Thatcher’s brutal repression of miners in the 1980s has been exported across the world as a “model to attack democratic unions,” exiled Mexican labour leader Napoleon Gomez Urrutia has told the Star.

The miners’ union Los Mineros general secretary pointed to the parallels between the Tory assault on the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984-85 strike and his own union’s treatment in Mexico.

Mr Gomez travelled to London from Canada for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s state visit.

Mr Gomez was forced to leave Mexico in 2004 and for most of the past decade has faced fraud charges which he says were trumped up in response to his union’s militancy.

The charges were finally dropped last year, and Mr Gomez says he hopes to return to Mexico “in the next few months.”

“It’s very clear that in many ways there are similarities, the way (Thatcher’s government) used the media, the smear campaign, the way they tried to corrupt union leaders.

“It’s become a model to attack and destroy democratic and independent unions.”

The union leader has drummed up support for Los Mineros during his time in Britain, with MPs tabling an early day motion condemning labour rights abuses in Mexico and urging Mr Pena Nieto’s government to ensure Mr Gomez’s safety when he returns.

Mr Gomez also praised general union Unite for the solidarity it has offered him during his time in exile.

He said the support of unions abroad, alongside that of his own union’s members and his family, had been crucial to his survival.

He said he “wished the British working class success” in fighting to “increase social and economic welfare” at the upcoming general election.