A YEAR ago Durham Miners’ Gala was under threat. 

Despite a modern-day record turnout of 120,000 at the 2013 Gala, Durham Miners’ Association had been hit by a £2.2 million bill for court costs after losing a six-year legal battle for compensation for thousands of men suffering “miners’ knee” — osteoarthritis caused by years of gruelling work underground.

Unaccountably the Court of Appeal threw out the miners’ case in a decision widely condemned as “political.”

The decision left Durham Miners’ Association (DMA), which organises the annual Gala, in a dire financial situation.

Since 1993, when the last pit in the Durham coalfield was closed by the Tories, the DMA has had no membership income.

The Gala costs DMA tens of thousands of pounds to organise but its disappearance — as happened with similar events in many of Britain’s coalfields, particularly Yorkshire — could not be contemplated. 

It is Britain’s biggest annual labour and trade union movement event, and one of the biggest in Europe.

The DMA turned to the movement for support. It launched an appeal for donations, large and small.

And they flooded in, ranging from lump sums from trade unions and other organisations to regular monthly donations of a few pounds from individuals.

DMA secretary Davey Hopper was overwhelmed. “The financial appeal has gone very, very well,” he told the Morning Star. “We will not be far short of £50,000 and we are very pleased with that.

“It is a magnificent response and we want to thank everyone who has contributed, large and small, individuals and organisations. If that type of support can be kept coming we should not have any problems, certainly in the near future.”

This year’s event is expected to exceed even the 120,000 who turned out last year to see the hours-long march of union banners, brass bands, and thousands of members of still-vibrant former mining communities from across the north-east and beyond.

One reason is the 30th anniversary of the miners’ heroic strike against pit closures of 1984-5.

Anniversary events have been bolstered by revelations in secret Cabinet papers exposing government lies about pit closures, conspiracy against the National Union of Mineworkers and deployment of every facet of state machinery against the NUM and its members.

“The papers revealed the disgusting lies and deceit, even contemplating the use of troops,” said Mr Hopper. “I have no doubt that if we had looked like winning they would have used troops to shoot miners, such was the determination of that mad woman Thatcher.

“If this information had been available at the time there would have been a different result. Even the people at the TUC and the Labour Party who betrayed us would not have been able to be so treacherous. Those people will carry that to the grave.

“There would still have been a coalmining industry in Britain at a time when we are importing 50 million tons of coal a year, some of it from evil regions using child labour.”

Another reason for the expected huge turnout, says Mr Hopper, is the dire political situation in Britain and across Europe, with austerity and relentless attacks on countries’ social fabric — and fight-backs building across the continent.

“The Gala takes place just two days after two million public-sector workers are striking in Britain. We have to give them our support and I’m sure Thursday’s strike will have everybody up for Saturday,” said Mr Hopper.

The Gala attracts international delegations and this year more, and bigger, delegations will be in Durham.

“There’s a big delegation coming from the Republic of Ireland, and Germany are expanding their delegation,” said Mr Hopper. “We are getting lots of regions sending delegations, and with the troubles in Europe they will be looking for support for their struggles. Capitalism is international and it is time unions were international.”

In Britain, the Labour Party is failing to give the lead so desperately needed, said Mr Hopper.

“The Labour Party has got to start taking cognisance of what is happening,” he said. “We’ve got foodbanks, unemployment, crime. Labour are not inspiring people, with debacles like Miliband and the Sun newspaper, and saying they will not renationalise the railways.

“It makes me wonder if the Labour Party really does want to change society. We can’t go on with a society like this. It is a rotten society that we are living in.

“But I hope this will be the last Gala with a hostile government, and if Labour gets in we must keep the pressure on to get back to the decent form of society we were previously living in.”

Another factor behind the expected increase in numbers this year is that DMA is staging a week-long series of events in the run-up to the Gala.

They include films, talks and discussions, with contributions from Women Against Pit Closures and other groups, and one event focusing on Durham miners’ banners, dozens of which have been restored or recreated and will be proudly carried on Saturday.

There will be a question time on Facts and Myths of the 1984-5 Strike Against Closures.

“Last year there were 120,000, which was the biggest for some 60 years,” said Mr Hopper. “We are looking forward this year to increasing that.”