PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer has praised local MPs for their work on the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and has vowed to support the town grow in the years to come.
I remember being a student at Leeds University. It was in the 1980s, and Yorkshire was in the grip of the miners’ strike.
The solidarity of miners fighting for their jobs, communities fighting for their way of life, had a real impact on me.
Later, as a lawyer, I represented the NUM in court.
I was so proud that we won our case, but the Tories forced through the closures anyway.
Around 20,000 jobs were lost in Barnsley.
So I understand what was lost in these communities.
The pride of powering the nation.
The sense of identity.
These were the jobs that fuelled our country - and then the Tories abandoned them.
The injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme was yet another insult to working people.
The government has kept money that rightfully belongs to the miners. We promised to right that injustice in our manifesto, and in the budget last month, we kept that promise.
A total of £1.5bn will be transferred back to miners.
That’s the equivalent of an average £29 weekly boost for miners and their families.
In Barnsley, around 7,000 people will now receive the uplift in their pay packets.
That is a testament to years of struggle by so many who have campaigned for justice over many years.
Labour MPs like Steph Peacock and Dan Jarvis have never stopped fighting for miners, their families, and their communities.
It’s absolutely right that we honour those who contributed so much to our country. But that’s not enough.
Just as I fought for miners’ jobs decades ago as a lawyer, as Prime Minister I’m determined that their children will have the good, well-paid jobs of the future. These communities will continue to power our nation for generations to come.
That’s why we’re launching a clean energy revolution.
We’ve set up Great British Energy, to cut bills, boost our energy independence and create good jobs.
We’re bringing investment into communities.
The Barnsley Heat Network will offer low carbon, lower cost heating to all homes and businesses in Barnsley by 2050.
Construction will start early next year, bringing good jobs and growth to Barnsley.
In the budget, we announced funding for 11 new Hydrogen projects around the country.
One of these will be in Bradford.
It will generate £120m for the local economy and support the creation of up to 125 new jobs in Yorkshire.
That’s on top of the other changes we’re making.
We’re driving the biggest uplift to workers rights in a generation - ending fire and rehire, scrapping exploitative zero hours contracts and protecting maternity and paternity rights.
We’re increasing the National Living Wage, which will put an extra £1,400 a year in the pockets of working people.
And we’re protecting the triple lock for those who have worked hard all their lives.
All my life, I’ve stood with mining communities.
With this government, we will make sure they have the respect they deserve, the good jobs they need and the opportunities for a better future.
