Durham Miners Gala 2016: Corbs is speaking.
- Thread starter treelover
- Start date
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Alan Mardghum says he'd rather 'die in a ditch' that invite tory vermin MPs to the gala and if they attend they should get a police escort. Completely reasonable of course, but it sure has enraged tory-voting, rightwing nationalist wankers.
The vermin is the man who ignores democracy. A violent thug? Probably not, but presents as one.
I wonder what he thinks about coal production is this time of carbon emission reduction? Coal should have no long term future if you want the planet not to melt.
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Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
doesn't make any difference whether you're a charity or not if threats is what you meant
Jeff Robinson
Marxist-Lentilist: Jackboots and Jackfruit
How is he ignoring democracy?
I agree with you about coal though, this is why we need a Green New Deal under Labour rule.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
cryptic...
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Crypto more like.
Fez909
toilet expert
Fossil fuel can't melt steel, er...planes
plane
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Threatening violence is not a 'mildly combative stance', not in my book anyway. Your standards may be different of course.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
It was better before the correctionTypo.
Corrected typo.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Actually, I was a PCS rep (and a good one at that) for seven years, Office Chair for three of those years.
crossthebreeze
Well-Known Member
I don't think they are threats, I think its a reading of the situation. The gala is a mixture of trade union historical enactment, left wing meeting, community day-out, and piss-up (lots of pubs on the route) - all on a huge scale. None of the Durham Tory MPs have been previous supporters of the gala, or have any record of previously attending; none of them seem to have a notable Trade Union or community activist record, and only Paul Howell (Sedgefield) has lived in the North East for any length of time - so why should they get an official invite, let alone be asked to speak (and so get "official" security)? Feelings are running high on all sides in many of the ex-mining villages (see the Laura Pidcock letter for example - and don't think there isn't corresponding anti-tory anger just because they got in). With 100,000 + people, crowded streets, and copious amounts of alcohol, there is a big potential for things to kick off.
Rosemary Jest
Wrong and Unstable
Invite all of the Tory cunts, see what a reception they'd get. There wouldn't be enough bottles to piss in, let alone throw at them if they did have the brass neck to rock up. Bring it on, I say. 
neonwilderness
What would Badgers do?
Not unique to Tories tbf. There's been plenty of Labour MPs (Blair etc.) that haven't been invited to the Gala over the years either.Alan Mardghum says he'd rather 'die in a ditch' that invite tory vermin MPs to the gala and if they attend they should get a police escort. Completely reasonable of course, but it sure has enraged tory-voting, rightwing nationalist wankers.
Rosemary Jest
Wrong and Unstable
Blair was invited every year, but failed to turn up. Along with every leader over recent years. Miliband is the only one who bothered turning up if I recall.
Although you're right, Blair probably wouldn't be welcome these days...
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Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
If Blair hadn’t shat his majority away taking the north for granted we’d all be better off.
Proper Tidy
Arsed
Maintaining w/c hostility to tories - as in actual tories, MPs, not calling people who voted tory mugs or racist or whatever - is really good though. It's not coming from a labour mp or a liberal journalist, it's coming from somebody that ordinary people will see as an old school trade unionist. Good. Reinforce that they are our enemy.
neonwilderness
What would Badgers do?
I thought I'd heard that he'd never been invited, but maybe that was just in recent years?
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
It’s a bit more than a ‘trade union historical enactment’. Firstly, gala predates the trade union movement. As such it’s a collective shared memory and event that’s owned by and for the community.
If anything it’s roots lie in the Methodist chapel. Politically, gala was a form of remembered custom that was used by communities to preserve a preindustrial custom and to resist imposed time discipline. Secondly, despite the revisionism the numbers of lefties and hobbyists is a minority. It’s mainly working class people from the community.
Thirdly, as such not only should the Tories not be allowed near the event - and they should be physically attacked if they do pitch up - but event needs to reclaimed from those who claim it’s some form of left wing historic re-enactment society.
However, it is and always has been a massive piss up. For the explicitly political reasons outlined above.
