Labour 'traitors' who voted against Jeremy Corbyn barred from Durham Miners' Gala

'We don’t want people who oppose him after he won such a resounding democratic victory,' says gala representative

Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the 2015 gala, which was attended by an estimated 150,000 (Getty Images)

Labour MPs who supported the vote of no confidence in party leader Jeremy Corbyn have been described as “traitorous” and told they are no longer welcome at this year's Durham Miners’ Gala.

Dave Hopper, the Durham Miners’ Association general secretary, said more than three quarters of the party’s elected politicians would be receiving letters to cancel their invitations to the 144-year-old trade union event.

He told the Northern Echo: “Anyone who supported the vote of no confidence will not be welcome at the Durham Miners’ Gala.

“They will be receiving letters to return their invites. We don’t want people who oppose him and who are trying to get shot of him after he won such a resounding democratic victory . . . surely they don’t want to share a platform with him.

“He is a major speaker. He is our guest and I would imagine they shouldn’t need a letter not to turn up.”

“I think the situation is deplorable. The traitors who are behind this are as bad as the ones in 1931, when Ramsay McDonald betrayed the Labour party.

“The membership have some say in the party since we have got rid of (Tony) Blair and his cronies and now they want to take back control of the party and make us jump and dance to their tune. It is an absolute insult to working people and members of this party.

Mr Hopper said the ban would extend to Roberta Blackman-Woods, the Labour MP for City of Durham, where the event also known as “The Big Meeting” is held, because she was not one of the 40 that voted in favour of Mr Corbyn.

But Ms Blackman-Woods said: “I haven’t had that letter. It is in my constituency and where I live.

“And if that’s the letter that the Durham Miners’ Association want to send to me, they’ll have to send it and I’ll act accordingly.

“It wouldn’t stop me walking in with a local banner, because that is obviously something for them. If he wants to withdraw the invitation to other parts of the day, that’s a matter for him.”

An estimated 150,000 attended the 2015 gala, which celebrates the area's mining heritage and trade union links, was established in 1871.