Thatcher prepared to deploy troops during UK miners’ strike – archives — RT News

Thatcher prepared to deploy troops during UK miners’ strike – archives — RT News:

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came close to deploying troops and declaring a state emergency in the face of a miners’ strike that could have brought the UK to its knees, Cabinet papers have revealed.

Secret documents handed over to the UK’s National Archives showed that the Thatcher government was drawing up contingency plans for troops to move stocks of coal and replace striking workers in 1984. Under the plan 4,500 army drivers and 1,650 tipper trucks would have been deployed to transport 100 kilotons of coal to power stations every day.

Moreover, Thatcher also considered a plan to deploy troops in case of a dockers’ strike, codenamed Operation Halberd.

 

Miners' Strike Rally in London in 1984 (Photo from wikipedia.org)