Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged his enduring support to the people of Aberfan and Wales during a visit ahead of the 60th anniversary of the disaster that devastated the community in 1966.
Writing for WalesOnline, Burnham said there are no words to describe the horror of what happened, and no way to comprehend all that the small community has lived through. He was determined to be in Aberfan to hear directly from survivors and people in the community, and to pay his respects to all those who lost their lives.
A Community's Dignity and Strength
Burnham said it was impossible not to be deeply moved by everything the people have endured, including the many innocent young lives lost and a generation of the village gone, along with their teachers and other beloved members of the community.
He recalled the memories of that day and all those who rushed to help, including the emergency services, volunteers, and the miners who searched unrelentingly for survivors. He noted the unthinkable pain the parents must have carried not just then, but every day throughout the years, and the sorrow of all the bereaved, including the children of the teachers, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Burnham described as extraordinary how this community, which endured such horror in the loss of so many of its children, has borne that tragedy with such incredible dignity and strength. He referenced the motto of nearby Merthyr Tydfil, "not force, but fellowship," which the King has spoken about before, saying Aberfan's response to the tragedy has been this motto in action.
Standing Up for Other Communities
Burnham highlighted how the people of Aberfan have stood up for other communities affected by disaster, such as Hillsborough and Grenfell. Instead of turning inwards, they have used their experience to promote solidarity and support for others.
Although he was not born at the time of Aberfan, Burnham said his parents always spoke to him in pained terms about what happened to the schoolchildren in this proud, working-class community. He noted the echoes of other disasters, including warnings that were dismissed, tragedy that could have been prevented, and a lack of accountability, asking how it can be that the voices of ordinary people are so often ignored.
A Pledge for Change
Burnham said he left Westminster a decade ago because of his frustration at its failure to face up to the truth that events like this teach us, and its refusal to treat all parts of the country equally and fairly. Now back as Prime Minister, he is determined to bring about change, and thanked his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer for his work in bringing forward the Hillsborough Law, which imposes a duty of candour on public officials and authorities.
He acknowledged there is still a long way to go, and said he wants to build a country based on honesty, fairness, and accountability, to make the country and its politics work for ordinary people in every place and every region.
Sixty years may have passed since the Aberfan disaster, but Burnham said the horror of what happened that morning is almost palpable all these decades later, and it is something we should never forget. He concluded that we owe to all those who lost their lives, and to all those who have lived with the pain of that day, to build a better future and a fairer, more equal Britain.
