It seems like many ages ago that we stayed in the office on Friday night putting the finishing touches to a manuscript called The Rise and Fall of the Dock Labour Scheme, when actually it was only two weeks ago. We put this down to the fact that there is always so much happening at Biteback that time and space blur into a list of books. Speaking of blurs, we can also put our inability to assess time down to the celebrations that came after we made yet another deadline with (almost) effortless grace.
Whilst our memory tends to let us down sometimes, our passion for John Dempster’s fascinating account of the history of Britain’s Dock Labour Scheme was easily recalled upon its arrival into the office (along with cover, which is very fancy).
John Dempster was a career civil servant at the Department of Transport, and one of the most interesting moments in this career was playing a major part in Margaret Thatcher’s decision to abolish the Dock Labour Scheme. His book paints a portrait of an industry in chaotic decline and the events that helped grant a renaissance to the British ports, as Dempster and his team carefully constructed a plan to abolish the scheme with minimal damage to the economy.
With full access to government papers and featuring interviews with dozens of the major protagonists in the events of April-July 1989, The Rise and Fall of the Dock Labour Scheme is the unrivalled and comprehensive history of one of the defining moments of the epic struggle between Thatcherism and Union power.
Order your copy of The Rise and Fall of the Dock Labour Scheme by John Dempster here now for £45.