 Newly elected to a mining seat , Benn was a supporter of the 1984 – 85 UK miners ' strike , which was beginning when he returned to the Commons , and of his long @-@ standing friend , the National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill . However , some miners considered Benn 's 1977 industry reforms to have caused problems during the strike ; firstly , that they led to huge wage differences and distrust between miners of different regions ; and secondly that the controversy over balloting miners for these reforms made it unclear as to whether a ballot was needed for a strike or whether it could be deemed as a " regional matter " in the same way that the 1977 reforms had been . Benn also spoke at a Militant tendency rally held in 1984 , saying : " The labour movement is not engaged in a personalised battle against individual cabinet ministers , nor do we seek to win public support by arguing that the crisis could be ended by the election of a new and more humane team of ministers who are better qualified to administer capitalism . We are working for a majority labour government , elected on a socialist programme , as decided by conference . " This guest appearance was considered one reason why Benn did not become a member of Labour 's Shadow Cabinet . 
