N HIS thoughtful article on the Miners’ Strike last week, Kevin Ward referred to the clash of personalities between Arthur Scargill and Margaret Thatcher.

There was another abrasive character involved, the newly appointed Chairman of the National Coal Board, Ian MacGregor.

Scargill called him “the butcher of British industry” and “Thatcher’s hatchet man”. And indeed, if Derek Ezra had still been Chairman of the NCB and Joe Gormley President of the NUM, there would have been no strike, and the essential re-structuring of the coal industry would have been achieved much more amicably.

Kevin also mentioned that Edward Heath lost the “Who runs the Country – Government or Unions” general election in February 1974.

That’s true, but only because of our distorted electoral system.

In fact the Conservatives had quarter of a million more votes than Labour, but fewer seats.

Isn’t it time something was done about our unfair voting system?

David Hando Hartridge Newport