An interesting article about the post-1985 pit closures, and the very interesting graph showing continuation of coal as a fuel but a rapid run-down of the domestic mining industry.
In my own view, whilst the decline of coal would have been almost certain as coal for power generation tailed off and demand for coal would have fallen over time, it is clear that there was a highly political motivation to closures of domestic mines in favour of imports of coal.
In my view, the coal mining industry was in a long, natural decline in the UK since a peak in 1913, but its end was hastened unduly by politics rather than any sound economics or concern for the environment.
