BY ISAAC DUFFY, Durham

I believe first and foremost introductions are in order, I’m a member of Hartlepool Conservative Future and passionate about the conservative party and our country. Recently I had an encounter with the infamous labour party leader Ed Miliband at the Durham Miners Gala. Firstly, I would like to clear up any questions about the legitimacy of this incident, it was 100% genuine and a ‘spur of the moment’, my friend Charlotte Berry can confirm that, as for a start we didn’t even know Mr Miliband was attending until we were there!

I go to the miner’s gala every year and am very disappointed by the fact it doesn’t fully celebrate Durham’s great mining heritage. Regardless of political allegiance, the gala should solely focus on celebrating Durham’s miners and them only. For the record, more mines closed under Wilson’s labour government in Durham than Thatcher’s…