WORKS CLOSURE AT BRITISH STEEL AND THE NATURE OF THE STATE

In: Political geography quarterly, Band 3, Heft 4, S. 297-311

Abstract

AS ONE EXPRESSION OF CONTINUING ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THE DEEP OVERPRODUCTION CRISIS IN THE EUROPEAN STEEL INDUSTRY, A CRISIS EVIDENT SINCE THE MID1970S, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION CAPACITY ENTAILING A SERIES OF WORKS CLOSURES IN AREAS PREVIOUSLY DEPENDENT UPON THE INDUSTRY AS THE MAIN SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT. IN MANY SUCH THREATENED LOCALITIES ANTI-CLOSURE CAMPAIGNS HAVE DEVELOPED ON A VARIETY OF CLASS BASES AN SPATIAL FOUNDATIONS. IN PARTICULAR, THE CURRENT ANALYSIS FOCUSES ON THREE SUCH CAMPAIGNS WITHIN THE BRITISH STEEL CORPORATION (BSC): THE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE CLOSURE OF CONSETT STEELWORKS, COUNTY DURHAM IN 1980; THE (TO-DATE) SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE OF THE RAVENSCRAIG WORKS IN SCOTLAND IN 1982; AND THE MORE LIMITED DEFENCE OF THE SOUTH TEESSIDE WORKS IN 1982/3. THESE CAMPAIGNS, IT IS ARGUED, MUST BE CONSIDERED NOT AS A REACTION TO A PRE-GIVEN DECISION BY CAPITAL, BUT RATHER AS ONE MOMENT IN A FAR BROADER RESTRUCTURING PROCESS, ENTAILING CONSIDERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF CLASS RELATIONS PROPERLY SPECIFIED WITH RESPECT TO PLACE. THIS IN TURN IS OF CRUCIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR A MARXIST ANALYSIS OF THE STATE IN THAT WHEREAS SUCH AN ANALYSIS IS BY DEFINITION GROUNDED IN THE CLASS NATURE OF CONTEMPORARY CAPITALIST SOCIETY, IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER ALSO FROM THE OUTSET THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PLACE IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE. THIS IS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF PARTICULAR CAMPAIGNS. IN PAPY: 1984