- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - Neil Greatrex, 61, a former Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) president, was found guilty of stealing from Nottinghamshire Miners Charity, which ran a Lincolnshire care home. - 
How many more people are going to take advantage of our few proud miners, that are left.  - 
These men are war heroes, they kept industry turning and produced household lighting, heating and even cooking, helping millions of people year in year out.    - 
Full story at:-  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-17866402
- "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum" 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - hardly a true union leader, more a conservative put up job.
 
 you will recall at the time of the dispute the tories financed/encouraged the formation of the UDM in one of many of maggies moves to destroy the N.U.M.
 
 YOU may also recall as soon as the dispute ended many of these so called leaders stood as candidates for the conservative party.
 
 so im afraid i have no sympathy for this geezer and how dare he
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
 
 - This bloke is a crook and needs to be dealt with accordingly.
 
 The party political digs by Keith are totally irrelevant to the crime.
 
- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - Keith.
 Of course I am bitter about the UDM and you are not wrong  but that is for another thread.
 
 This is about another man, feeding his greed, off the backs of our miners.
 The truth is No government has truly looked after the miners; very few people, recognise the toil of  life and death, that they did for their country, day in and day out and I find it very hard to stomach, the way they are still being treated to this day.
 
 Take the strike out of the equation and you will see that our Miners and their families in East Kent, have done so many good things in our Towns and Villages, for over 100yrs now, yet they are still being exploited.
 - "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum" 
- Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
 
 - What about the other leader at the time and the current disputes over the Barbican NUM  flat & other matters that are in dispute.
 
 You can't be selective.
 
 Watty
 
- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - No Paul, not selective, he was never my leader.
 
 What he said came true but thats all the attribute I will give him.
 
 They can take the lot from him, he's just another greedy man, abusing his position and still letting the miners down.
 - "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum" 
- Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
 
 - So Arthur is recognised as a leper in the mining  & ex mining community now then Gary.
 
 Just thought we would have some balance.
 
 Watty
 
- howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
 
 - slightly off topic back in the days of miners strike there used to be a bloke almost his double commute from loughton station every morning in the rush hour.
 
 us regulars got used to it and stopped smirking after a while but anyone new used to a do a double take and mouth an adjective followed by scargill.
 
- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - Paul.
 I would not say a Leper and of course he was our leader in the dispute and that could not be avoided.
 But very few Kent miners were fighting for him or because of him.
 They were fighting to keep their colliery open, nothing more, nothing less. We were all used and we all ended up as the casulties.
 The alternative would have been no different, it just would have happened sooner.
 
 He was in Deal only a few weeks ago and let me assure you they were not queing up to shake his hand.
 - "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum" 
- Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
 
 - Sorry Gary the point I'm making is simple they are no different to bankers, company directors etc. who have been vilified.
 
 Keep a balance whether it was Derek Simpson , Bob Crow with his exotic tastes & salary levels there appears to be a trend.
 
 It's only the scale.
 
 Watty
 
- Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
 
 - # 10.Desperate stuff...the mammoth `Rich List` did not include one union leader. 
- Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
 
 - Take the last sentence.
 
 Watty
 
- The man did a bad thing. Doesn't matter what shade of politics he is. Post #2 is actually a bit offensive! Undermines unions, leaders and blues and reds all in one hit! 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - bern
 that realy is desperate stuff!!!!!!!!
 
 this geezer was financed by the tories(maggie)to help break the strike(rightly or wrongly) this latest scam showed him up for his true colours, and the type of people the conservatives will  open there arms to.
 
 on the wider issue without trying to move the thread to far,
 
 arthur called the strike at the wrong time, badly organised the dispute, led the troops down a road ofno return
 there was a lot at stake at that time and not just for the outcome for the N.U.M.
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - Paul.
 I was addressing that very point. Of course there is some irony there but I did not call the thread "UDM union leader" because it would not have mattered to me, which union he came from, the point is, what he has done, not who he represented.
 
 As for the flat etc. if he was one of BarryW's clients, then in is own words "nothing greedy or foolish about it, look after yourself and your own, just do not break the law while doing so"
 Not defending him but no proof of guilt, yet.
 
 Believe me, had he done the same as Greatrex, I would have posted the same.
 - "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum" 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - well said though garyc
 some very interesting views
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
 
 - OK Gary.
 
 Not going to respond further.
 
 At the end of the day it is the ordinary man on the street that takes the hit. We'll agree on that.
 
 Watty
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - we all agree what he did was wrong - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
 
 - i seem to remember mr watkins saying that he stood for election in mr scargill's constituency many years ago. 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - and lost
 result
 
 
 michael clapham     25,017  (labour)
 paul      watkins        7,750  (conservative)
 winifred knight          7,613 (lib dem)
 j           mills            1,828(referendum party)
 
 
 easy to be a candidate
 
 monster raving loony party showed that
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS