Tory MPS denounce Durham miners ban

‘To paraphrase Johnson, “I’d rather be dead in a ditch” than invite them or Johnson to the gala’

NEWLY elected Conservative MPS have hit back at the Left-wing organisers of the Durham Miners’ Gala after its president claimed he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than let them attend.

As Boris Johnson pushes to rebrand the Tories “the workers’ party”, a crop of MPS elected to ex-labour seats in northern England have insisted they will join the annual gathering to celebrate Britain’s coal-mining heritage.

Established in 1871, the gala is historically associated with Labour and the trade union movement and has become a symbol of opposition to the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher.

Asked whether he would allow local Tory MPS to attend this year’s gala in July, Alan Mardghum, the Durham miners president, said there was “categorically no chance”.

However, Richard Holden MP, who won the North West Durham seat, last night said gala organisers in the Durham

Miners’ Association must “adjust to the new reality” after four of the seven seats in the surrounding region turned Conservative last month. He was joined by Dehenna Davison, elected to represent Bishop Auckland, who in a message to the Mr Mardghum said: “See you there.”

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Mardghum said: “To paraphrase [Boris] Johnson, ‘I’d rather be dead in a ditch’ than invite them or Johnson to the gala.

“You never saw Arthur Scargill invited to the Tory party conference, why would we invite Tories to the Durham Miners’ Gala? They did their best to destroy the Durham miners and the miners of Great Britain.”