British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

'Dead left unburied': Academic questions 'mythology' around Winter of Discontent

19 January 2009

Colin Hay, Professor of Political
Analysis, Department of Politics,
University of Sheffield

A British Academy discussion on Thursday 22 January 2009 will mark the 30th anniversary of the first public sector 'day of action' during the Winter of Discontent -  on 22 January 1979 an estimated 1.5 million public sector workers took part in Britain's largest single day of industrial action since the General Strike of 1926.

The day of action brought the now infamous 'Winter of Discontent' into its final and most bitter phase - the almost inevitable showdown between the public sector trade unions and the government over pay.  Nine weeks after the strike James Callaghan was forced to declare a general election, following a vote of no confidence in his government, and by May 4th Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

Colin Hay, Professor of Political Analysis, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield, will argue that the events of the dispute generated their own mythology.  While 'The Winter of Discontent' did mark the passing of Keynesianism, corporatism and the post-war consensus - the end of 'then' and the beginning of 'now' - it did so not do because the events of the winter of 1978-79 were precipitated by union power nor by the inherent contradictions of economic Keynesianism, but because the crisis that it was seen to symbolise was constructed in precisely such terms.

Speaking ahead of the discussion, Professor Hay said:

'If there is indeed such a thing as a collective British political consciousness then it is surely to be found in the mythology which continues to surround the 'Winter of Discontent'.  It lingers in the enduring popular memories and imagery spawned in the winter of 1978-79 and, in particular, in the tale of how the country was 'held to ransom', of how 'the dead were left unburied' and of how the 'bins were left unemptied' during a 'Winter of Discontent' in which 'Britain was under siege' from 'militant trade unionists' and their extremist leaders.

'Returning to the events of the Winter of Discontent and to the mythology that is has generated I seeking to sift fact from fiction in the light of the considerable body of evidence that we now have at our disposal. I show that the Winter of Discontent was in many respects a manufactured crisis - lived, experienced and responded to through a very particular construction of the events.  And I show that such a construction of events - in terms of a crisis of an overloaded state held to ransom by the trade unions and brought to this condition by its reliance on moribund Keynesian techniques - is extremely difficult to reconcile with the evidence itself.

'But getting the Winter of Discontent right is not just - nor even principally - about getting the facts right.  That the Winter of Discontent was lived and experienced through such a particular and, indeed, problematic construction is crucial to its very identity, as it is to its historical and enduring political significance.'

Further details about this event are available from http://www.britac.ac.uk/events

ENDS

Notes

1. Colin Hay is available for interview.  Please contact Michael Reade, British Academy 020 7969 5263/m.reade@britac.ac.uk

2. The discussion will be chaired by Peter Riddell, The Times, and will include contributions from Kenneth Baker, David Lea, former Assistant General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress and David Lipsey, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister 1977-79.  The discussion has been convened by Dr Lawrence Black, University of Durham, Dr Hugh Pemberton, University of Bristol and Professor Pat Thane, FBA, Institute of Historical Research, University of London.

3.   The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in these disciplines throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value. More information about the Academy’s work is available at www.britac.ac.uk.