Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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‘Solidarity forever’ – our message in a very special Gala year
Durham Miners Association leader ALAN MARDGHUM talks to Ben Chacko about the continued relevance of trade unions, the lacklustre general election campaign, whether we can believe opinion polls and the ‘reprehensible’ North Durham candidate, Luke Akehurst
BIG MEETING: Alan Mardghum speaking at last year’s Gala; and (below) pipe bands and banners parade through Durham
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
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NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
IN TWO weeks crowds will throng the streets of Durham in Britain and Europe’s biggest celebration of working-class culture — the Miners’ Gala.
For Alan Mardghum, general secretary of the Durham Miners Association (DMA), this year is special — it marks the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike, and will likely take place in the first weeks of a new, Labour government.
“I’m certainly hoping for a change of government, and to kick the Tories into oblivion,” he tells the Morning Star.
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JAMIE DRISCOLL explains how his group, Majority, plans to empower working people to empower themselves
The Gala’s core message of working-class solidarity offers renewed hope and provides the antidote to the anti-worker policies of Reform UK, argues IAN LAVERY MP
Durham Miners’ Association general secretary ALAN MARDGHUM speaks to Ben Chacko ahead of Gala Day 2025