Boris Johnson was recently critcised for making insensitive comments regarding the closure of the coal mines under Thatcher. This reaction shows there is enormous anger over what Thatcher did the the coal industry. The two accusions against Thatcher are the following

1) There was no justification for pit closures and the coal industry was doing perfectly fine. Pits were closed purely out of spite. The pit closures caused immense social and economic devestation.

2) Thatcher had a vendetta against the miners.

The article below questions these assumptions as it argues the coal industry was in serious financial difficulties and rather than having a vendetta against the miners, the Conservative government tried to help the industry. How valid are the accusations listed above and the arguments presented in the article?

Myths and the miners strike | Manchester Liberal (wordpress.com)