A Newcastle Socialist Party member
Support for Jarrow March at the Durham Miners' Gala, photo Northern Region SP

Support for Jarrow March at the Durham Miners’ Gala, photo Northern Region SP   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

60,000 people descended on Durham on Saturday 9 July for the 127th annual Durham Miners’ Gala. The Gala sees ex-miners and their communities join with other trade unionists to march through the city centre accompanied by the surrounding pit villages’ local brass bands and a proud display of colliery banners.

Despite the closure of all coalfields in Durham, the Gala maintains great popularity, attracting thousands of people every year.

Socialist Party members from all over the North and elsewhere in the country were out in force on the day. Socialist Party, Youth Fight for Jobs and National Shop Stewards Network stalls were a great success.

In particular, the Youth Fight for Jobs’ Jarrow March and the Socialist Party’s strategies to defeat the cuts attracted a great deal of positive interest from members of the public. 130 copies of the Socialist were sold.

Labour leader Ed Miliband cancelled his appearance at the Gala as he refused to appear speaking alongside RMT transport union general secretary Bob Crow. This has been viewed by many in the traditionally Labour-voting North as a further confirmation that Labour cannot be relied on to fight the cuts.