Jeremy Corbyn has won the endorsement of one of the most iconic figures in the story of mining in modern Wales.
Tyrone O’Sullivan led the workers’ buy-out of Tower Colliery in 1994 and described Mr Corbyn as “one of the most honest, intelligent men I think I’ve ever met”.
Mr O’Sullivan first met the Islington North MP during the miners’ strike and remembers the “incredible” support from Mr Corbyn and local campaigners.
He said: “We were bringing home about £3,000 a week from Islington.”
Tyrone on Corbyn: 'He's a genuine socialist'
At the end of the strike, the miners gave Mr Corbyn a medallion in recognition of his help.
Mr O’Sullivan said: “He’s one of the most honest, intelligent men I think I’ve ever met. He only wants what’s best for the people...
“He’s really a genuine socialist.”
Mr Corbyn is now fighting to hold onto the leadership and facing a challenge from Pontypridd MP Owen Smith, who formerly served as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary.
Despite the strife in the party, Mr O’Sullivan argues that around the world there is a growing appetite for radical change and points to the strong performance by left-wing Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in the US primaries.
“How did that socialist Bernie give Clinton a run?” he asked. “That never happened before in America.
“I think even in Europe, France, Germany there’s this backlash coming. Ordinary working people don’t seem to have benefited as much as the rich and powerful...”
Tyrone can see Corbyn in Downing St
He described a “gust of wind” that he hopes will carry Mr Corbyn to victory in the 2020 election, adding: “If I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t say it.”
However, he does not hide his sadness at the disunity in the party; Mr Corbyn has suffered waves of resignations and MPs backed a motion of no confidence by 172 votes to 40.
“It’s disappointing for me because I’ve been a Labour party member since I was 16 and I am 70 now,” he said.
He was “pleased” when Mr Smith won Pontypridd in 2010 but he fears the right-wing of the party is now using him as a “stalking horse” to topple Mr Corbyn.
Tyrone on Owen Smith
“I'm disappointed Owen has done what he did,” he said. “He’s from a socialist background, his father was [Labour historian] Dai Smith, he comes from Pontypridd and he doesn’t seem to realise that he’s a stalking horse.
“If, for whatever reason, Jeremy gave up tomorrow, Owen would find he’s not top of the list – he’d be forced down to about 25th...
“Even if by the most impossible luck he won this election, I can promise you he will not be standing as the leader of the party in the next election... If the right wing are just using him, what a tragedy.
“If I didn’t know Jeremy, if I hadn’t known him for a long, long time and trusted him, I wouldn’t be saying to you what I’m saying to you now.”
Here's Owen Smith's response
When asked to comment, Pontypridd MP Mr Smith said: “Tyrone’s fundamentally wrong about that. I’ve known Tyrone a while, my grandfather worked in Tower Colliery with Tyrone, my cousin Leighton was part of the workers’ buy-out, he was on the board with Tyrone...
“I respect him greatly but he’s wrong about that. I’m not being used by anyone.
“I’m my own man and I know precisely what I believe in. And I’m not on the right of the Labour party and I never have been.”
Tyrone: Don't blame Corbyn for Labour divisions
Mr O'Sullivan stamps on any suggestion that Mr Corbyn should shoulder blame for party divisions, saying: “If they want to resign, let them resign. If they want to start a new party, start a new party.
“But don’t ever blame Jeremy Corbyn or the people of Britain.”
Adamant that Mr Corbyn can win the election, he called for unity, saying: “If they come behind Jeremy, stop this nonsense now, [in] the next two years he will pull enough people into the party for us to win the next general election because we have lost the working class vote.”
His two daughters had voted Green but Mr Corbyn’s election spurred them to join Labour.
He said: “When you’re having that sort of impact with ordinary people, I believe, give Jeremy the time.”
Tyrone: Revolution is in the air
Mr O’Sullivan argues that “people should go and listen to him speaking,” saying: “My wife and I [went up to Aberdare] and he spoke for an hour and a quarter and not once did he condemn the Tories. He solely spoke about what we’re going to do as Labour.
“And that, to me, proves a huge point. He’s not one of these guys to just stand up and attack and attack. He’s there to put the policies of the Labour party over and how it can improve [the lives of] the working people.
“It’s a breath of fresh air to me.”
Change in a country of food banks
He regrets that “we in Britain today have let people down so much” that food banks are used across the country.
However, he is confident that “this man is going to make such a difference”.
And he is just as sure that profound change is on the way.
He said: “The world could change dramatically in the next three to five years because people have had enough... I believe it’s got to change and will change, otherwise we will have revolution – not only here in the UK, we’ll have it everywhere.”
