementation of an Ideological Blueprint 5.0 Introduction …………………………………………………… 273 5.1 The Ridley Report – “The chosen battle ground” ……………... 275 5.2 Preparing for Battle – “Mobilising Against Scargill” ……….… 286 5.3 The Legacy of British Steel Corporation ……………………… 298 5.4 “There was no secret hit list of pits” Ian MacGregor …………. 309 5.5 Conclusions …………………………………………………… 325 Chapter 6 – The 1984 Miners’ Strike 6.0 Introduction …………………………………………………… 329 6.1 The Defeat of One Nation conservatism ……………………… 330 6.2 Why the NUM? .......................................................................... 341 6.3 Arthur Scargill – A Necessary Symbol of Defiance …………… 352 10 6.4 The “Mob” of Orgreave ………………………………………. 363 6.5 Conclusions …………………………………………………… 378 Chapter 7 – Conclusion – the Ideological Victory 7.0 Introduction …………………………………………………… 380 7.1 The end of a Moral Decline …………………………………… 381 7.2 Enoch Powell – A pursuit of liberty and rejection of the mass ….............................. 389 7.3 The silencing of Cabinet revolt; the end of One Nation “wets” ……………………………………………… 397 7.4 The Revelation of Industrial Sabotage ……………………….... 405 7.5 The 1984 Miners’ Strike …………………………………….… 411 7.6 Conclusions …………………………………………………….418 Bibliography ……………………………………………………… 423 11 Abbreviations ACAS Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service BSC British Steel Corporation CBI Confederation of British Industry CEGB Central Electricity Generating Board CPS Centre for Policy Studies IEA Institute of Economic Affairs ISTC Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators NCB National Coal Board NUM National Union of Mineworkers TUC Trades Union Congress 12 Literature Review Introduction This thesis will analyse the development of a New Right within the Conservative Party between the electoral defeat of Edward Heath in 1974 and the Miners’ Strike of 1984. My research will demonstrate an ideologically driven agenda, one con- structed by a New Right within the Conservative Party, that was to bypass the prag- matism of statecraft theory and engage with long term planning for industrial con- frontation in 1984. Therefore, the literature to be reviewed will encompass both sec- ondary sources, detailing a theoretical and conceptual development of New Right thought, primary source material that offers evidence of an implementation of ideo- logically driven political agenda and the subsequent interpretation and analysis of internal Conservative Party policy towards industrial conflict of 1984. It is with this context in mind, that I will review literature in the following areas; - The relationship between the Conservative Party and trade unions in the post- war period. - The rise of a New Right in the Conservative Party. - The debate between pragmatism and ideological approaches. - The 1984 Miners’ Strike. 13 The sequence of this literature review reflects the proposed construction of the thesis. Firstly an examination of the post-war relationship between organised labour and the Conservative Party; secondly, the theoretical development of