Latest news with #PeteWilcox
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Remembering victims of historical injustice
Campaigners are right to say that the miners' strike, which saw the violent repression of strikers at Orgreave in 1984, remains an enduring source of injustice (Government launches Orgreave inquiry, 40 years after clashes at miners' strike, 20 July). And Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, who is to chair the Orgreave inquiry, is right to recognise that the acknowledgment of truth is essential for long-term community healing. Sadly, Orgreave is not the only example of where truth and justice have been forsaken when excessive violence has been used against people on strike. Two hundred years ago, on 3 August 1825, six people were seriously wounded and seven killed by soldiers at North Sands, Sunderland, during the 1825 seamen's strike. The killings were met with anger and outrage, with many local people believing that those who died had been wilfully murdered. Soldiers had fired like target practice into a crowd of 100 from a boat on the River Wear. The threat posed by the crowd, made up of a combination of women, children, strikers, workers and bystanders, was greatly exaggerated. The only inquiries were two short inquests into just two of the seven deaths. At the time, the killings were reported in national newspapers and were undoubtedly one of the most significant events of 1825. What happened at Sunderland is not so different from that six years earlier at Peterloo, on 16 August 1819, yet knowledge and awareness of these two massacres are vastly different. The Sunderland seafarers' union, the Seamen's Loyal Standard Association, stated that 3 August 1825 should 'ever be remembered', but over time, the North Sands Massacre has been virtually forgotten. The denial of truth and justice at Orgreave is unfortunately just one of several incidents where those policing industrial action have used unnecessary violence and then placed the blame on their victims. All victims of historical injustice should be remembered and their communities allowed to David Gordon ScottThe Open University Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the Orgreave inquiry: scrutiny of South Yorkshire police's actions is long overdue
Sunday's announcement that there will be an inquiry into the shocking violence used against striking miners by police at Orgreave in 1984, and the subsequent fabrication of police evidence, is a vindication of the long campaign fought by trade unionists and activists. That 'there were no deaths' was one of the justifications given by Theresa May's government for the decision not to order an inquiry in 2016. But the brutal treatment of miners picketing the South Yorkshire coking plant and the criminal case brought against them a year later for rioting have cast deep shadows. The inquiry, chaired by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, will aim to bring long-hidden truths about the policing of the strike into the light. Placing these facts in the public domain matters to those affected, some of whom faced the prospect of lengthy prison sentences until police statements and evidence in court were discredited, with paragraphs shown to have been dictated by detectives. But the inquiry has wider significance. Policing by consent, by definition, rests on trust, not brute force. To be worthy of public confidence, forces must be willing to learn, and be held accountable for wrongdoing. The fact that the same police force, South Yorkshire, bore responsibility for the disastrous loss of life at Hillsborough stadium, five years after Orgreave, underscores that need. If the force and its chief constable, Peter Wright, had been properly challenged after the miners' trial collapsed, might the catastrophe in Sheffield, or at least the alleged cover-up afterwards, have been avoided? In a Guardian article in 2012, David Conn highlighted striking similarities between the two episodes, and linked the victim-blaming that followed the Hillsborough disaster with the portrayal of striking miners as a vicious 'enemy within'. This inquiry is a victory for journalists and film-makers as well the campaign itself. The inquiry's format, modelled on the Hillsborough Independent Panel, marks a bold break with the most familiar one for government-ordered inquiries – which are usually headed by a judge. The Orgreave panel will have the power to summon witnesses. But it may opt to focus mainly on documentary evidence, mostly records held by police forces, rather than conducting lengthy oral sessions. Given how much time has already passed – the 40th anniversary of the collapsed trial is this month – the hope must be that work proceeds swiftly once the panel's membership is agreed. Inquiries are not perfect. They can take too long and cost participants a colossal effort. While they make recommendations, it is politicians who decide whether or not to take these up, and police and prosecutors who determine whether criminal charges follow. But when whole institutions are recognised to have gravely, systematically failed people – as happens tragically often – an inquiry provides a vital public forum for the first stage of redress: digging out the truth. The miners of Orgreave have waited too long for this moment. It should not have taken decades for a home secretary to agree to a formal process, particularly given all that is known about Hillsborough, and given that the force settled a civil claim by paying 39 miners £425,000 in 1991. But belated scrutiny of the actions, culture and leadership of South Yorkshire police in the relevant period is infinitely preferable to none at all. The announcement is a win for all of civil society, as well as a determined group of campaigners.
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Bishop who criticised Tories to lead Orgreave inquiry
Labour has appointed a bishop who has been critical of the Tories to lead a public inquiry into the 'Battle of Orgreave'. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, confirmed that the inquiry would look at events surrounding the clashes between police and miners at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire in June 1984, when Margaret Thatcher was in power. She announced it would be chaired by Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield. Five years ago, Dr Wilcox criticised Boris Johnson on social media after his adviser Dominic Cummings was accused of breaking Covid rules with a trip to Barnard Castle. He also put his name to an open letter urging against a no-deal Brexit in 2019. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, said: 'A hand-picked selection of Lefties will inevitably produce a biased report. Taxpayers' money will be used for the propaganda purposes of the Labour movement. 'This is a bung to the Left, which will no doubt attack the police who bravely did their job and stood up against mob violence.' In his Twitter post in May 2020, Dr Wilcox wrote: I don't usually tweet politics, and I have carefully steered clear during the pandemic. But tonight I must say: the PM & his cabinet are undermining the trust of the electorate and the risks to life are real. — Pete Wilcox (@PeteWilcox1564) May 24, 2020 The no-deal Brexit letter said: 'Seeing the evidence of division in every part of England, we are deeply concerned about political polarisation and language that appears to sanction hate crime. The reframing of the language of political discourse is urgent, especially given the abuse and threats levelled at MPs doing their job.' The inquiry, expected to launch in the autumn, will investigate the events surrounding Orgreave clashes, which resulted in 120 injuries. A total of 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with rioting and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after police evidence was discredited. The inquiry will be statutory, with the appropriate powers to compel people to provide information where necessary. Dr Wilcox said: 'I am extremely grateful to the Home Secretary for the opportunity to chair this inquiry and for the support I shall be given in doing so. I do not underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task. 'I look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the coming weeks over the draft terms of reference, and to working with the government to identify experts to support me on the independent panel. 'I expect the panel to begin its work in the autumn, and we will endeavour to deliver an inquiry which is thorough and fair, and which will uncover what happened at Orgreave as swiftly as possible.'
Al Arabiya
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Uk Will Hold Inquiry Into Violent Orgreave Clash Between Police And Miners During Bitter 1984 Strike
The British government said Monday that it will hold a public inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave–a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners that became a defining moment in the conflict between unions and then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. Some 120 miners and police were hurt when officers clashed with miners trying to stop trucks entering the Orgreave Coking Plant in northern England on June 18, 1984. It came three months into a nationwide strike over plans to close two dozen coal pits and lay of 20,000 miners. The bitter dispute between the National Union of Mineworkers and the government was a decisive moment in Thatcher's bid to break the power of trade unions and remake the UK economy along free-market lines. The strike ended in defeat for the miners after a year and hastened the end of British coal mining, which employed 180,000 people at the start of the strike. Today, no coal mines remain. Campaigners have long called for an inquiry into why police from across the country were sent to Orgreave and what their orders were. Images of mounted police in riot gear charging stone-throwing miners with truncheons and dogs shocked and divided the nation. Some 95 picketers were arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence from the police was discredited. The Home Office said the inquiry will be led by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, and start in the fall. It will have the power to compel witnesses to testify under oath. Kate Flannery, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, said the announcement of an inquiry was 'really positive news.' She said it must be given unrestricted access to all relevant information, including government, police, and media documents, photos, and films. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the events at Orgreave cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas. 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened,' she said.
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
UK will hold inquiry into violent Orgeave clash between police and miners during bitter 1984 strike
LONDON — The British government said Monday that it will hold a public inquiry into the 'Battle of Orgreave,' a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners that became a defining moment in the conflict between unions and then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. Some 120 miners and police were hurt when officers clashed with miners trying to stop trucks entering the Orgreave Coking Plant in northern England on June 18, 1984. It came three months into a nationwide strike over plans to close two dozen coal pits and lay of 20,000 miners. The bitter dispute between the National Union of Mineworkers and the government was a decisive moment in Thatcher's bid to break the power of trade unions and remake the U.K. economy along free-market lines. The strike ended in defeat for the miners after a year and hastened the end of British coal mining, which employed 180,000 people at the start of the strike. Today, no coal mines remain. Campaigners have long called for an inquiry into why police from across the country were sent to Orgreave and what their orders were. Images of mounted police in riot gear charging stone-throwing miners with truncheons and dogs shocked and divided the nation. Some 95 picketers were arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence from the police was discredited. The Home Office said the inquiry will be led by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, and start in the fall. It will have the power to compel witnesses to testify under oath. Kate Flannery, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, said the announcement of an inquiry was 'really positive news.' She said it must be given 'unrestricted access to all relevant information including government, police and media documents, photos and films.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the events at Orgreave 'cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas. 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened,' she said.
