We were not really having a culture war in Britain, only disputes over statues and street names, which hardly counted. But then it looked as if we were going to get a new coal mine. Welcome to the coke war. On one side are those for whom coke is used in smelting. On the other side are those for whom coke is used for snorting.
All three parties on the Labour-led Cumbria County Council voted in favour of the new pit at Whitehaven, illustrating the fact that the division between Smelters and Snorters cuts across any ordinary political spectrum. Under heavy pressure from Snort City, the Council has agreed to reconsider its decision.
Any Councillor who now voted to overturn it ought not to be reelected on 6th May. No candidate of any party that had whipped a vote to overturn it would deserve the vote of any proud Smelter.
The whole thing is ludicrous. There’s no alternative way of making steel other than with coking coal so if we didn’t produce it we’d have to import it all, which produces more emissions. This is a a straight choice between supporting our steel industry ourselves or rendering it dependent on foreign powers.
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