--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The labour movement had the best…" description: "\"The labour movement had the best opportunity in 50 years to transform not merely an industrial situation and win an important battle for workers in str..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/arthur-scargill-31848_battle_the-labour-movement-had-the-best-opportu_2323988.png" --- # The labour movement had the best opportunity in 50 years… ![“The labour movement had the best opportunity in 50 years to transform not merely an industrial situation and win an important battle for workers in struggle, but an opportunity to change the government of the day.” quote by Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/arthur-scargill-31848_battle_the-labour-movement-had-the-best-opportu_2323988.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/arthur-scargill-31848_battle_the-labour-movement-had-the-best-opportu_2323988.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/arthur-scargill-31848_battle_the-labour-movement-had-the-best-opportu_2323988.png) > “The labour movement had the best opportunity in 50 years to transform not merely an industrial situation and win an important battle for workers in struggle, but an opportunity to change the government of the day.” [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that a strong labour movement can reshape not only industry but also the political landscape, turning worker struggles into broader governmental change. **In simple terms:** Workers can reshape politics through strong unions. Key Takeaway Leverage union power for political reform. Themes labor rights political change collective action industrial reform Mood determined optimistic urgent Type political motivational When to use this quote - union organizing - policy advocacy - election campaigning - public protests Key Concepts class struggle social transformation political agency Questions to Reflect On - How can unions build wider coalitions? - What risks arise when labor seeks political power? A Different Perspective Success depends on broader public support and political alliances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Best opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-opportunity/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Labour movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour-movement/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [I came out of the womb into the Labour movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-boothroyd/i-came-out-of-the-womb-into-the-labour-movement/) [Betty Boothroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-boothroyd/) > [The deliberate weakening of the labour movement by the machinations of market fundamentalists, gaining momentum during the periods when Margaret Thatcher led the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/the-deliberate-weakening-of-the-labour-movement-by-the-machinations/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [Ive been really clear that my first job as leader of the Labour Party and co-leader of the labour movement is to engage with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cunliffe/ive-been-really-clear-that-my-first-job-as-leader-of-the-labour-party/) [David Cunliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cunliffe/) > [I've been really clear that my first job as leader of the Labour Party and co-leader of the labour movement is to engage with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cunliffe/i-ve-been-really-clear-that-my-first-job-as-leader-of-the-labour/) [David Cunliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cunliffe/) > [Security was the demand which set in motion labour movements in history; trade unions, friendly societies, consumer cooperatives were all about compensating for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/security-was-the-demand-which-set-in-motion-labour-movements-in/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [I don't want to manage the labour movement, I want to unleash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-lewis/i-don-t-want-to-manage-the-labour-movement-i-want-to-unleash-it/) [Clive Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-lewis/) > [United we stand, divided we fall is one of the oldest and truest slogans of the Labour movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/united-we-stand-divided-we-fall-is-one-of-the-oldest-and-truest/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Such a scheme.. the betrayal of the national democracy of Industrial Ulster, would mean a carnival of reaction both North and South, would set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-connolly/such-a-scheme-the-betrayal-of-the-national-democracy-of-industrial/) [James Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-connolly/) > [The liberation of workers from excessive work was one of the pioneering demands of the labour movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/the-liberation-of-workers-from-excessive-work-was-one-of-the/) [Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/) > [We've got to stand up for what we believe in as a labour movement. 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The answer to that is profoundly 'yes', but that is not how, sentimentally, he is regarded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-kinnock/is-tony-blair-of-the-labour-party-the-answer-to-that-is-profoundly/) [Neil Kinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-kinnock/) > [The British Labour movement is today, and for many years has been, working in a narrow circle of strikes that are looked upon, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/the-british-labour-movement-is-today-and-for-many-years-has-been/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [The American Labor Movement has consistently demonstrated its devotion to the public interest. It is, and has been, good for all America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-american-labor-movement-has-consistently-demonstrated-its/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## More by Arthur Scargill > [If youve got an industry where youve got massive investment, it doesnt matter whether you bring in alternative supplies. You still lose the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-scargill/if-youve-got-an-industry-where-youve-got-massive-investment-it-doesnt/) [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) > [All too often miners, and indeed other trade unionists, underestimate the economic strength they have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-scargill/all-too-often-miners-and-indeed-other-trade-unionists-underestimate/) [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) > [There's a feeling that strength is determined by the size of a union. That clearly is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-scargill/there-s-a-feeling-that-strength-is-determined-by-the-size-of-a-union/) [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) > [Contrast that with the call of the Liberal Democrats in April, when they were prepared to call upon the British people to participate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-scargill/contrast-that-with-the-call-of-the-liberal-democrats-in-april-when/) [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) > [I have never been an idealist - that implies you aren't going to achieve something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-scargill/i-have-never-been-an-idealist-that-implies-you-aren-t-going-to/) [Arthur Scargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-scargill/) > [If you've got an industry where you've got massive investment, it doesn't matter whether you bring in alternative supplies. 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