UK miners' strike (1984–85) the NUM's assets, it began to look abroad for money, and found supplies in the Soviet bloc and, it was mistakenly thought, also from Libya. These countries were highly unpopular with the British public. The Soviet Union's official trade union federation donated £1.5 million to the NUM. Media reports alleged that senior NUM officials were personally keeping some of the funds. In November 1984, it was alleged that senior NUM officials had travelled to Libya for money. Cash from the Libyan government was particularly damaging coming seven months after the murder of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in
Timeline of the Libyan Civil War (2014–present) members of that body declared the establishment of the State Council, as envisaged by the LPA. On April 6, the State Council selected Abdurrahman Sewehli as its president and Saleh al-Makhzoum as its First Deputy.<ref name="al-Makhzoum/army"></ref> On the same day, Saleh al-Makhzoum stated that the Presidential Council, utilizing its powers as Commander-in-chief, would soon announce the leadership of the Libyan army, in cooperation with House of Representatives and the State Council. Furthermore, he suggested that a resolution for the controversy pertaining to article 8 of the LPA would be achieved. On the 17th of April, the Libyan National Army managed