Elaine Brunskill, Socialist Party Northern region secretary
This year’s Durham Miners’ Gala ‘big meeting’ was the 40th anniversary of the 1984 miners’ strike, and just over a week since the Tories were ousted from office.
Despite the pouring rain, the streets of Durham were filled with people coming to hear the brass bands marching down from former mining villages, and to see the magnificent display of trade union banners.
The mood of workers on the field was reflective, even sombre. Yes, we’ve got rid of Rishi Sunak, but there was little or no enthusiasm for Keir Starmer.
National Education Union (NEU) secretary Daniel Kabede said: “Labour cuts will hurt the same as Tory cuts”. And that if this Labour government continues with Tory austerity, that his union will respond, including with strike action.
It felt like people are emerging from a nightmare – after 14 years of Tory rule – only to drift into another dream where Starmer now needs to be dealt with. A bad dream within a nightmare!
The biggest cheer of the day was when the Durham Miners’ Gala chair congratulated Jeremy Corbyn, next to him on the stage, on winning in Islington North.
For me, the highlight was seeing our young members, in the pouring rain, holding a youth meeting, in front of our Socialist Party campaign stall, putting forward a socialist programme to take things forward.
Other older trade unionists clocked this meeting, and quite a few commented how good it was to see young people fighting back.
