I HAVE to express my total disgust at the vile and ill-informed tweet put out by the Countdown host Rachel Riley, comparing the joyous, welcoming crowds at the historic, uplifting Durham Miners’ Gala to the Klu Klux Klan (Echo, Jul 17).

The gala is a celebration of working class life and most importantly, community. This is the very thing that Margaret Thatcher was determined to destroy.

North West Durham MP Laura Pidcock’s impassioned speech on the day, described as “barnstorming” in The Northern Echo, was mightily impressive and echoed what a true Labour MP should believe in.

Laura and Rachel are both in their early thirties and I know which one commands the most respect.

John Colbert, Bowburn, Durham