Labour MPs who oppose Jeremy Corbyn banned from Durham Miners’ Gala A Labour MP has hit out at the organisers of the Durham Miners’ Gala after they banned opponents of Jeremy […]

A Labour MP has hit out at the organisers of the Durham Miners’ Gala after they banned opponents of Jeremy Corbyn from attending the event.

The Durham Miners’ Association has sent letters to MPs who backed a vote of no confidence against the Labour leader saying they will not be welcome at the gathering this Saturday, where Mr Corbyn is due to speak.

The gala, also known as “Big Meeting”, has been taking place for 132 years and attracted around 150,000 people last year.

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Brass bands and marchers carrying trade union banners parade through the streets before political speeches are held at the racecourse.

But the 172 MPs who said they had no confidence in Mr Corbyn will not be welcome on the platform at this year’s event.

North Durham’s Labour MP Kevan Jones, who resigned from the shadow cabinet back in January, has criticised the decision by the miners’ association as “undemocratic”.

“I think it’s sad,” Mr Jones told the Evening Chronicle. “The gala is a great community event, which I know all Labour MPs including myself support.

”The Durham Miners’ is no long a trade union. If one person took that decision, who have they actually asked?“

Durham Miners’ Association secretary Davey Hopper said MPs who had tried to ”humiliate“ Mr Corbyn would not longer be welcome to share a platform with him at the gala.

Disunity

Mr Hopper said the decision to ban the ”traitorous“ Labour MPs from the platform was taken by the association’s committee.

He said: ”The reason that these MPs have been stopped from coming is because they do not believe in unity. They believe in disunity.“

Mr Hopper added in a statement: ”There is no doubt the Big Meeting will be a massive show of solidarity for Jeremy Corbyn and a condemnation of the disgraceful way he has been treated by the majority of the parliamentary party who have shown a total disregard for democracy.“