Boris Johnson refuses to apologise for Margaret Thatcher coal mine comments

Downing Street rejects Keir Starmer demand – but says the Prime Minister is aware of the “pain” that 1980s pit closures caused.

Boris Johnson has refused to apologise after crediting Margaret Thatcher’s decision to close the coal mines with giving the UK a headstart in moving away from fossil fuels.

The Prime Minister sparked a furious backlash during a visit to Scotland on Thursday when he said it was thanks to his predecessor’s decision to shut the mines in the 1980s that the country was less reliant on coal.

On Friday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded Mr Johnson apologise, calling the comments a “slap in the face” for mining communities.