I was reading an old Guardian article about Dennis Skinner the other day which mentioned that if he hadn't become an MP there would have been a chance that Dennis Skinner would have become leader of the Nation Union of Mineworkers instead of Scargill.
Obvious questions (with my answers):
Would the miners strike still have happened? I think so, as long as Thatcher is still in power.
If so, how differently would Skinner have handled it? Probably quite different, I don't think he is quite as militant as Scargill, but I think he'd be a better leader, which means perhaps a longer strike, but a less divisive one.
Anyone want to comment?
(I very nearly spelt "Guardian" wrongly, which would have been hilarious)