Margaret Thatcher : State Funeral.

[Lord Bracknell]

By the way, we have enough of the worthless in Sunderland without you deigning to join us.

Thatcher invented "worthlessness". She shut down whole industries, created mass unemployment and decided to disguise it by putting people on incapacity benefits. In parts of Britain, a whole generation of workers was labelled "incapable" of working.

It caught on. And now we are reaping what was sown.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Thatcher invented "worthlessness". She shut down whole industries, created mass unemployment and decided to disguise it by putting people on incapacity benefits. In parts of Britain, a whole generation of workers was labelled "incapable" of working.

It caught on. And now we are reaping what was sown.

Still, she gave a whole generation of Essex boys the keys to the City of London. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[ROKERITE]

Thatcher invented "worthlessness". She shut down whole industries, created mass unemployment and decided to disguise it by putting people on incapacity benefits. In parts of Britain, a whole generation of workers was labelled "incapable" of working.

It caught on. And now we are reaping what was sown.

Weren't you around before 1979 Lord Bracknell?

 

[m20gull]

She destroyed jobs and turned the nation into a nation of scroungers,who in turn spawned the violent monsters with no respect or manners who control the streets of Britains once proud nation.
She killed Britain.

No more jobs than elaborate union-enforced protection does. And we're no more a nation of scroungers now than when thousands lived in social housing.

And she didn't turn our children in to violent monsters; we've done it ourselves.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Weren't you around before 1979 Lord Bracknell?

Of course.

But the solution to the "problem" of the trade unions (if, indeed, that was the problem) wasn't to shut down the coal mines and most of the heavy industry of the UK. Instead of manufacturing iron and steel, we ended up with an economy based on speculating on future commodity prices. My, how the Essex boys laughed.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Of course.

But the solution to the "problem" of the trade unions (if, indeed, that was the problem) wasn't to shut down the coal mines and most of the heavy industry of the UK. Instead of manufacturing iron and steel, we ended up with an economy based on speculating on future commodity prices. My, how the Essex boys laughed.

Was there a definite alternative? Why did we shut down the coal mines? Do you think we should re-open them?

 

[tedebear]

Thatcher invented "worthlessness". She shut down whole industries, created mass unemployment and decided to disguise it by putting people on incapacity benefits. In parts of Britain, a whole generation of workers was labelled "incapable" of working.

It caught on. And now we are reaping what was sown.

And yet the previous 2 labour governments continued to pay out these benefits, whilst the country became effectively broke...and continued to propogate the benefits culture we now live with.....

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Was there a definite alternative? Why did we shut down the coal mines? Do you think we should re-open them?

The coal mines were shut to humiliate Scargill and the miners who supported him. We now import coal.

And to answer tedebear's point ... Miners used to pay taxes. Ex-miners receive benefits.

 

[tedebear]

Was there a definite alternative? Why did we shut down the coal mines? Do you think we should re-open them?

This is what I've always wondered, that method of extracting coal would not be viable these days. We would and are outdone by the third world countries in the cost of mining. Unless the government charged enough of an import duty to protect our own coal price they would not have been economically viable. Either way why would we want coal now? Its a dirty fuel.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The coal mines were shut to humiliate Scargill and the miners who supported him. We now import coal.

And to answer tedebear's point ... Miners used to pay taxes. Ex-miners receive benefits.

Is it cheaper to mine or import coal?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

British coal is becoming more economical to extract than it was - mainly due to price increases in both imported coal and other forms of energy. UK Coal (the main producer) is seeking to establish more extraction capacity and the main electricity generators all want to build new coal fired power stations that take advantage of new "low emissions" technology. We will be a "coal economy" for at least another 30 years.

 

[The Spanish]

If we did re open the mines you can bet any money you like it wouldn't be british miners the new mine operators went looking for.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If we did re open the mines you can bet any money you like it wouldn't be british miners the new mine operators went looking for.

Probably because none exist.

 

[The Spanish]

Probably because none exist.

i am sure there a few thousand blokes sitting with their feet up watching the racing on telly in the rhonnda who might disagree.

 

[8ace]

i am sure there a few thousand blokes sitting with their feet up watching the racing on telly in the rhonnda who might disagree.

Wouldn't they be a bit old by now?

 

[simmo]

British coal is becoming more economical to extract than it was - mainly due to price increases in both imported coal and other forms of energy. UK Coal (the main producer) is seeking to establish more extraction capacity and the main electricity generators all want to build new coal fired power stations that take advantage of new "low emissions" technology. We will be a "coal economy" for at least another 30 years.

The coal mines in the UK are not economical any more because they are deep caste and their resources are running out, it's usage was on the decline way before Thatcher in the 60's and 70's. As the mines in the UK are deep caste you have to dig deeper and deeper and it is more expensive to dig way deep into the ground to get than it is to get any coal you need from abroad in open caste mines (where coal is on the surface) and import it to the UK.

In any case the days of king coal are long long long gone in the UK (it's hayday was probably about 1930) and will almost undoubtedly not return. Every one has central heating in their house nowadays and the days of each room in a household having a fire place are long gone, any fire places in houses nowadays are out of ornimation not necessity. On an industrial scale coal is also very dirty and a pollutent and in the UK were we have stricter standards in respect of the environment than say the third world it is not really a desirable fuel and it will get less and less desirable to use here. In a place like China at the moment for eg where standards in respect of pollution are not so strict, they can't get enough of it.

In any case, have you ever posed yourself this question, if it was a desirable fuel or commodity there is no way, just no way that Thatcher nor her cabinet colleagues would have wanted to close down these mines, she would just quietly give into the miners demands, take it on the chin and reap the profits that coal would bring (i.e she didn't close down N Sea oil rigs that were bringing in mega profits) but because coal is not so relelvant to modern day Britain the pits could be closed.