They’ll be celebrating the labour movement and commemorating the longest strike in history.

Lasting from April 1914 to August 1939, the strike was led by schoolchildren in support of Tom and Kitty Higdon, progressive teachers who ran into trouble with the local clergy and landowners for espousing socialism and challenging their authority by organising labourers to stand in the parish elections.

When they won, with Tom Higdon heading the list, and ousted the Establishment from their positions of power, the authorities sacked Kitty.

The children walked out in solidarity, refusing to return, and held their classes in a marquee on the village green.

In 1917, following a national campaign and donations from the labour movement, a new makeshift school was established on the green, with George Lansbury and Sylvia Pank­hurst present at the opening.

Violet Potter, who led the school strike said: “With joy and thankfulness I declare this school open to be forever a school of freedom.” The children remained on strike from April 1914 until just prior to the outbreak of the second world war in 1939.

Organised by Sertuc and Unite, this year’s rally includes friend of the Morning Star Jeremy Corbyn. That adds extra significance to the rally as he is potentially on the verge of becoming leader of the Labour Party, standing on an anti-austerity, socialist platform.

The march, led by the RMT brass band, follows the route taken by the children and pauses to remember the Higdons, buried in Burston churchyard.

On its return to the village green, visitors can enjoy the many trade union and progressive stalls from NUT, NASUWT, CWU, RMT, PCS, Unison and Unite to Stop the War, Cuba Solidarity and of course the Morning Star.

Any trip to Burston would not be complete without a visit to the GMB King’s Lynn No 1 Branch stall with Dave Dennis and Denise Lawrence kindly feeding the people with burgers, hotdogs and a very welcome cuppa.

Burston is a celebration of everything that is positive about the labour movement — people power, solidarity and a show of strength from schoolchildren mobilising and taking action to defend teachers against the ruling classes and the challenging of power through organising collectively.

The attacks on the Higdons were an attack on socialist ideas and organised labour. In a similar way, albeit on a larger scale, we’re witnessing the same attacks directed at Corbyn, with the Establishment closing ranks to try and prevent him being elected leader of the Labour Party.

With talk of a coup if he wins, we may need the kind of action to defend him that was seen at Burston, with the building of a broad movement including labour and progressive organisations.

The Corbyn campaign has put socialism back centre stage and given a new impetus to the anti-austerity movement.

Standing in the tradition of the Higdons, Corbyn has reached out to ordinary people and given a voice to those whose interests have been abandoned by the political elite.

As the only national daily newspaper to support the Corbyn leadership campaign, the Morning Star is the “voice of the resistance” and a vital tool in the fight for progressive politics.

We are at the centre of the Kill the Bill campaign, by fighting the Tories’ nefarious anti-working class Trade Union Bill. And the Morning Star will play a crucial role in the debate over the EU with the forthcoming referendum.

We will continue our support and coverage of working-class struggle, industrial disputes and the issues that are of importance across our movement.

In order to achieve this, we need your support. That means helping us to broaden our influence, fulfil our potential in the labour movement and ensure that we have the resources that are so desperately needed to fund our plans.

We do not have the same resources that the bourgeois capitalist press can rely on. There are no billionaire oligarchs or non-doms backing the Morning Star. We are wholly owned and supported by our shareholders from individuals to trade unions including Community, CWU, FBU, GMB, NUM, POA, RMT, Ucatt and Unite. Unlike capitalist companies, you don’t get a return in pounds and pence. But, even better, you get a freshly printed socialist newspaper six days a week!

We are appealing directly to you, our readers and supporters, to make sure that you become a shareholder or increase your existing shareholding, in the Morning Star.

Encourage your trade union branch or other progressive organisation to do the same. This is a critical time for the movement and your voice and your paper are a vital tool in the fight in the class war. Don’t be without it.

We have a new incentive package for individuals and organisations when taking out shares:

• £10 gets you an “I own the Morning Star” badge
• £25 gets you a badge plus a T-shirt
• £50 gets you these benefits plus a share certificate
• £100 gets you up to five badges, up to four T-shirts, plus a certificate and 25 per cent discount on the e-edition
• £500 gets you up to 10 badges, up to six T-shirts, plus a certificate and a free e-edition for six months
• £1,000 gets you up to 10 badges, up to 10 T-shirts, plus a certificate and a free e-edition for 12 months, plus a discount holiday.

To become involved in our shares campaign, become a Morning Star shares organiser by contacting [email protected].

Your campaigns manager would be happy to arrange a speaker for your branch, trades council or other group.