Durham Miners' Association

Hillsborough campaigner, Margaret Aspinall speaking at the Durham Miners' Gala in 2013

STATEMENT: 

The Durham Miners' Association welcomes the jury's decision of unlawful killing of 96 people in the Hillsborough Inquest.This decision totally vindicates the supporters of Liverpool F.C. and condemns the actions of the South Yorkshire Police on that dreadful day.

Over the years, the Durham Miners’ Gala – Britain’s biggest and most historic trade union celebration – has welcomed people from all over the world.

We have a proud history of standing up against fascism and racism. This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, where the Durham miners stood in solidarity with the Spanish Republic against the menace of fascism and miners from across the Durham coalfield joined the fight to defend democracy. In later decades, during the horrendous Apartheid regime in South Africa, black South African miners were invited to spend time with the families of Durham miners, where they were welcomed into our communities and treated like brothers and sisters.

Jeremy Corbyn addressing the Durham Miners' Gala, July 2015.  (Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Since Jeremy Corbyn was elected as leader of the Labour Party, receiving the biggest democratic mandate in the party’s history, he has been subjected to a torrent of unfair criticism. Day in and day out, newspapers from across the political spectrum have relentlessly tried to misrepresent Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.

Unfurling a new Trimdon Grange Banner 19th July 1963. Left to right R. Beamson, Anthony Greathead, R. Bellas, J. Slater MP, J. Fletcher, R. Pratt, T. Bentham, Harold Wilson MP, K. Fairless, M. Pratt, T. Dalkin and J. Ford

The First World War was entering its second year of carnage when Anthony Greathead was born. He was in his last year at the junior school during the 1926 lockout and, in 1929, at the age of 14 he started work as a trapper boy, opening and closing the ventilation doors, at Deaf Hill colliery.

Jeremy Corbyn’s landslide election to the leadership of the Labour Party has shaken the political establishment of this country to its core. A hundred years on from the death of Keir Hardie, the Labour Party at last has another leader who believes in socialism. 

The Durham Miners’ Association is backing Jeremy Corbyn’s call for a million members of the Labour Party.

With nearly 200,000 people expected on the streets of Durham, next year’s Gala on 9 July 2016 will be a massive rallying point for the whole Labour movement – and the Durham Miners’ Association is determined to call on all those taking part in the Gala to join Labour.

On Friday and Saturday 23rd and 24th October, people from across the region joined in the celebrations to mark 100 years of the Miners’ Hall, Redhills Durham.

The annual service to commemorate the leader of the first mining trade union, the Northumberland and Durham Pitman’s Union formed by Thomas Hepburn in 1825 will be held in St. Mary’s Church, Heworth, Gateshead on Saturday 10^th October commencing at 11 a.m.

Yesterday’s magnificent 100,000 strong demonstration in Manchester shows that people will stand together in solidarity and oppose the Tory government’s plans to decimate our public services, our social security system and to attack trade union rights.

A film showing of the critically acclaimed Tony Benn: Will and Testament hosted by Durham Cathedral last year has raised £2,000 for the Durham Miners' Gala.