Barnsley miners' strike campaigner Anne Scargill dies aged 83
She became one of the most prominent female voices in the fight against pit closures in the 1980s
Last updated 11th Apr 2025
Campaigner Anne Scargill, a leading women's organiser in the fight against mine closures in the 1980s, has died at the age of 83.
He family say she passed away last night following a long battle with Alzheimers.
Born Anne Harper in Barnsley in 1941 she shot to national fame during the 1984-85 miners' strike in South Yorkshire.
She co founded the National Women Against Pit Closures group, which is credited with platforming female voices within the movement to save pits across the UK.
An early rally in Barnsley in 1984 was attended by 5,000 women, many of whom were married to miners who were facing redundancy.
Anne was a prominent figure on the picket lines at collieries threatened with closure in the 1980s.
She faced arrest in 1984 alongside 13 other women at a picket in Nottinghamshire. She was ultimately cleared of obstructing police after being taken to court.
In one of her most famous protests, Anne joined three other campaigners in staying 2,000 feet underground at Parkside Colliery for four nights in 1993, in a demonstration against its impending closure.
Harper married Arthur Scargill, the later NUM President, in 1961. The pair divorced in 2001.