DENNIS SKINNER put in a blistering performance at Durham Miners' Gala, calling for a peace between the Labour Party and trade unions.

At his first public appearance since undergoing a triple bypass heart operation, the Beast of Bolsover epitomised the spirit of the occasion.

His passion unfaltering, he railed against the many gripes of the left, such as modernisation of the NHS, and Tony Blair following George Bush into war against Iraq.

And he made a rallying call for a "roadmap for peace" in the Labour Party and trade union movement, with a return to traditional values.

He added to applause: "I have tested my new arteries today, and where better to test them than at the Durham Miners' Gala.

"I can report back to my Malaysian surgeon that all is well with the job he did."

An estimated 50,000 people converged on Durham City under a brilliant summer sky on Saturday, with 32 bands and 65 banners transforming the streets into a sea of colour.

The procession also served as a platform for a variety of causes.

There was the lone demonstrator demanding pardons for soldiers shot at dawn in the First World War, Amnesty International calling for respect for refugees, and a collection of Stop the War campaigners.

And there were children from Browney Primary School, near Durham, who were protesting plans to close their school.

In a time-honoured ritual, the bands performed their well-practised pieces for the dignitaries on the balcony at the Royal County Hotel, in Old Elvet, before moving on to the racecourse for speeches.

NUM president Ian Lavery attacked the Government's White Paper on energy, which he said would allow for the import of cheap coal from Col-ombia, where "child labour is used on a massive scale".

And this, he said, while the Government was allowing UK Coal to close down the Selby coalfield, in North Yorkshire, with the loss of thousands of jobs.

Other speakers were Fire Brigades' Union general secretary Andy Gilchrist, Dr Alba Portela Sabari, from Cuba, Aslef general secretary Mick Rix, and the general secretary of the GMB union, Kevin Curran.

NUM general secretary Dave Hopper said: "Since taking up my post 18 years ago, this is one of the best platforms we have had.

"The day occurred in an atmosphere of great optimism that we can change the direction the Labour Party has taken over the last six to seven years."