Nuneaton Tory MP won't unveil mining monument after angry backlash from former miners

[dutchman]

Ex-miners were outraged that Tory Marcus Jones was set to unveil Daw Mill Colliery wheel



Nuneaton’s MP has pulled out of a plan to unveil a monument to the defunct Daw Mill Colliery after a protest from former miners who claimed it would be “absolutely disgraceful” because he is a Conservative.

Marcus Jones MP was set to officially ‘cut the ribbon’ to unveil the half wheel from Daw Mill Colliery on Ansley island in Ansley near Nuneaton on Friday.

This outraged some members of the North Warwickshire mining community who felt it was inappropriate to have a Tory as the guest of honour due to long-standing resentment of the party from the mining industry.

Many miners who worked down the pit at Daw Mill and in other nearby mines joined together to help make the monument possible, and have now been making a stand against the invitation made for Mr Jones to open the wheel.

Dee Cobb brought some of the men together to call for the monument to be opened by someone from the mining community.

She said: “The miners are absolutely up in arms about it, not on a political level, this is wrong.

“There has been a lot of toing and froing, I told Marcus Jones that he should un accept this invitation.

“A lot of those miners didn’t get pensions when this mine closed, they gave their time and they are feeling very strongly against this happening.

"These miners deserve more, they had a rough deal when that mine closed, I am not saying Marcus Jones did anything personally but it’s what his party stands for.

“It’s just a big smack in the face for these miners, it’s absolutely disgraceful.

“These men need to be heard.”

After hearing that Mr Jones would not be cutting the ribbon, Dee said: “That’s exactly how it should be.

“These lads should be saying who is cutting the ribbon.”

Paul Reader worked down the mines from 1987 to 1998, and is a former Arley Parish Council chairman.

He said: “I am grateful that he has seen sense and withdrawn, he is the local MP but we just cannot get our heads round it, how careless can they be, have they got no sensitivity?”