Latest news with #publicInquiry
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- 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.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Public ‘sick of cover-ups' at MoD, says Chinook crash campaigner
Calls for a public inquiry into the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash have seen a surge in support in the wake of revelations about the Afghan data leak, with one campaigner saying it shows the public are 'sick of cover-ups and secrecy' at the Ministry of Defence (MoD). All 29 military and intelligence personnel on board RAF Chinook ZD576 were killed when the aircraft crashed in foggy weather en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness on June 2, 1994. The bereaved families have called for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, which was initially blamed on pilot error before this was overturned in 2011. A petition calling for an inquiry saw a surge in support last week after campaigners took to social media to criticise efforts to cover up the leak of thousands of names of Afghans who had helped UK troops, which they said was another case of the MoD 'covering up its own mess'. Chris Cook, whose pilot brother Rick was killed in the 1994 crash, said: 'This Afghan cover-up shows that the MoD hasn't just lost its moral compass but has managed to avoid all democratic accountability and scrutiny. 'It hid this data leak from the very people who are meant to keep it in line – the Intelligence and Security Committee, which had a legal right to see the intelligence assessments.' He added: 'The MoD has become the Ministry of Deceit. It lies, it obfuscates and it squirrels away its mistakes until it is found out – just as it has with the Chinook crash. 'It took us 16 years to clear my brother's name, and all that time the MoD claimed information didn't exist – until we found it and then they questioned how we got the information. 'The trouble with this whole case over 31 years, and so many other MoD cases – the helicopter cancer cases, the nuclear vets, is that so much information has been suppressed. 'It seems that the Ministry of Deceit is unable to uphold the values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality which they expect our armed forces to serve with. 'It's time for truth and transparency at the MoD and it's time for the Prime Minister to step in and clear up the MoD's many outstanding cases of deception, with a legal duty of candour imposed.' In a social media post, the Chinook Justice group said: '#Coverup appears to be the mantra of the British state… with the MoD at the centre of it. Again.' In another it said the petition had got the 'zoomies' as the number of signatories doubled in the space of eight hours to more than 22,000. Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father Lt Col John Tobias was killed in the crash, said: 'Clearly, we have touched a nerve with the British public who are sick of cover-ups and secrecy at the MoD. 'Like many other families – from Hillsborough to sub-postmasters, the infected blood scandal to nuclear veterans and MoD helicopter cancer victims, and now Afghan families – we should not have to fight tooth and nail for truth, transparency and justice from the Government. 'That's why we are calling for a legal duty of candour. Enough is enough.' Following an appeal by Mr Tobias, former defence secretary Sir Liam Fox has agreed to meet the bereaved families to discuss the matter. The news comes on the back of the former minister's offer to intervene on their behalf with the MoD and 'if necessary' the Prime Minister to push for an inquiry, as reported in the Daily Mail newspaper. The MoD has been approached for comment.
Sky News
09-07-2025
- Sky News
Parents tell 'untold stories' of how their 'hero' daughters survived Southport attack
The parents of survivors of the Southport attack have revealed the "untold stories" of how their "hero" children escaped. Axel Rudakubana, 18, murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in what the chairman of the public inquiry Sir Adrian Fulford called "one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history". Eight children were injured along with two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed class in the Merseyside seaside town on 29 July last year, while 15 others escaped without physical injuries. The surviving victims and their families have been granted anonymity during the inquiry, with one girl referred to as C3. Her father was the first to give evidence at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday. Reading a statement on behalf of him and his wife, he told how their daughter was the first girl to escape the scene by running from the Hart Space building and hiding behind a parked car before jumping through an open car door. "Our nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by a coward she didn't even see," he said. "Although she didn't know what was happening - she knew she had to run. She ran out of the studio door, down the stairs, and out of the building." He said she can be seen "looking scared, confused and pained" in CCTV footage of the incident, adding: "It was troubling for us to see what she had to go through, before either of her parents had arrived at the scene." "We are so thankful and proud that despite being critically injured, she was able to make the decisions she did in that terrible moment, he said. The girl's father said his daughter "continues to astound" her parents with the way she dealt with the attack and her recovery, saying: "It has been inspiring for us to witness." He said she has difficulty sleeping, experiences flashbacks, looks over her shoulder scanning for potential danger when she leaves the house, has a fear of loud noises and has to turn off some songs when they come on the radio. "Our daughter knows that she is loved," he said. "It is through this support and love that she will continue to thrive. We couldn't be prouder of her. She is our hero." Stabbed 33 times The parents of a girl referred to as C1 told how their "beautiful, articulate, fun-loving little girl" was stabbed 33 times. Rudakubana was seen dragging her back into the building in CCTV footage played during his sentencing hearing, which drew gasps in court. "That is how she became known in this nightmare. The girl that was dragged back in," her mother said. She thanked the teachers who escaped to call police and flag down help but said: "The most painful of truths for us though, and what has been most devastating to come to terms with, is that there were no adults to help during both of her attacks. "She was only supported by other children. The courage and strength she found leaves me crushed, but in complete awe." She added: "It is these untold stories of remarkable strength and bravery that are missing when we have heard other accounts of this day." The mother said the "hours and days that followed the attack were a living hell" and her daughter's memories - including a concert of her "idol" Taylor Swift - have "been forfeited to make space for the trauma that she carries". "We tell her she was brave. How proud we are that she was able to help other girls. How her strength makes us feel strong. How important what she did that day was. She is her own hero. She may be a survivor of this attack, but she is still trying to survive this, every single day," she said. Attack 'changed everything' The mother of a girl referred to as C8 said she was "like any other seven-year-old little girl", "with an incredible energy" and "full of life". But in a statement read out by a legal representative, she said the attack last year "changed everything" when she got a "panicked phone call" from a friend's mother, who couldn't find the girls. "That moment, the sound of fear in her voice and the panic I felt will never leave me," she said. "I rushed to the scene and what I saw is something no parent should ever see. My daughter had sustained serious physical injuries including a stab wound to her arm and a cut to her face and chin." She said her daughter "remembers the attack vividly" and later told her "she thought it had to be fake, because she couldn't believe something that terrible could really be happening". "Where she was once eager to go off with her friends, she now needs my support if it is somewhere public or unknown," she said. "Simple days out now need a level of safety planning that we would never have considered before." 'Constant flashbacks' The mother of a girl referred to as Q, who escaped without being physically injured, told how she arrived to collect her daughter to find "children running from the building, screaming and fearing for their lives". In a statement read to the inquiry by a legal representative on her behalf, she said it was "the most horrific experience of my life". "What I saw on that day will stick with me forever, I constantly have flashbacks and relive what happened," she said. She said her daughter has become "very withdrawn" since the attack and has asked her parents, "How will I ever be normal again?" Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January and is being investigated over an alleged attack on a prison officer at Belmarsh prison in May. The public inquiry, announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in January, is looking into whether the attack could or should have been prevented, given what was known about the killer. Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, had contact with police, the courts, the youth justice system, social services and mental health services, and was referred to the government's anti-extremism Prevent scheme three times before the murders. A rapid review into his contact with Prevent found his case should have been kept open and that he should have been referred to Channel, another anti-terror scheme.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Post Office scandal victims place hope in public inquiry report
Scottish victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal say they hope the first part of the public inquiry's final report will bring justice a step one, which will focus on the human impact and compensation, will be published at midday on than 70 people in Scotland have had their convictions overturned after they were wrongly accused of crimes like theft because of the faulty Post Office IT the scandal runs deeper than those prosecuted, with many more people losing livelihoods and relationships as a result of false accusations. Thousands of people across the UK have been affected by what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice of recent times. A statutory public inquiry into the UK-wide scandal was established in 2021 and has heard from hundreds of witnesses from across the lawyers and journalists will be among those gathering in central London when the chair of the inquiry - Sir Wyn Williams - delivers the first part of his Macaldowie gave evidence to the inquiry when it came to Glasgow in ran a post office in Greenock and was forced to resign in 2011 after an alleged shortfall of £10,000 was was not convicted but lost his livelihood and told the inquiry he came close to finally reached a financial settlement with the company in March this ahead of the publication of the findings, he said: "What I hope from the first part of the inquiry report is for the redress scheme to speed up and get everyone paid what they are due."I also hope that it helps with the police investigation that is ongoing." Ravinder Naga falsely confessed to stealing money from his mother's post office in Greenock in 2009 to protect her from going to prison. Appeal judges overturned his conviction last told BBC Scotland News he wants accountability."The people who died, they don't know their names have been cleared. They died before all this came out," he the focus of Tuesday's report will be on the victims and compensation, Mr Naga said he ultimately wants those responsible for the scandal to go to prison."I want justice," he Advocate Stuart Munro is head of specialist litigation at Livingstone Brown and has been representing one of the first Scottish victims to have her conviction said the Post Office Horizon scandal was one of the most far-reaching miscarriages of justice in British history."Countless lives were ruined. Its victims will now be looking to Sir Wyn Williams to lay bare the truth of what happened and to recommend measures to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again."That process begins on Tuesday with the publication of the first part of this final report."
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Son of Chinook 1994 helicopter crash victim visits memorial and asks for answers
The son of a victim of the RAF 1994 Chinook helicopter crash is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and allow a public inquiry after visiting the site of the disaster. RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. All 25 passengers – made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army – were killed, along with the helicopter's four crew members. Joel Hornby, whose father Major Anthony Hornby was one of the victims, visited a memorial cairn at the crash site on Saturday and again on Sunday. He and other families have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the incident, and have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asking him to intervene. Mr Hornby, who was seven when his father died, visited the site with his one-year-old son and laid a wreath at the cairn along with a note which read 'Dad, we are still fighting for you'. Speaking afterwards Mr Hornby, who lives in Berlin in Germany, said: 'We, the families of those lost, have still been denied answers over 30 years on. 'The MoD has rejected our request for a full judge-led public inquiry, and furthermore, has sealed documents relating to the crash for 100 years. 'We are requesting that the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer live up to his promises on duty of candour and overrule the MoD's decision.' He has also urged people to sign a petition calling on the Prime Minister to overturn the MoD decision and release the documents. Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families. A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out 'numerous concerns' raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD's testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters 'unairworthy' prior to the crash. In a statement after the calls made by the families on Friday an MoD spokesperson said: 'The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died. 'We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families. 'We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry. 'It's unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence. 'The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.' The MoD has been asked if it wishes to make further comment.
