Scargill, Arthur

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Scargill, Arthur (1938– ) English trade union leader. A miner at the age of 18, he was a member (1955–62) of the Young Communist League before joining the Labour Party. In 1981, Scargill became president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). His attempt to confront Margaret Thatcher's programme of pit closures and anti-union legislation led to a miner's strike (1984–85). The strike split the miners' and Labour movements. In 1995 he formed the Socialist Labour Party.

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