Business and political leaders say bringing jobs back to the North East's industrial base would be the most fitting way to remember the legacy of the Jarrow March. Today marks the 90th anniversary of 200 men setting off from Jarrow to London to highlight the impact of unemployment on the town.
The call came outside the former A&P shipyard at Hebburn, where a plaque has been unveiled commemorating the Jarrow March. The yard was taken over earlier this year by Cornish firm Balaena, which is now lobbying the Government for work.
Call for re-industrialisation
Balaena is chaired by Alan Donnelly, the former North East MEP who comes from South Tyneside. He revealed he'd had discussions with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey at last week's Labour Party conference after Mr Healey pledged a "new age of industrialisation" for Britain, driven in part by increased spending on the nation's defence.
Mr Donnelly said: "I had the chance, with our chief executive Simon Gillett, to meet the Prime Minister and the Chancellor earlier this week. What's really important is the re-industrialisation of Britain.
"We've lost the big industries over the last few decades. People talk about the marine engineering and shipbuilding as though it's an industry of the past. That's not the case.
"With the new spending on defence, building new naval vessels, and with the commitment of the Government on this, the re-industrialisation of Britain will provide really good jobs for people."
He added: "This is not about nostalgia. It's about learning the lessons of the past and making sure we don't make the same mistakes."
MP backs jobs push
Jarrow and Gateshead East MP Kate Osborne backed the calls for re-industrialising constituencies like hers as she highlighted how the Jarrow March was still relevant 90 years on. The employment hopes come as the UK is facing a crisis of young people not in employment, education or training, with the highest levels of youth inactivity seen in the North East.
She said: "Some of the troubles that we had in 1936, if we're honest, they're still there now. But we need to be proud of our history and proud of the 200 men that marched down to London. That history is part of us and it's part of individual families, who should quite rightly be proud of what they did.
"But we also need to look at where we are now. We have a working shipyard that's on the up, we have a Government that is investing in shipyards and we have a bright future, with young people and apprentices who are learning the trades that at some point we might have thought would disappear. That's not the case.
"We're already having those conversations about investing in the North East. We're having conversations with the Government and the North East mayor. I'm absolutely confident that some of the money that John Healey has talked about will be coming right here to Hebburn."
Ms Osborne also revealed that she wanted to "right the wrong" of the Jarrow Marchers not getting a proper hearing when they arrived at London 90 years ago. She has arranged for descendants of some of the Marchers and young people in her constituency to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham later this year to talk about the legacy of the march.
March's legacy and new fund
The march saw 200 unemployed men walk from Jarrow to London to demand work and draw attention to poverty in their town. The men's petition was received by the House of Commons but it wasn't debated and many of the men felt that they had failed.
But the march would come to be seen as one of the defining moments of the 1930s, symbolising working class solidarity at a time of economic hardship. It is now widely thought to have changed attitudes and influenced social reforms after the Second World War.
Separately, a new fund has been launched to help young people in the town with their future job prospects. Jarrow Forward, the town's neighbourhood board, has launched the Jarrow March Next Step Fund to back young people forge future career paths before they leave school.
Susan Wear, chair of the Jarrow Forward Neighbourhood Board, said: "These small grants from the Next Step Fund could make a huge difference and ensure our young people don't miss out on precious opportunities to find out what inspires them, giving them the confidence and ambition to pursue their dreams.
"Giving young people a helping hand to a fulfilling future is rooted in our wider, ten-year Jarrow Plan. This new Fund is an apt way to commemorate the Jarrow Marchers who walked not just for themselves but for their children and future generations."
