‘My day at the historic Durham Miners Gala’ by Jeff Wyatt

I was delighted to accept the local For Britain branch Chairman Mr Kevin Bracks kind invitation to spend a day experiencing the Durham Miners’ Gala.  Here’s what happened..

I have been vaguely aware as a southerner for years of the annual Miners Union festival in Durham City. I was delighted to accept the local For Britain branch Chairman Mr Kevin Bracks kind invitation to spend a day experiencing it and at the same time meeting and speaking to local For Britain supporters.

I had no idea that the modern day Marxist leaning Labour Party had attempted to hi-jack the event.

I departed Milton Keynes very early in the morning with my trusted branch secretary Bill and stalwart local member Kevin on board. Expecting to be welcomed by the good people of the North-East to their lovely old Town at their well-known public event celebrating their Mining heritage.

Arriving in Durham

Indeed, we were welcomed by the vast majority we met. I saw with my own eyes tens of thousands of people enjoying the hot sunny day and the marvellous spectacle of marching bands and the brightly coloured Miners Union and other organisations banners. I am told some 200,000 people attended. I believe it. England at its best.

I met up with local Kevin and our supporters outside the magnificent and humbling Durham Cathedral on the grassed square. Fortunately we had a little spare time and Kevin escorted me around the inside of the Cathedral where he pointed out the 975 AD memorial to St Cuthbert and the facts his ancestors were imprisoned there a few Centuries ago ! Marvellous to see it. Literally touching the 1000 years history that has created our lovely Country.

Just before I started a brief speech to our supporters I became aware that there was now a bigger Police presence with us and that apparently they had banned us from walking to “the Field” where I now know the marching bands etc. gather. Kevin and Colin the locals who invited me up, then walked us all over to a nearby memorial to the local soldiers that had received the Victoria Cross since the mid-19th Century. Colin gave some moving words and recounted the tale of one those men, a Mr Annand, who Colin had the privilege of meeting.

Pub time

Our group started to go our separate ways. I walked up to the Police Inspector in charge and asked him what we can and cannot do. I explained I was from down south with some colleagues at the invitation of some locals and I would be really unimpressed if I had to leave without seeing the famous festival. He relented and was happy for us to proceed if we broke up the now smaller contingent in two and didn’t wave our flags on the way to the pub just down the hill. This I was happy to comply with. Walk to the pub we did, where cool refreshments were consumed.

Upon leaving The Library Pub we opened up our flags a mixture of the Union Jack. The Royal Standard (appropriately held by one of the ex-soldiers) and a For Britain flag. Within a few yards of proceeding, Katie’s Union Jack was spat on by a middle aged female Labourite. I did not see the incident myself. But that was shocking enough. Apparently some passers-by had a serious word with that despicable lady spitting on her country’s flag.

Main street of Durham

We then walked up the beautiful main street of Durham calmly waving our flags. Thousands upon thousands of people, the vast majority of whom were quite happy to let us do our thing. The very essence of being an Englishman in our free and pleasant land. We had a couple of sneery glances yes. But these were easily dwarfed by the odd “good on you” “nice to see it” comments from the crowd.

At the top of the street a Scottish marching band were having their bag-pipes tuned. We stopped and awaited their loud march down the street. A fantastic sight and sound. The personification of over 300 years of Union with the Scots.

Things then turned a touch tense. I was at the head of our group. An elderly man looked at my Union Jack flag, looked at me, and then felt it acceptable to aggressively brand me a fascist. I walked on saying something like “you don’t know what you are talking about mate”. Then several more members of the public started hurling abuse at me and the flag. The “Field” was rammed with tens of thousands of people. I was listening to some speeches coming from the stage, sounded left wing to me, but that’s fine. Nothing wrong with listening to those that do not quite see the World like yourself.

We all had no intention of causing trouble, no intention of shouting or even speaking to others. We simply wanted to attend the public event and show our flags, like everybody else.

Then the Police arrived

The Police then arrived. I had a perfectly calm conversation with the Inspector I think he was. He then said the words to me that I will never forget.

“Sir if you go down into the Field you will cause a riot waving that flag”

I turned back as instructed by him. My companions for the day including let me make it clear, two obviously retired soldiers were also then asked to leave. I then said to the Inspector or something close to “do you realise how fundamental what you have just said is”

 

I was brought up to trust the Police would defend an Englishman’s right to wave his Country’s flag to the hilt. Apparently not, when some foul mouthed Marxist inspired (Corbyn and McDonnell) yobs decide you must go.

We were then officially told by the Police to leave the City at once.

We were as a group escorted out of the City in front of the bewildered good people of Durham.

 

Lewisham East by-election

On June 12th the southern colleagues of these abusive left wingers made it impossible for the For Britain leader Anne Marie Waters to attend a Public debate in the lead up to the Lewisham East by-election. Why? Because the Metropolitan Police despite knowing full well in advance that the Labour Party / Momentum encouraged rabble would be turning up, did nothing, did not see it as their sacred duty to allow the fulfilment of the democratic process to take place. Easier just to shut the meeting down on the pretence of “public safety”. Please note I have to date not received a response to my Open letter to Met Police Commissioner Miss Dick . Nor has the Party a response to our official formal complaint sent about this appalling snub to free speech.

I have seen with my own eyes within a matter of weeks now how the modern day British Police deem it appropriate to dismiss, shut down and frustrate the lawful goings on of a newly formed centrerist political party named The For Britain Movement.

This is what is happening right here, right now.

Jeff Wyatt

For Britain