IN VIEW of papers released under the 30-year rule that vindicate Arthur Scargill and show the Thatcher regime up for the liars they were, shouldn’t Mr Scargill receive an apology from David Cameron for the Tory brutality against miners and their families who were merely attempting to safeguard their livlihoods?

Mr Scargill claimed 70 pits were to close with the loss of thousands of jobs. This was categorically denied by NCB chairman Sir Ian MacGregor. Yet the documents clearly show MacGregor lied to the nation as they in fact intended to close 75 pits with the loss of 55,000 mining jobs.

Mrs Thatcher was even prepared to use the Army in her war against the working class and her destruction of mining communities.

Mr Scargill correctly stated the Tories would destroy 100,000 miners jobs and the finest deep-mine coal in the world would be replaced with subsidised coal from Asia and elsewhere.

We suffer to this day with expensive energy bills and dwindling disposable income.

Thatcherism endures as millions of young and old alike are assailed by policies of greed and cruelty from our political class who seem hell-bent on turning social progress backwards.

Tom Scaife, Manor Drive, York.