MILITARY veterans reacted with shouts of ‘disgrace’ as an attempt to delay the closure of their regimental museum was defeated on Wednesday. (January 20).
Around 50 ex-servicemen and their supporters staged a doorstep protest at County Hall, Durham, this morning, in a last-ditch bid to save the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum.
Durham County Council’s Labour cabinet voted inOctober to close the 48-year-old Durham City museum from April.
Supporters of the Save the DLI Museum campaign protest outside County Hall, Durham. Picture: Sarah Caldecott
At Wednesday's full council meeting, Liberal Democrat Mark Wilkes tabled a motion to delay the closure pending public consultation.
To applause from veterans in the public gallery, he accused Labour of ignoring the views of the people of County Durham and insulting the memory of the DLI.
But Labour opposed the motion. Cabinet member Neil Foster tabled an amendment noting “significant public concern” but dropping the commitment to delaying the closure process.
Cllr Charlie Kay accused Cllr Wilkes of playing to the media and veterans, while Cllr Mike Dixon said the museum was “in the wrong place”.
Veterans listen to the debate on the DLI Museum at County Hall, Durham
Afterwards, Colin Raine, of Bishop Auckland, a veteran of the DLI’s successor the Light Infantry, said: “I can’t believe a small Labour group, a cabinet of ten people, are pushing through a museum closure.
“The whole Labour group spoke with one voice, but no heart. They’re totally disrespecting the proudest regiment ever. We could make that museum one of the best in the country.”
The council plans to move the DLI collection to a specialist facility in Spennymoor, while also staging long-term and temporary exhibitions, including at Durham University’s Palace Green Library, next to Durham Cathedral.
It says the museum is heavily subsidised and the collection has outgrown it and its plans would allow the collection to be preserved and more of the regiment’s stories to be told.
Protesting outside county hall. Picture: Sarah Caldecott
The Save the DLI Museum campaign, which has 26,000 members on Facebook, says the best way to honour the DLI is to keep the museum open and is trying to raise £300,000 to do so.
Cllr Wilkes originally tabled his motion for December’s full council meeting but it was not discussed as the meeting ran out of time, with Lib Dems accusing Labour of filibustering – deliberately talking out the time to avoid the debate.
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