NICK Griffin has responded positively to a letter from the National Union of Mineworkers drawing his attention to the EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is currently being negotiated.

The British National Party chairman told the NUM that he would be campaigning against the agreement for two reasons.

Firstly because the European Union should not be negotiating trade agreements that have a detrimental effect on British industry and British jobs, and secondly because Britain should not be importing coal from Colombia (above) when we still have large reserves of coal still to be excavated in our own mines.

Britain used to produce the majority of its own coal requirements. Before the Miners’ Strike we produced 130 million tonnes and imported only 6 million tonnes. Imports were then mainly of coking coal or other grades that our own mines could not readily produce.

After the first Miners Strike, coal production declined and imports rose steadily until, by 2001, Britain was importing more coal (36 million tonnes) than we produced from our own mines (32 million tonnes).

In recent years imports have continued to increase as more coal handling capacity has been installed at British ports and now imports are at record 45 million tonnes a year.

Nick told the National Union of Mineworkers:

“Imports from Colombia, along with Russia and South Africa have contributed to this shocking state of affairs and that is why I shall be opposing this trade agreement.

“The British National Party believes that our mining industry, as with all our essential services, should be brought back under Government control. We need to dramatically invest in our mining industry to ensure that we utilise the vast stocks of coal that lie under our feet and no longer have to rely on foreign countries and foreign workers to supply the coal to heat and light British homes and keep British industry running.

“The British National Party acknowledges the work done by the National Union of Mineworkers in looking after the interests and welfare of its members. We also acknowledge that the NUM was correct to oppose the destruction of the British mining industry by the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher which culminated in both Miners Strikes.”