Isn’t it likely that the mines closing down had to happened and someone who worked down one wanted their kids not to have to do the same. But also at the same time we can say they were closed down too fast to point score over the unions, and the close down wasn’t managed leading to excess poverty and lack of opportunities in the valleys?

I’m not sure the anecdotal evidence of one man working down big pit is the silver bullet to this and it’s more nuanced than both sides are letting.