Latest news with #minersstrike
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Re-enacting the Battle of Orgreave is pointless
Oh dear, an inquiry into Orgreave. The name refers to the Yorkshire coking depot where, in June 1984, Arthur Scargill's violent flying pickets failed to prevent delivery lorries leaving the plant with coke to fire the Scunthorpe steel furnaces. It was a turning point in the miners' strike. Scargill's mass picketing of the Saltley coke depot in 1972 had closed the plant, humiliating the Conservative government of Edward Heath. His defeat at Orgreave ensured that history did not repeat itself. The police came out on top. Fuel supplies never failed. Margaret Thatcher's government eventually won. After nearly eight more bitter months, the strike collapsed. Scargill had lost. Ever since, the Left has been obsessed with Orgreave, alleging police brutality and mendacity, and repeatedly called for an inquiry. Some hope to find documents implicating Mrs Thatcher, such as they alleged existed, but did not exist, in the case of the Hillsborough disaster. At Hillsborough, as at Orgreave, the South Yorkshire police were the objects of their anger. It is true that court cases against the pickets collapsed because the police evidence against them was discredited. The fact of that collapse, however, would suggest that justice was done. If police misconduct was not sufficiently arraigned, there is what is now called the Independent Office for Police Conduct to handle this. Why an inquiry, 40 years on? For some strange reason, Theresa May, after becoming prime minister in July 2016, briefed (indirectly) that there would be an Orgreave inquiry. Perhaps her poor relations with the police, when she was home secretary, had something do with it. Anyway, two months after making this suggestion, she wisely dropped it. But the Left kept on complaining and, in Labour's general election manifesto last year, the following promise was made: 'Labour will also ensure, through an investigation or inquiry, that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light.' The clear implication of that sentence is that the truth has, until now, been concealed. Labour's version of the truth is that the police, covertly directed by the evil Thatcher, behaved appallingly. Given this highly political background, it will be hard for any inquiry to look at the matter dispassionately. In terms of presentation, the Government seems to be hoping that this is a repeat of the Hillsborough Inquiry. The Hillsborough report, produced by James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, was entitled The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power. It was widely admired for its account of what the families had been through. So the Orgreave report is also to be chaired by a bishop, the Right Reverend Dr Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield. Episcopal purple is supposed to ward off accusations of political bias, but Bishop Wilcox will be under enormous pressure. He says he looks forward to 'engaging with stakeholders', but I wonder who will qualify for that description. Since the energy supplies of the entire country depended on Scargill's pickets failing wherever they tried to attack, all of us alive at that time are stakeholders. More directly, so were the steelworks, so was the government, so were the police, who had to enforce the law, and so were those miners, more than a quarter of the total workforce at the time of Orgreave, who went on working. They did not agree with the strike and resented Scargill denying his members a ballot on it. Many were victims of NUM violence. The announcement of the inquiry goes against the Government's own current work of looking to see whether inquiries are worthwhile. There are so many nowadays, few leading to recommendations that get implemented, but still costing literally hundreds of millions of pounds. Sir Keir Starmer privately acknowledges that they should be cut back. For an inquiry to begin, the Government now wants to require evidence of 'a clear present public benefit'. It does not want inquiries to be merely public therapy sessions. It wants them only if they can address an issue that needs addressing now. How can anyone say that this intensely political issue of more than 40 years ago fits that criterion? Politeness on all sides Guess what happened in our village last Saturday? Sir Keir and Lady Starmer came. The occasion was the lovely wedding in our parish church of the daughter of a long-standing legal colleague. And guess what happened? Nothing. I think this uneventfulness should be celebrated. First, it was a tribute to the security people, who were very low-key and courteous. Second, it reflected well on the parents of the bride, who had kept the information close. Third, it reflected well on those villagers who did know who was present but did not choose to vent any of their mainly unfriendly current feelings towards the Prime Minister. Finally, the Starmers behaved well, and everyone liked them for it. My wife and I were close witnesses as they sat in the pew behind us, and we can attest that they were unassuming, friendly and demanded no place of honour. They stayed for a flatteringly long time at the reception and seemed to be quietly enjoying themselves. Perhaps none of this needs saying, but I mention it because the age of social media tends to erode the concept of privacy which is so important in civilisation. This was, in all respects, a civilised occasion. Vice-president J D Vance is reported to be heading for a short holiday in the Cotswolds next month. I hope the Vance family will be treated with similar politeness.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Ex-miners hope Orgreave inquiry will bring answers
Former miners and campaigners have welcomed the news of a public inquiry into the violent confrontation outside Orgreave coking plant in 1984 during the year-long miner's than 40 years after the clashes between police and striking miners, the BBC spoke to some of those present that day about what they hoped the national review would achieve. At the start of 1984 Bob Heron was a miner at the Eppleton Colliery at Hetton-le-Hole, County like tens of thousands of his colleagues, by March he had walked out in opposition to plans to shut 20 UK on 18 June he found himself among hundreds of striking miners heading to Orgreave, in South Yorkshire, to join a picket line outside the coking plant."It was really frightening the whole of that day," he recalls."We didn't go down there for a fight, we were down there in trainers, jeans and T-shirts and the police were down with truncheons, shields, helmets and body armour."The events of that day would later become known as the Battle of Orgreave, after miners and police officers clashed, with more than 100 left Mr Heron said he and his fellow picketers had not gone with the intention of staring a fight."It was orchestrated by the police and the government, it was at a very high level the decisions were taken and its time for those people to be brought to justice," he said. Recounting his own experience of the day he described the moment when police officers came out on horseback, causing the picket line to scatter and leaving him separated from his colleagues."I got pushed down the embankment and as I was getting myself together a police dog came up behind me and ripped my jeans and grabbed my leg," he managed to get the dog off but the police dog handler had shouted at him pointing to his leg."When I looked it was pouring with blood and my trainer was full of blood," he said the handler had told him to get behind the police lines where there were ambulances waiting and he was taken to Rotherham still has the scars from the bite and said it was clear to him the police had come "ready for a fight"."It had been well orchestrated right from the beginning," he said."We do need to find out who was responsible right at the top." Former Derbyshire miner John Dunn, from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, said he hoped the inquiry will get to the truth of what happened."How did 6,000 police know to be waiting in full riot gear and why where they given the instructions to run rampant through innocent people?"We only wanted a job, to feed our families, to live in a decent community."For that people had their head smashed, bones broken and for the 95 [miners who were arrested] the threat of life imprisonment."Mr Dunn said he would like to think that justice could still be delivered after so long and people held to account."We've got to expose what happened, who gave the orders, why it was planned then."He said they had been "denied justice" for 41 years and the inquiry was an "opportunity"."It's our turn. We want to tell our story and the truth to be out," he said. Chris Kitchen was also at Orgreave in June 1984 and is now the general secretary of the National Union of said the inquiry was a "long-time coming"."We need to show that we were actually the victims and we were being manipulated at the time for political reasons."Mr Kitchen said what happened at Orgreave was well-documented, but it had happened at picket lines across the country in 1984 and it was essential no other industry faced that kind of action."There shouldn't be a price on justice, and that justice shouldn't be time-barred," he said."We need to make sure the inquiry gets to the bottom of what did happen so protections can be put in place."There are people that suffered and that are still suffering from what happened 41 years ago and they deserve the truth to get out." Alan Mardghum, from Durham Miners Association, vividly recalls the men who came home to the North East after Orgreave."They were traumatised, they had never seen that level of violence, it was new in a British industrial dispute," he said."The lads that were there went through the mill, they remember it like yesterday."He said the biggest impact was a "total lack of faith in the police", saying: "It was a shock to the system to see British policemen acting like that."He said while he was pleased there would be a full inquiry he hoped it would have access to all the papers, even those embargoed until decades from now, and said it was a regret many papers and evidence from the period had been destroyed."I hope its a full inquiry, I hope they look and ask who gave the orders for multiple police forces to be deployed, who gave the orders for them to be tooled up with riot gear, with horses, with riot shields, batons and truncheons."It was like a military offensive and that needs to be addressed."He said hundreds of miners had been "seriously injured" and "we saw people changing film around to make it look like the miners had instigated the violence"."That was totally untrue and we need that to come out and the responsible people need to be held to account."Announcing the inquiry Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the events of 18 June 1984 had "raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened".She said together with campaigners she would work to support the Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, who will lead the review, in order to "build an inquiry that gets the answers they and their communities deserve." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Northumbria Police to probe Orgreave miner strike files disposal
A police force is investigating itself over the destruction of documents related to the miners' about the so-called Battle of Orgreave was said to be among two boxes disposed of by Northumbria Police in April 2024, with the force saying in June 2025 that it was acting in line with data protection leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell had called the disposal of the files "deeply worrying".The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said Northumbria Police's investigation into its destruction of the files needed to be "swift and transparent". The violent clash in June 1984 outside a coking plant in Orgreave, South Yorkshire, led to many miners being injured and arrested, although their trials later of miners were bussed to the coking works on 18 June 1984 by the National Union of Mineworkers, where they were met by an estimated 6,000 police officers from across the least 120 miners and police officers were injured in the violence and 95 picketers were arrested. A national inquiry into the day's events has now been announced by Home Secretary Yvette said the inquiry had been put "in our Labour manifesto last year and that's what we're now delivering".Northumbria Police said it was "carrying out an investigation into the circumstances around the disposal" of the two boxes."We very much recognise the strength of feeling and concern within our communities at the disposal of information relating to the miners' strike," a spokesperson said. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inquiry into Orgreave violence during 1984 miners' strike announced
A public inquiry into the violent confrontation at Orgreave during the 1984 miners' strike will be established this year, the Government has announced. The inquiry, expected to launch in the autumn, will investigate the events surrounding clashes at the Orgreave Coking Plant in South Yorkshire on June 18 1984, which caused 120 injuries. In total, 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited. The inquiry will be statutory with powers to compel people to provide information where necessary, the Home Office said. The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, has agreed to chair the inquiry, which the Home Office said is intended to 'aid the public's understanding of how the events on the day, and immediately after, came to pass'. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said what happened at Orgreave 'cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas'. Ms Cooper added: 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened. 'I pay tribute to the campaigners who never stopped in their search for truth and justice, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we build an inquiry that gets the answers they and their communities deserve.' The Home Office said formal consultation between the Home Secretary and the Rt Revd Wilcox on the inquiry's terms of reference has begun. The Rt Revd Wilcox said he did not 'underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task'. He added: '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.' The Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign (OTJC) said it wanted to know who was responsible for 'organising and ordering the deployment of multiple police forces, including mounted police armed with truncheons, shields and dogs, against striking miners'. The campaign group said it wanted the inquiry to find out how it was decided that 'striking miners should be attacked and arrested at Orgreave and charged with riot and unlawful assembly, which carried heavy prison sentences'. It added that it wanted to know why 'the police operational order for police deployments that day disappeared and other evidence been destroyed or embargoed until 2066 and 2071'. OTJC secretary, Kate Flannery, said the announcement of an inquiry was 'really positive news'. Ms Flannery added: 'We now need to be satisfied that the inquiry is given the necessary powers to fully investigate all the aspects of the orchestrated policing at Orgreave, and have unrestricted access to all relevant information including government, police and media documents, photos and films.' The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary, Chris Kitchen, said the inquiry was 'hugely welcome'. Mr Kitchen added: 'The events at Orgreave, and throughout the strike, destroyed the trust between the police and mining communities even now, 41 years later. 'It is vital that this trust is won back and the NUM believe this inquiry will go some way to rebuilding that trust.' Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave, said: 'It is now over 41 years since a paramilitary style police operation was planned at Orgreave and it is important to remember that some of the miners attacked and arrested there are now dead and many others are old and ill. 'We need a quick and thorough inquiry with a tight timescale so that surviving miners can at last obtain the truth and justice they have been waiting for.' Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, said the inquiry was a 'landmark moment for justice and accountability'. Mr Coppard added: 'The Inquiry represents an opportunity to examine not only the actions of South Yorkshire Police and other forces on that day, but also the broader role of government at the time. 'It's a step towards setting the historical record straight, ensuring lessons are learned, and restoring public trust.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Battle of Orgreave national inquiry confirmed by Yvette Cooper
A national inquiry will be held into one of the most violent days of the year-long miners' strike in the 1980s, the government has inquiry will look into the clash that involved police and miners outside the Orgreave coking plant in Rotherham on 18 June incident, which became known as the Battle of Orgreave, involved miners from across Britain converging on the plant to try to disrupt deliveries, but they were met with force by thousands of police Rollin, from the Orgreave Justice Campaign, has been calling for an inquiry for 13 years. He said he was "cautiously elated" by the news. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who announced the inquiry, said those affected by the confrontation had had "unanswered questions for over 40 years".She said the inquiry had been put "in our Labour manifesto last year and that's what we're now delivering". The inquiry will be chaired by the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox, and will look at both the events of the day and the aftermath, Ms Cooper will include the eventually failed criminal prosecutions of 95 miners and what Ms Cooper described as the "discredited evidence" against incident was sparked after the National Coal Board (NCB) announced in March 1984 that it was shutting 20 UK collieries it said were resulted in the loss of at least 20,000 than three quarters of the country's 187,000 miners went on strike in response to the the day of the clashes in June, the striking miners wanted to stop lorries carrying coke to fuel the Scunthorpe steel furnaces as they thought disrupting production would help win their fight against the closures and job losses. But violent clashes between police and the miners left more than 100 picketers and officers injured at the coking plant.A total of 95 men who had been picketing at the plant were arrested and faced trial on riot and unlawful assembly the case against them collapsed in court due to allegations that South Yorkshire Police had falsified of those involved have said that even 40 years on, they want answers about what happened and is still considered one of the most violent episodes in British industrial Yorkshire Police said it would "fully cooperate with the inquiry in a bid to help those affected find answers". Mr Rollin said: "It's been a long slog these last 13 years and we can't quite believe it."We're really happy and we want to get to the truth."We want all the people who live around the country in mining communities that have been so badly treated to have a smile on their faces (in response to the news)."This has been a hard-fought thing and thank you to everyone who's supported us."South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said the announcement of the inquiry was a "landmark moment for justice and accountability"."We owe it to the miners, their families, and our communities to ensure that the events of Orgreave are finally understood," he Conservative government previously rejected calls for an 2016, the then home secretary, Amber Rudd, said it would not be in the public said that even though miners who were involved gave "forceful accounts" about its lasting impact on them, "ultimately there were no deaths or wrongful convictions".Rotherham MP Sarah Champion said former miners, their families and campaigners had worked "tirelessly" to secure an inquiry. She said: "I have stood shoulder to shoulder with campaigners over the years as they were led to believe an inquiry was about to be commissioned, only to have the rug pulled out from under them. "They have been let down time and time again, and I am proud that our Labour government is good to its word and will finally uncover the truth." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
