British mining stalwart Scargill wins damages from own union

British trade union stalwart Arthur Scargill, who led the 1984-85 miners’ strike that threatened Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, on Tuesday won a damages claim against his own union.

The 74-year-old, who led the National Union of Mineworkers for 20 years, sued the NUM Yorkshire Area Trust Fund over expenses he claimed he was owed when he worked for it after retiring as NUM national president in 2002.

At Sheffield County Court in northern England, judge Robert Moore awarded Scargill £13,480 ($21,380, 16,163 euros) in damages, plus undisclosed legal costs.

Asked whether “bad blood” between him and current NUM national secretary Chris Kitchen was behind the legal action, Scargill replied: “I think it’s at the heart of this.”

“It’s a sad day that the leadership of the NUM in the Yorkshire area have taken what can only be described as a vindictive action against me after 58 years membership of this union,” he said outside court.

Scargill was instrumental in the miners’ strike which brought down Conservative prime minister Edward Heath’s government in 1974.

He was a highly prominent opponent of Thatcher, who called him the “enemy within” as the 1984-85 strike dominated Britain.

“Arthur enjoys the limelight and why should the NUM continue to spend money to give him that?” said Kitchen.

“I honestly do believe that Arthur, in his own world, believes that the NUM is here to afford him the lifestyle that he’s become accustomed to.”