Labour government must urgently start to implement the policies on which it got elected, or it will face curtains, writes BRIAN LEISHMAN MP
FORTY years ago the government went to war against working people.
Their “crime” was exercising the democratic, civil and industrial rights for which working people had fought and died. It wasn’t about improving wages and conditions; it was a struggle for survival, jobs, and a way of life unique to our mining communities.
The pit was the cornerstone of mining community, providing both employment and wages. Its economic impact extended beyond the mine itself, fostering a thriving local economy with independent businesses lining the high street. Miners’ contributions would also finance essential community assets such as parks, sports facilities and welfare halls.
MIKE QUILLE applauds an excellent example of cultural democracy: making artworks which are a relevant, integral part of working-class lives
The Home Secretary’s recent letter suggests the Labour government may finally deliver on its nine-year manifesto commitment, writes KATE FLANNERY, but we must move quickly: as recently as 2024 Northumbria police destroyed miners’ strike documents
STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves



