’40 years on from the miners’ strike, this Durham Miners’ Gala was a special one’

The Durham Miners’ Gala, held on the 2nd Saturday of July and in its 138th year, is a staple of many trade unionists’ diaries – when I ran into Ian Byrne MP early in the day, he described it as one of his favourite places in the world – but this year, marking the 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 miners’ strike, was a particularly special one.

For those not familiar with the proceedings, things kick off early in the morning, as colliery brass bands and union groups parade through the centre of Durham. Among the musicians was Chris McDonald, who is the newly-elected Labour MP for Stockton North, but a long-time brass band member; he plays the cornet.

The procession makes its way up onto Durham racecourse, where stalls and rides – a compelling mix of fairground and political, where you’re able to buy yards of candyfloss and books on communism with equal ease – take up one end of the field, while at the other, a large stage was set up for a rally.

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Before the speakers, the assembled stood while a brass band played Gresford, usually known just as “the miners’ hymn”, in commemoration of all those lost in mining disasters. I thought about my great-great-uncle, who was killed by falling stone at Silksworth colliery in 1934, and likely stood where I had stood and heard the brass bands at the big meeting a century ago. He wouldn’t have heard Gresford; it was written to commemorate a disaster in that same year, 1934.

All of the speakers welcomed the Labour government, and celebrated the defeat of the Tories (perhaps unsurprisingly at an event that is all about celebrating working class identity, the recent defeat of Jacob Rees-Mogg, whose political persona is self-consciously, parodically aristocratic, came in for much gleeful commentary).

The timing – eight days into the new Labour government, and still in as much of a honeymoon period as contemporary politics allows – meant that there was limited room for hits and critiques on the party.

Limited, but not none. UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea, generally seen as an ally to the Starmer leadership, who was speaking at the gala for the first time, took the opportunity to praise Labour’s school breakfast clubs plan, but also called on the party to go further and adopt universal school meals.

This is likely to be a continued pressure point from trade unions (the NEU, headed up by another of the day’s gala speakers, the more left-aligned Daniel Kebede, has also been campaigning for a universal commitment) and other groups. However, despite this (and the policy’s adoption by the Welsh Labour government and Sadiq Khan’s London Labour administration), I think it’s unlikely that the leadership will change position on the matter any time soon.

READ MORE: Durham Miners’ Gala 2024: Live updates as event marks 40 years since strike

Another speaker, freshly re-elected Ian Lavery MP, highlighted one issue where I think the government is more likely to be moved: the two-child benefit cap. “Kids are simply starving,” he told the rain-soaked audience: “And what we must demand is an end to the two-child benefit cap.”

Also on stage, although not speaking, was Jeremy Corbyn; several ripples of “ohhh Jeremy Corbyn” went through the crowd when he was referenced, and Lavery pointed at the Islington North MP, saying: “I’m one of the proudest people in the world to stand shoulder to shoulder with that fella there.”

A theme common to all the speakers was the call for a ceasefire in Gaza; the crowd was peppered with Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine banners.

The speakers left the stage to head up to Durham cathedral, for a banner-blessing service with readings from, among others, Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy.

Down in the town, the happy festival atmosphere only intensified as attendees (many of whom had been drinking from the get go) reached stages of advanced refreshment, cheering and dancing along to the bands. Come rain or shine (and there was plenty of the former on Saturday), they’ll be back next year to do it all again, for the 139th time.

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