A MINERS' union leader has claimed on the eve of this weekend's 123rd Durham Miners' Gala that former Prime Minister Tony Blair left a "terrible legacy'' when he retired in June.

Durham NUM general secretary Dave Hopper has revealed that new PM Gordon Brown, like his predecessor, has turned down an official invitation to the event, the country's biggest working class political rally.

In the Gala programme Mr Hopper attacks the former Sedgefield MP's ten years in power, principally over the war in Iraq.

He says: "As Blair embarks on the international moneymaking circuit of lectures once frequented by his heroine Thatcher, he leaves a terrible legacy.

"Britain is embroiled in a war that has destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and children.

"Blair deceived Parliament to get its support for the war and was only able to proceed with the support of the Tories. What a disgraceful epitaph.

"The erosion of our civil rights, privatisation, mans testing, the failure to repeal anti-trade union legislation, a commitment to Trident and, worst of all, the growing gap between the rich and poor would all be a bad enough legacy.

"But the degree of human suffering inflicted on innocent people by the illegal war with Iraq will always be remembered as an atrocity against humanity.'' Mr Hopper told The Northern Echo that earlier in the year, while he was still Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Brown had been invited to speak at Saturday's Gala.

"We thought we'd give Mr Brown a shot. One of the Scottish MPs indicated that he might be prepared to speak.

"With the cathedral service, which attracts a lot of people, with him being religious and being the son of Presbyterian minister we thought he might be interested.

"Anyhow he said he couldn't come and had other commitments, so that's it.'' He added that Mr Brown would be invited to attend next year's Gala, something that Mr Blair never did during his time as PM.

Around 70 banners will parade through the city to the racecourse from about 9am. The parade will feature four new banners - Deaf Hill, Greenside, Kelloe and Silksworth.