Destruction of coal industry by Scargill

The anniversary of the coal strike of 1984 will produce much nostalgia but it is important that certain facts be rememberd

The coal industry was destroyed by Arthur Scargill.

Mrs Thatcher's chief desire was to prove that she was a better man than Ted Heath. Scargill was in a position to give her her desire by offering her a strike free coal industry. In return, he could have had

• 1)A limit to the import of cheap nuclear energy from France. Mrs Thatcher hated the French.
• 2) He could have had research on clean coal. Mrs Thatcher has a degree in Chemistry and realised that although there was some work on clean coal, it was inadequate.
• 3) He could have had a ban on the use of gas in power stations. This is what killed the coal industry as gas rose to taking 40% of the market.

No numerate person would support the use of a premier fuel like gas in power stations where 70% of the heat is wasted. A ban on gas in power stations would have led to sensible use of gas such as combined heat and power (CHP) or microgeneration

The destruction of the coal industry led to the construction of expensive turbines that are now polluting the North East countryside.

There is talk of carbon capture for coal, but as yet carbon capture is unproven as an economic operation.

But for Scargill there could have been 20 years to research into clean coal and we could have had an intelligent energy policy using clean coal and the intrinsically clean nuclear.

Coal is secure, cheap and available in quantity. The only disadvantage is that it emits carbon dioxide.

Shortsighted miners call nuclear the enemy, in fact it complements coal and provides a cover for coal's only deficiency.

Pitmen and much more so their wives, can be proud of the courage and commitment, support and mutual help that they showed during the strike. Sadly, the battle was lost before it started because of the enemy within, the traitor to his comrades, the Marxist Arthur Scargill.