Still plenty of coal

ON December 7 thousands of residents of the Ukrainian capital Kiev rallied outside the city hall to protest against a threefold increase in maintenance and utilities rates. As of December 1, many Kiev residents saw their monthly payments for electricity,

ON December 7 thousands of residents of the Ukrainian capital Kiev rallied outside the city hall to protest against a threefold increase in maintenance and utilities rates.

As of December 1, many Kiev residents saw their monthly payments for electricity, gas and heat, skyrocket. Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky blamed the previous administration for creating the problem by not increasing rates since 1999.

As in the Ukraine, our nation has been punished by large and numerous increases in gas and electricity prices totalling nearly 100 per cent since January 2005.

Powergen, an offshoot of the German company E.ON, attempts to blame increases on the UK's gas supply being in decline. A shortage in any commodity is not a valid reason for raising the price. Why not ration the stuff, by cutting electricity supplies as the Labour government did in the winter of 1947.

Even in 1967, most of us knew that the North Sea oil would not last. It was the first step to butcher the coal industry.

When Mrs Thatcher took power, she could see that the Miners Union was the only strong bastion of workers left, and so she closed the coal mines.

There is still plenty of coal down there - Grimethorpe for one.

JOHN GRAVES

Upwell Park

March