Table of contents : List of illustrations Acknowledgements List of abbreviations 1 The 1970s: ‘winters of discontent’ 2 Election deferred and the collapse of the social contract 3 The Ford strike, 1978 4 The oil tanker drivers’ dispute and the road hauliers’ strike 5 Public sector strikes 6 Media coverage 7 The Conservative Party and the ‘winter of discontent’ 8 Political aftermath 9 In conclusion: the ‘winter of discontent’ – views from abroad ‘Winter of discontent’, 1978–79: chronology of key events, including by-elections Bibliography Index