Ian Lavery MP column: 'We inherit the past, the future we build'
On October 11, I had the great honour of being asked to address those assembled at St Mary’s Church in Heworth, Gateshead, for the annual Thomas Hepburn Memorial Service that commemorates the life of a man born 230 years ago, but whose life has lesson for today.
Thomas Hepburn was a founder of the Miners’ Union in Northumberland and Durham in 1825. The union under his stewardship organised strikes to improve the conditions of miners who were working intolerable hours, in horrendous conditions, for poverty wages.
The strikes he organised made gains for the miners, but were detrimental for Hepburn personally. The vengeful mine owners blacklisted him, leaving him unemployed and destitute.
The legacy of Hepburn and other early trade unionists are the paid holidays and other employment rights we have today. People sometimes forget that these gains were all fought for, they were not gifts from the altruistic rich and powerful.
The struggle that Hepburn fought 200 years ago continues as many workers still face unacceptable conditions and poverty wages.
In 2025, many actually in employment are living in poverty. According to the TUC, 57% of people deemed to be in poverty are in households with members actually in work.
Yet at the same time, the super rich are getting richer – greedily accumulating obscene levels of wealth.
As in Hepburn’s day, the best way to end poor wages and conditions is to allow unions to organise freely, giving workers the chance to act together to find the strength to get a fairer slice of the wealth they created.
Labour’s Employment Bill is a welcome first step towards freeing unions from the inequitable restrictions placed on them first by the Thatcher Government.
It is not surprising that many wealthy employers vehemently oppose it, they are no less greedy than the mine owners in Hepburn’s time. Then, as now, a fairer distribution of wealth will require unions.
That important lesson is Thomas Hepburn’s legacy. With that legacy, we can build a better future.
Residents in the Blyth and Ashington constituency can contact my office by calling 01670 852494 or emailing [email protected] and there are also regular updates that are posted on my Facebook page (Ian Lavery MP).