The Miners Strike

[chrisp_1927]

The more I read about the miners strike, the more I think both sides were in the wrong. Scargill is vermin, real disgusting piece of filth. Maggies actions towards the mines and miners seemed personally motivated and were unacceptably nasty.

I read that imported coal was cheaper. But when you add in the extra costs of closing the mines, the lower tax/vat take, benefits, loss of energy security. It just doesn't seem to add up.

As a country we have had abundant energy resources, coal, gas and now renewables. We flared billions of pounds of gas away in the North Sea, and we imported coal when we had our own sitting underground and miners out of work. I just hope we don't make the same mistakes going forward

[bobh]

The more I read about the miners strike, the more I think both sides were in the wrong. Scargill is vermin, real disgusting piece of filth. Maggies actions towards the mines and miners seemed personally motivated and were unacceptably nasty.

I read that imported coal was cheaper. But when you add in the extra costs of closing the mines, the lower tax/vat take, benefits, loss of energy security. It just doesn't seem to add up.

As a country we have had abundant energy resources, coal, gas and now renewables. We flared billions of pounds of gas away in the North Sea, and we imported coal when we had our own sitting underground and miners out of work. I just hope we don't make the same mistakes going forward

Mostly thrue.
Thatcher wanted to crush the NUM, built up coal reserves, allowed mine closure plans to be "leaked - knowing full well how Scargill would react, but didn't expect the amout of support the miners would get.
In fact, if the scabby Nottingham miners hadn't caved in (they were promised better treatment, I believe) then the strikers may well have won a few weeks later.