The Labour Party won the 1929 general election held on May 30. In June of that year, Philip Stephenson, secretary of Cramlington Labour Party, wrote to the new Labour Home Secretary J.R. Clynes, who had played a treacherous role, with other Labour Party leaders, in betraying the 1926 General Strike.

 

Philip Stephenson's letter said:

 

"In the village it is common knowledge that the eight lads who were convicted were not the ring- leaders. Harbottle, for instance, picked up a crowbar and this appears to have been the strongest evidence against him.

 

"Roberts only picked up three wood chocks which are used to keep the rail within the iron chair laid for the purpose of holding the rail in place.

 

"Whatever the men did, and we are confident that some of the imprisoned men did nothing towards wrecking the train, they did in the heat of the moment when blood was running high.

 

"I happen to know personally that before the accident the men had listened to speeches of men from out of the district in the course of which the phrase "stop all wheels running" was frequently used."

 

While the letter was welcome, it's noticeable that the blame lies with "speeches of men from out of the district". It's the old chestnut of "outside agitators" stirring up trouble. Of course, it wasn't - these were local men with a genuine grievance and anger at how they had been treated, as the interviews with the imprisoned strikers show.

 

Home Secretary Clines and the new Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald had supported the original prison sentences calling them "not unduly harsh".

 

Clynes ruled out the release of the remaining five political prisoners, citing "public duty".

 

Just as they had done in the General Strike, the Labour Party leaders again came down on the side of the Establishment, deliberately ignoring the fact that working-class people had created (and financed) the Labour Party - and voted for it - to effect fundamental social and political change.  

 

However, the extra-parliamentary pressure was a success. 

 

On July 11, 1929, Billy Stephenson and Jimmy "Joey" Ellison were released after three years into a six-year sentence. 

 

Sadly, Joey Ellison and Billy Baker died within the first year of their respective releases. Prison had been a harsh experience for both. 

 

Five months after the July release, on December 23, 1929, Arthur Wilson, Tommy Roberts and Bob Harbottle were freed after serving three and a half years of an eight-year sentence. The International Class War Prisoners' Aid (ICWPA) greeted their return with a Christmas hamper each.

 

Except for Arthur Wilson, all the released men returned to Wrightson Pit (alongside the traitors who had turned King's evidence on them). Instead, Arthur Wilson worked at Dudley Pit for a time.

 

Each of the imprisoned heroes was given a medal by the ICWPA, which, on one side, depicted an imprisoned arm holding the red flag through prison bars and, on the other, the recipient's name.