Throughout the century, British coal had become increasingly expensive and difficult to mine. The nationalization of 1948 had changed nothing. In fact, there is evidence that the lack of public investment since then has made the problem worse. For some time Britain had been importing coal from abroad. With the exception of a few mines producing certain types of coal, British mines in the 1970s were operating at a loss. When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, the first thing she wanted to do was limit the power of the unions. She believed that union power applied to nationalized industrial monopolies resulted in poor quality service at an exorbitant cost to taxpayers. She pointed to inefficient work practices, employment problems and restrictive employment conditions such as the “closed” system of all unions. The Thatcher government said it was unwilling to invest more public money in an industry that was unlikely to regain its place in a competitive market. “This government’s policy is clear: destroy the coal industry and the NUM” – Union leader Arthur Scargill. B...