The tragic death of Britain’s industrial working class

Last week the fires at Britain’s last coal-fired power station finally went out in Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire. This marks the end of 142 years of using coal to generate electricity in the UK in favor of switching to “greener” forms of energy.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, where 3,000 engineers once provided well-paid, skilled work, is an imposing sight in the Nottinghamshire countryside. Its eight cooling towers are iconic and can be seen from many vantage points throughout the county. Like the many other coal mines, docks or imposing mills in the UK, the power station is a huge, physical symbol of the importance of the working class – a sign that they once literally kept the lights on and fed and clothed the nation.

Despite its importance, the response from our politicians to the closure of Ratcliffe Power Station has been condescending and disappointing. Many lamented the loss of jobs but reassured working people in the north that their sacrifice was for the greater good of achieving net zero. The Greens welcomed “plans to clear the site and replace the power station with a zero-carbon energy and technology park” that would supposedly provide “well-paid, secure jobs”. Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said the new Labor government is “determined that the same communities that have been at the heart of our coal growth will be at the heart of our clean electricity mission and will benefit from the many opportunities presented by renewable energy technologies.” will bring’. This is a disingenuous fantasy. The people of Nottinghamshire know that any long-term plans for this site will mean another generation in development and the loss of another generation.

A similar fate awaits the people of Port Talbot in South Wales. Late last month the Port Talbot Steelworks – once a mighty jewel in our industrial crown – closed. The last blast furnace was shut down as part of an agreement between the government and the steel mill’s owner, India-based Tata Steel. As with Ratcliffe, the plan is to “transition” to a more environmentally friendly steelmaking process.

As a result, more than 2,000 highly qualified and well-paid jobs will be lost. Thousands more jobs along the supply chain will also disappear. The town of Port Talbot will undoubtedly be destroyed.

It’s important to remember that these communities are losing much more than just jobs. When I was growing up in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, there were many jobs in the coal mines and textile factories until the early 1990s. The work was hard, but the camaraderie these jobs produced created a strong culture of after-work activities that formed the fabric of communities. There was always involvement in local politics, in trade unions, in sports and in clubs. There was also a strong connection to the arts – miners and factory workers actually became stand-up comedians, singers and football players after their shift. The de-industrialization of Britain has destroyed not only jobs, but also the sense of community and culture they created.

Those affected by industrial decline know only too well that their jobs will not miraculously be replaced by green alternatives. They know their local economy. They understand very well what happens when families’ incomes are cut in half and their children and grandchildren face a future of low wages, no pay, uncertainty and hopelessness. They know that politicians’ vague words about “industry of the future” and plentiful jobs are lies.

Instead, these areas are becoming ripe for the entry of exploitative logistics companies. The old Shirebrook Colliery in Derbyshire is now home to a huge Sports Direct warehouse complex. These mega warehouses sit on either side of the M1 in the old industrial area and their trucks race along the streets. The jobs offered by Sports Direct – a company notorious for its poor employment practices – are neither highly skilled nor well paid. They are also not remotely environmentally friendly. Even this low level of work will likely soon disappear as technology replaces the warehouse worker.

What will become of the now-defunct Ratcliffe plant has yet to be decided. The people of Nottinghamshire want to keep their cooling towers intact as a reminder of who we once were. James Graham, playwright Sherwoodin the final scenes of which the towers could be seen, called for them to be protected. Unfortunately, it is far more likely that the site will be demolished pending further construction, which never happens.

It is tragically unlikely that any government, present or future, will have the political will or knowledge to spend what is actually necessary to “level up” the country – that is, a project of the size and commitment of reunification of the East – and West Germany. with a similarly sized budget of over £2 trillion. Instead, our industrial heartlands will resemble the US Rust Belt – depopulated, barren landscapes, with no public transportation, no public services, and a crisis of alcohol and drug addiction.

The London-based media classes lightly refer to places like Port Talbot and Ratcliffe-on-Soar as “left behind”. But their decline is no coincidence. To say this is an insult to the harsh reality and cruelty these communities have endured for two generations. The British working class was all too willingly sacrificed.

Lisa McKenzie is a working-class academic.