Last Saturday, over 25 comrades of the North East Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) attended the 140th Durham Miners Gala.
This was the perfect opportunity for the labour movement to go on the offensive, but the crowds were met with empty platitudes from the speakers and tepid support for Andy Burnham.
Another talking shop
The Gala was noticeably smaller than previous years. The England match later that day may have played a role, but the primary reason was the lack of inspiring ideas and direction.
And who could blame people for not turning up! The speakers list and the speeches left a lot to be desired.
‘Socialist’ MP Andy McDonald urged Labour to “seize the last chance for a total reset”. Stephen Guy, Durham Miners’ Association chair said “So there’s an opportunity for Andy Burnham now – he needs to change, change radically, and introduce policies that working people want.”
The working class has seen racist pogroms sweep across Britain, and endured years of attacks and austerity at the hands of the Tories and Labour – yet the best these speakers can offer is vague support for a careerist charlatan like Andy Burnham, and pray that he is something that he isn’t.
A demoralised left?
From speaking to attendees of the Gala, there was a feeling of demoralisation and despondency in the air. Some expressed worries about the rise of Reform, but at the same time were skeptical that Andy Burnham or even the Greens could provide a real alternative.
Meanwhile, all the smaller far-left groups were noticeably diminished. They had very few young people with them, and brought smaller numbers compared to previous years.
Union members shared with us their frustration at their leaders.
One criticised his union, saying: “They are terrible. They told us the worst possible outcome to an issue we were having would be to strike.” Another Unite member complained Sharon Graham refused to criticise Reform for fear of alienating her members.
This cowardice and lack of will to fight is demoralising for some, but others are enraged by it and starting to organise on their own terms.
FBU members for example told us they were forming an anti-fascist network, partly to combat racist ideas in the work force, but also to have networks in place that can mobilise when racist violence rears its head.
Another woman had formed a left alliance to try and build something that could combat the right in the wake of the riots in Sunderland in 2024.
Showing a way forward
North East activists and supporters of the RCP, however, met the day with boldness and enthusiasm.
We held a fringe meeting on ‘How to fight the right’ with a short introduction explaining our analysis of why the far right are on the rise and what we can do about it. In the open discussion, we pointed to the lessons of the de facto general strike against ICE terror in Minneapolis earlier this year, as well as some examples of spontaneous initiatives from black and Asian youth to combat the 2024 pogroms in Britain.
This meeting was our biggest ever success at the Gala with 35 attendees. Of those, 15 were not yet members of the RCP, but all left their contact details.
Attending the Gala and being bold has put the wind in our sales. The road ahead is clear for us. We are determined to use this energy to go forward and build the forces of communism in the North East.
