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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.
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Margaret Thatcher spent thousands to keep pearl necklace gifts before leaving No10
National Archives documents released today show the ex-Tory PM Margaret Thatcher - rarely seen without her trademark pearls - spent thousands on a departing gift to herself Margaret Thatcher coughed up her own cash to buy three pearl necklaces presented to her by foreign dignitaries just before leaving No10. National Archives documents released today show the ex-Tory PM, who was rarely seen without her trademark pearls, spent thousands on a departing gift to herself. They included a "double strand pearl necklace and pearl ring" gifted to her by the Amir of Bahrain in 1988 and valued at £110 and £75. A separate pearl necklace - estimated at £600 - was also presented by Crown Prince of Bahrain the same year. And a third pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings from King Hassan of Morocco in 1987 were valued at £1,450, £900 and £350 respectively. Under government rules at the time the valuation limit on gifts was £75 - meaning Ms Thatcher forked out £3,260 to keep the gifts after her resignation. The official records published today also show the ex-Labour PM Tony Blair was delighted to keep a guitar presented to him by the rock star Bono. Sir Tony was keen to take advantage of rules on ministerial gifts to buy the instrument given to him by the U2 singer and Live Aid campaigner once he left office. It also shows the former PM was advised to repay thousands of pounds in discounts which he received on designer clothes. No 10 officials recommended he should pay back more than £7,600 on items bought from Nicole Farhi and Paul Smith. The discounts were negotiated by his wife Cherie's controversial friend and style adviser, Carole Caplin, who bought clothes for Mrs Blair. Ms Caplin told officials that because she bought the clothes wholesale she was able to to secure discounts of up to 60% - including on items bought for Mr Blair as well. However, officials were concerned that such large discounts would not be available to ordinary members of the public. According to the files, between July 2001 to December 2002 the couple spent £8,021.50 with one designer alone - Nicole Farhi - when the retail price would have been £20,855. It meant the total discount they received came to £12,8343, more than the total amount they spent.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Police behaviour at protests not changed since Orgreave, say activists
Police behaviour with protesters has not changed since the miners' strike, campaigners for the newly announced inquiry into Orgreave have said, as they warned of potential 'further injustices'. Speaking at a press conference after Labour revealed it would hold a statutory inquiry into violent policing at the picket, the Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign said lessons had not been learned since that day 41 years ago. 'We look now at all the demonstrations, the rallies, the peaceful protests that are going on all the way through [history, since Orgreave] and happening now … if you look at what happened at Sarah Everard, if you look at what's happening now in London on the Palestinian demos, if you look at what happens behind the scenes on ordinary pickets, police behaviour [has not changed],' said Chris Hockney, one of the campaigners. 'Basically, they are there as agents of the state, and we end up seeing it time after time after time. And there will be further injustices perpetrated because the police do what they do.' Under the government of Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980s, the Home Office and senior police officers created a secret tactical manual that redefined what could be considered 'reasonable force' when it came to protesters. For example, it allowed mounted police charges into static crowds and the use of short shields and truncheons to 'incapacitate' non-violent protesters. These additional unprecedented powers, described as 'paramilitary' tactics, have still not been repealed, despite never having parliamentary approval. Another campaigner, Chris Peace, added: 'I think the issue is when policing gets political, and the policing at Orgreave was politically led. I think that's an important point to make.' The clash between police and striking miners on 18 June 1984 at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire represented a 'turning point', they said, into the police's use of force to shut down protest. While Thatcher maintained that the government had not interfered in policing of the miners' strike, various Home Office documents have since revealed extensive active interference, including influencing, directing and financially supporting the police in their actions against striking miners. Speaking before the press conference, the mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, said the police were under 'completely new' leadership in South Yorkshire compared with the days of the strike. 'I'm conscious that in South Yorkshire and across this country we have any number of challenges when it comes to policing protests, because these things are always difficult. But I think what we saw on the day at Orgreave was a million miles away from the way in which protest is policed now.' He added that the Orgreave inquiry was important 'because we need the truth and we need accountability and we need justice to be done'. However, police in South Yorkshire were not as welcoming, with the Police Federation stating that local operations were already at 'breaking point'. The chair of the police-staffing association in South Yorkshire, Steven Kent, said: 'Courageous colleagues are out there keeping the public safe struggling with what feels like one arm tied behind their backs as government cutbacks to the service hit home. 'This will be long and protracted – and the associated costs of this inquiry will lead to there being even less money in the policing purse, which will only have a negative impact on the public of South Yorkshire.' One of the 95 miners arrested at Orgreave, the campaigner Kevin Horne, said the inquiry would not 'make the wrong thing right', but that it could help mining communities 'get back to something normal again'. He said: 'We have this chance now of wiping the slate clean so that our children and grandchildren can respect the police again.'
a day ago
- Politics
UK to hold inquiry into violent clash between police and miners during 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.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
UK will hold inquiry into violent Orgeave clash between police and miners during bitter 1984 strike
LONDON (AP) — 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.
