Steve Kemp (trade unionist)
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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]