Steve Kemp (trade unionist)

Steve Kemp (born 1961) is a British trade unionist.

Kemp grew up in South Hiendley in West Yorkshire, and worked briefly as a butcher before becoming a coal miner at South Kirkby Colliery. He became active in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and participated in the miners' strike of 1984 to 1985.[1]

In 1988, the South Kirkby mine closed, and Kemp moved to work at the Stillingfleet Mine, near Selby. A supporter of Arthur Scargill, he became treasurer, and then secretary of his union branch.[2][1] He stood for the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC) in 1996 and for several years afterwards, but was never elected.[3] He also attempted to become the Labour candidate in the 1996 Hemsworth by-election, but was barred from standing by a panel of NEC members.[4]

Kemp was elected as Secretary of the NUM in 2002,[5] proposing to strengthen the union's links with the Labour Party.[6] He stood down in 2007,[7] and joined the political department of the GMB Union.[8]

References

1. Simon Garfield, "Why would a miner strike in 1995?", The Independent, 29 June 1995
2. "Orders of the Day — Coal Industry Bill", parliament.uk, 15 January 1992
3. "The Labour Party Elections 1996"
4. Andy McSmith, Faces of Labour: The Inside Story, p.130
5. Peter Lazenby, "The fallen giant", Yorkshire Evening Post, 21 November 2002
6. "An era over as Scargill bows out", The Scotsman, 30 July 2002
7. "Mining union chief to stand down", BBC News, 12 July 2007
8. "About GMB and Politics", GMB