ANGRY union leaders have said "traitorous" Labour MPs who backed the vote of no confidence in party leader Jeremy Corbyn would not be welcome at this year's Durham Miners’ Gala.

Durham Miners’ Association general secretary Dave Hopper said they would be receiving letters rescinding their invitation to share the platform with Mr Corbyn and other union leaders on Saturday, July 9.

The Northern Echo: DEBATE: Roberta Blackman-Woods

DEBATE: Roberta Blackman-Woods

He said this included City of Durham MP Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods, who was one of 172 MPs who backed the motion of no confidence.

Mr Hopper said: “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.”

Dr 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.”

Mr Hopper spoke as Labour members, supporters and affiliated unions prepare to meet in support of Mr Corbyn at Miners’ Hall, Redhills Durham, at 6pm on Thursday (June 30).

He said: “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.

“Out of the 172 who voted no confidence, there were probably no more than two or three of them who voted for Jeremy Corbyn in the first place.

“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.

“He was democratically elected by people who paid money to join this party.”

Dr Blackman-Woods, said: “It is not that I have anything against Jeremy personally - even at a policy level.

“I just don’t think he has the skills to be an effective leader and I don’t think he can reach out to either a wide base of the party, or to the country at large.

“You can’t just be a party of protest. I want us to be a party of government so that we can change things and that means having a leader who can get widespread support and I just don’t think Jeremy is the person to do that.”