The start of the end for UK coal commenced in the 1980's, when the Thatcher administration moved to shut down uneconomic mines that were unprofitable and needed to be subsidised by the state.
The difference between the UK coal industry and Australia's is that the UK industry was always very marginal from a profitability point of view.
So there was really nothing magnanimous or visionary on the part of UK leaders to shut down the coal industry for the sake of the environment (for sure, Baroness Thatcher didn't care too hoots for the environment); rather it's demise was the outworking of poor and deteriorating economics.
