> Bing Trotsky wrote:

>> In article frank-exchange-of-views.oucs.ox.ac.uk>,
>> mert1639@herald.ox.ac.uk says...

>>>
>>> But coal wasn't economical at the time. How were they meant to know
>>> that in 30 years time there might have been a need for the pits?
>>> You can only put so much in reserve, and you can't mothball pits for
>>> 30 years.
>>> Like I said, I imagine we will see a coal industry in the UK in the
>>> next 20-30 years.
>>>

>>
>> Bollocks. Plenty of people pointed out at the time that the cheaply
>> available reserves of North Sea oil were limited, and that oil prices
>> would eventually inevitably rise. We were dismissed as lunatics.
>> Personally I think the people who scoffed at the warnings and backed
>> Thatcher's vendetta against the NUM should pay extra taxes in order to
>> re-open the pits when it becomes necessary. Because I don't see why
>> those of us who pointed out their stupidity should be expected to
>> bear the costs now we've been proven right.

>
> I think you'll find Conservative voters do pay a hell of a lot more tax
> than Labour voters, both as a proportion of their income and as a cash
> value.

>
>