As expressed so eloquently by Delyth Jewell, so much of our modern history as a nation has been driven by the industrial revolution, when coal become such a crucial fuel. Despite this, the history of mining for coal goes back centuries before then, with the Romans mining for coal in Britain. Indeed, there is evidence of mining in Blaenavon dating back to the fourteenth century, and, in Mostyn, as far back as 1261. But the opening of the first coal mine in Wales in the Rhondda Valley in 1790 was the pivotal moment, presaging the transformation of the landscape and economy of the coal mining regions, as people went in their thousands to work and live there. But, as coal from Wales travelled to all four corners of the world, and as some, including the UK Government, profited handsomely from it, our communities and people suffered as a result of a dirty and dangerous industry. And now, of course, we continue to suffer the after effects, not just economic and social, but in terms of the damage caused by the industry to our environment, which led to the increase in carbon in our atmosphere.

As we saw in February 2020, with the devastating floods, post-industrial areas are now at greatest risk of the effects of the climate crisis, with the risk of flooding and landslides, such as the one we saw in Tylorstown, which caused a great deal of anxiety. Indeed, studies have suggested that there will be an increase of 6 per cent in rainfall in south Wales every winter by 2050, something that is already leading to instability in rivers, on land and, importantly, in coal tips. This isn’t just a matter of safety, but a matter of historical justice and climate justice. The UK Government profited from the benefits offered by the coal industry, ripping wealth from these communities that were at the industry’s heart, only for them to be cast aside afterwards.