Hucknall MP says Prime Minister was pushing the green agenda with mining comments

Mr Johnson made his comments during a visit to Scotland when reporters asked him if he would set a deadline for ending fossil fuel extraction.

He said: “Look at what we’ve done already, we've transitioned away from coal in my lifetime.

"Thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who closed so many coal mines across the country, we had had a big early start and we’re now moving rapidly away from coal altogether.”

The pit closures devastated communities like Hucknall and Mr Johnson laughing as he recalled Mrs Thatcher closing down the mines only infuriated opponents more.

Coun Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of Ashfield District Council, called Mr Johnson’s comments ‘crass, insensitive and downright abhorrent’.

Mr Spencer said: “The Prime Minister was highlighting that we need to move in a green direction and that coal was something that was very important to this part of the world, but is a thing of the past and we need to move forward in a green direction.

“Clearly, the irony wasn’t wasted on the Prime Minister and I think clearly he was trying to get the point across that we need to go in a green direction and coal is in the past.

"The Prime Minister has a way of communicating these things and one thing he has got across is we’re all talking about the green agenda, which is what he wanted to do.”