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| 'We took on the Tories and won!' … why Liverpool's striking schoolkids are back | 'We took on the Tories and won!' … why Liverpool's striking schoolkids are back |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| “Neil Kinnock called us dafties,” says Rachel Harrison, rolling her eyes. Thirty years on, the former Labour leader’s belittling description of the schoolchildren who went on strike one spring day in Liverpool clearly still rankles. “There was nothing daft about us. We were doing what the Labour opposition should have done: taking on the Tories. And we won!” | “Neil Kinnock called us dafties,” says Rachel Harrison, rolling her eyes. Thirty years on, the former Labour leader’s belittling description of the schoolchildren who went on strike one spring day in Liverpool clearly still rankles. “There was nothing daft about us. We were doing what the Labour opposition should have done: taking on the Tories. And we won!” |
| In April 1985, 16-year-old Harrison, along with 10,000 other Liverpool schoolchildren, went on strike to protest against the Thatcher government’s Youth Training Scheme (YTS). Instead of attending Holt comprehensive that day, Harrison and her mates went to St George’s Hall to join a march to Pier Head on the banks of the Mersey. | In April 1985, 16-year-old Harrison, along with 10,000 other Liverpool schoolchildren, went on strike to protest against the Thatcher government’s Youth Training Scheme (YTS). Instead of attending Holt comprehensive that day, Harrison and her mates went to St George’s Hall to join a march to Pier Head on the banks of the Mersey. |
| Did your teachers try to stop you? “On the contrary, my teachers were sympathetic,” says Harrison. “Our head teacher was right behind us. We made a banner protesting against YTS with ‘Holt Comprehensive Students’ written on it. There were a lot of other schools where kids got disciplined.” In fact, children at some schools were threatened with suspension. There were even reports of students being locked in tennis courts. | Did your teachers try to stop you? “On the contrary, my teachers were sympathetic,” says Harrison. “Our head teacher was right behind us. We made a banner protesting against YTS with ‘Holt Comprehensive Students’ written on it. There were a lot of other schools where kids got disciplined.” In fact, children at some schools were threatened with suspension. There were even reports of students being locked in tennis courts. |
| “We were blown away by how many turned out,” says Emy Onuora, who was 19 and serving as a steward for the Labour Party Young Socialists. “This was before social media, so we relied on leaflets and word of mouth. We knew there’d be a lot of kids – but 10,000? It felt unreal.” | “We were blown away by how many turned out,” says Emy Onuora, who was 19 and serving as a steward for the Labour Party Young Socialists. “This was before social media, so we relied on leaflets and word of mouth. We knew there’d be a lot of kids – but 10,000? It felt unreal.” |
| Although there were similar school strikes across English cities, and earlier marches in Scotland, Liverpool’s was the largest. Why? Harrison thinks the city felt especially beleaguered. “Industries were being wiped out, there was 80% youth unemployment in some parts of the city – and what was the government suggesting? Giving up unemployment benefit and going on training schemes that didn’t result in jobs?” | Although there were similar school strikes across English cities, and earlier marches in Scotland, Liverpool’s was the largest. Why? Harrison thinks the city felt especially beleaguered. “Industries were being wiped out, there was 80% youth unemployment in some parts of the city – and what was the government suggesting? Giving up unemployment benefit and going on training schemes that didn’t result in jobs?” |
| Liverpool seemed particularly out of step with Thatcher’s policies. “I was radicalised by all the resistance in the early 1980s,” says Onuora, “but especially by the Toxteth riots.” The 1981 uprisings, which took place at the same time as those in Handsworth and Brixton, were sparked by the arrest of a young black man under the police’s notorious stop and search powers, which were widely regarded as racist. | Liverpool seemed particularly out of step with Thatcher’s policies. “I was radicalised by all the resistance in the early 1980s,” says Onuora, “but especially by the Toxteth riots.” The 1981 uprisings, which took place at the same time as those in Handsworth and Brixton, were sparked by the arrest of a young black man under the police’s notorious stop and search powers, which were widely regarded as racist. |
| Rachel got asked on the Anne Diamond show twice – people didn't believe 16-year-olds could be so articulate | Rachel got asked on the Anne Diamond show twice – people didn't believe 16-year-olds could be so articulate |
| For Onuora, the son of Nigerian parents, Toxteth was a key moment. “As was the election of Militant in Liverpool,” he says. Spearheaded by deputy council leader Derek Hatton, Militant took power from a Conservative-Liberal coalition in 1983 and became renowned, even notorious, for making Liverpool stand against both the Tory government and Kinnock’s Labour party. In power, it refused to set a budget in line with Thatcherite spending parameters, which would have meant massive cuts to services, adopting the slogan: “Better break the law than break the poor.” | For Onuora, the son of Nigerian parents, Toxteth was a key moment. “As was the election of Militant in Liverpool,” he says. Spearheaded by deputy council leader Derek Hatton, Militant took power from a Conservative-Liberal coalition in 1983 and became renowned, even notorious, for making Liverpool stand against both the Tory government and Kinnock’s Labour party. In power, it refused to set a budget in line with Thatcherite spending parameters, which would have meant massive cuts to services, adopting the slogan: “Better break the law than break the poor.” |
| Harrison, now a nurse, says: “All this was incredibly inspiring. I grew up in a very political family – both my parents were strong trade unionists. It was also the time of the miners’ strike. You suddenly saw that things could be changed. And that was an amazing message at the time. It wasn’t easy in the city – unemployment was high and things were politically charged. So a children’s strike made sense.” | Harrison, now a nurse, says: “All this was incredibly inspiring. I grew up in a very political family – both my parents were strong trade unionists. It was also the time of the miners’ strike. You suddenly saw that things could be changed. And that was an amazing message at the time. It wasn’t easy in the city – unemployment was high and things were politically charged. So a children’s strike made sense.” |
| There were stories that the kids were being manipulated by shady Trotskyists. “I know,” says Harrison. “But we weren’t. How patronising to suggest we didn’t have minds of our own.” Onuora adds: “I remember Rachel being interviewed [on television] by Anne Diamond. They asked her on once and then they asked her on again because she’d been so good. People didn’t believe 16-year-olds could be so articulate.” | There were stories that the kids were being manipulated by shady Trotskyists. “I know,” says Harrison. “But we weren’t. How patronising to suggest we didn’t have minds of our own.” Onuora adds: “I remember Rachel being interviewed [on television] by Anne Diamond. They asked her on once and then they asked her on again because she’d been so good. People didn’t believe 16-year-olds could be so articulate.” |
| What was the issue? Employment secretary Norman Tebbit planned to remove unemployment benefit for 16- and 17-year-olds and compel those who could not get work, or pursue further studies, to attend YTS. The aim was to reduce unemployment among young people and provide them with training and skills. “We saw it as cheap labour,” says Harrison, “with no guarantee of a job.” We’re chatting in Bold Street Coffee, opposite the leftie Liverpool bookshop News from Nowhere. It was there, last year, that the Japanese artist Koki Tanaka came across a book of photographs called Liverpool in the 1980s by Dave Sinclair, back then a photographer for the Militant newspaper. | What was the issue? Employment secretary Norman Tebbit planned to remove unemployment benefit for 16- and 17-year-olds and compel those who could not get work, or pursue further studies, to attend YTS. The aim was to reduce unemployment among young people and provide them with training and skills. “We saw it as cheap labour,” says Harrison, “with no guarantee of a job.” We’re chatting in Bold Street Coffee, opposite the leftie Liverpool bookshop News from Nowhere. It was there, last year, that the Japanese artist Koki Tanaka came across a book of photographs called Liverpool in the 1980s by Dave Sinclair, back then a photographer for the Militant newspaper. |
| “The energy, joy and optimistic feeling in Dave’s images of the march really struck me,” says Tanaki, who was 10 at the time of the strikes. “I wanted to work with those involved – to look back at what happened. I wondered if any have children now, and how they feel about the current government work experience scheme, which is not dissimilar.” | “The energy, joy and optimistic feeling in Dave’s images of the march really struck me,” says Tanaki, who was 10 at the time of the strikes. “I wanted to work with those involved – to look back at what happened. I wondered if any have children now, and how they feel about the current government work experience scheme, which is not dissimilar.” |
| Tanaka had been invited to the city by Sally Tallant, director of the Liverpool Biennial. Why? “Maybe it takes a Japanese artist from outside to see what we miss,” she says. “And in this case, it has worked. He immediately saw the relevance of a 30-year-old strike to now – to what education is, to what children are going through today, and what work means.” | Tanaka had been invited to the city by Sally Tallant, director of the Liverpool Biennial. Why? “Maybe it takes a Japanese artist from outside to see what we miss,” she says. “And in this case, it has worked. He immediately saw the relevance of a 30-year-old strike to now – to what education is, to what children are going through today, and what work means.” |
| Tanaka restaged the march last month, filming it and recording interviews in which children asked adults what they recall of that day and what they think are its resonances. The result will be shown at the Open Eye Gallery during the Biennial, which starts this weekend. What was it like for Harrison and Onuora to join this re-creation? “I loved how people – kids especially – were cheering us,” says Harrison. “I think it really struck home that what we were fighting for is similar to what is making kids angry now. The banners mean as much in 2016. They’re really resonant.” | Tanaka restaged the march last month, filming it and recording interviews in which children asked adults what they recall of that day and what they think are its resonances. The result will be shown at the Open Eye Gallery during the Biennial, which starts this weekend. What was it like for Harrison and Onuora to join this re-creation? “I loved how people – kids especially – were cheering us,” says Harrison. “I think it really struck home that what we were fighting for is similar to what is making kids angry now. The banners mean as much in 2016. They’re really resonant.” |
| Membership Event: Liverpool Biennial private view at Open Eye Gallery | Membership Event: Liverpool Biennial private view at Open Eye Gallery |
| How? “There’s the same anger, but not the same sense that you could do something about it,” says Harrison. “When I talk to my son, who’s 23 and works in the service sector, he accepts zero-hour contracts and no unions and all that. When I started work, one of the first things I did was join the union. And there was always the idea of going on strike as a weapon you could use – even if you were a schoolkid.” | How? “There’s the same anger, but not the same sense that you could do something about it,” says Harrison. “When I talk to my son, who’s 23 and works in the service sector, he accepts zero-hour contracts and no unions and all that. When I started work, one of the first things I did was join the union. And there was always the idea of going on strike as a weapon you could use – even if you were a schoolkid.” |
| “It’s now accepted that you move from job to job,” says Onuora, “but without pensions and sick pay. That’s the reality for our children.” Onuora has five kids, the eldest working on the production line at Jaguar’s Halewood plant, the second eldest working as a forklift truck driver. “I won’t say where my second-eldest works, but there is no union, and health and safety conditions are often ignored.” | “It’s now accepted that you move from job to job,” says Onuora, “but without pensions and sick pay. That’s the reality for our children.” Onuora has five kids, the eldest working on the production line at Jaguar’s Halewood plant, the second eldest working as a forklift truck driver. “I won’t say where my second-eldest works, but there is no union, and health and safety conditions are often ignored.” |
| Can they imagine today’s kids going on strike? “I’d hope so,” says Harrison. “They’re just as idealistic – and probably more ground down.” Just don’t call them the dafties. | Can they imagine today’s kids going on strike? “I’d hope so,” says Harrison. “They’re just as idealistic – and probably more ground down.” Just don’t call them the dafties. |
| • Koki Tanaka’s film will be screened alongside photographs by Dave Sinclair at the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Biennale, which runs at venues citywide from 9 July to 16 October. Tickets to the private view on 21 July are available to Guardian Members. | • Koki Tanaka’s film will be screened alongside photographs by Dave Sinclair at the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Biennale, which runs at venues citywide from 9 July to 16 October. Tickets to the private view on 21 July are available to Guardian Members. |