London Socialist Historians
Media Release
23rd January
Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
Socialist Historians say Durham Tory MP who wants to attend Miners Gala is ‘ignorant’ of labour history
2008 Durham Miners Gala
The London Socialist Historians Group that organises the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, London University School of Advanced Studies, has said that the Tory MP who wants to attend the 2020 Durham Miners Gala in July appears ignorant of labour history.
Richard Holden beat Labour’s Laura Pidcock by a narrow margin in the December 2019 Election for the North-West Durham seat. Labour’s Mary Foy retained the Durham City seat.
The Durham Miners Gala was first held in 1871 and has continued as an annual community and labour movement festival despite the demise of coal mining in the area after Mrs Thatcher’s Government forced the wholesale closure of mines following the 1984/5 strike.
Historic Banners on the annual parade through Durham City feature historic figures of the left from the first Labour leader Keir Hardie on and some religious imagery reflecting the mix of Marx and Methodism common in Victorian working-class communities.
The Liberal Party might historically have some justification for attending since they mainly held the seat after 1871 to the end of the First World War. The first Labour MP for the comparable seat as it then was, was elected in 1918 reflecting the transition of mining trade unionism from ‘Lib-Lab’ to independent labour politics.
LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, once upon a time the Tories claimed to be the party that upheld British traditions. They should respect this one and stay away, at least in a representative capacity. In the meantime Mr Holden who does not appear to have studied any labour history might usefully do so.
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