Latest news with #minersStrike
Telegraph
2 days 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.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Inquiry launched to 'uncover truth' behind bloody clashes at Orgreave miners' strike
A new public inquiry will "uncover the truth" behind the so-called "Battle of Orgreave", a bloody fight between striking miners and police officers in the 1980s. One hundred and twenty people were injured in the violent confrontation on 18 June 1984, outside a coal processing factory in Orgreave, South Yorkshire. Five thousand miners clashed with an equal number of armed and mounted police during a day of fighting. Police used horse charges, riot shields and batons against the picketers, even as some were retreating. In the aftermath, miners were blamed for the violence in what campaigners believe was an institutional "frame-up". "There were so many lies," says Chris Peace, from campaign group Orgreave Truth and Justice, "and it's a real historic moment to get to this stage." "There's a lot of information already in the public domain," she adds, "but there's still some papers that are embargoed, which will hopefully now be brought to light." Although dozens of miners were arrested, trials against them all collapsed due to allegations of unreliable police evidence. Campaigners say some involved have been left with "physical and psychological damage", but until now, previous governments have refused calls for a public inquiry. Launching the inquiry today, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky Newsi that she wanted to "make sure" campaigners now got "proper answers". "We've obviously had unanswered questions about what happened at Orgreave for over 40 years," Ms Cooper says, "and when we were elected to government, we determined to take this forward." The inquiry will be a statutory one, meaning that witnesses will be compelled to come and give evidence, and chaired by the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox. "I'm really happy," says Carl Parkinson, a former miner who was at Orgreave on the day of the clash, "but why has it took so long?" "A lot of those colleagues and close friends have passed away, and they'll never get to see any outcome." Mr Parkinson and Chris Skidmore, who was also there that day, were among the group of campaigners informed first-hand by Ms Cooper about the public inquiry at the Orgreave site. "It wasn't frightening to start off with," Mr Skidmore remembers of the day itself, "but then what I noticed was the amount of police officers who had no identification numbers on. It all felt planned." "And it wasn't just one truncheon," says Mr Parkinson, "there were about 30, or 40. And it was simultaneous, like it was orchestrated - just boom, boom, boom, boom. "And there's lads with a split down their heads for no good reason, they'd done nothing wrong. We were just there to peacefully picket." In the intervening years, South Yorkshire Police have paid more than £400,000 in compensation to affected miners and their families. But no official inquiry has ever looked at the documents surrounding the day's events, the lead-up to it and the aftermath. "We need to have trust and confidence restored in the police," says South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, "and part of that is about people, like this campaign, getting the justice that they deserve. "Obviously, we've had things like Hillsborough, CSE [Child Sexual Exploitation] in Rotherham, and we want to turn the page."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Retired police officers will be forced to give evidence to Battle of Orgreave inquiry amid concerns probe held 40 years after miners' strike clash is 'sheer waste' of taxpayers' cash
Retired police officers will be forced to give evidence to an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave - which will begin later this year despite claims it is a 'waste' of taxpayer money. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the statutory public inquiry will investigate the events surrounding the clashes between police and miners at the Orgreave Coking Plant in South Yorkshire on June 18, 1984. The incident saw miners converge on the plant to try to disrupt deliveries before they were met with force by thousands of police officers. More than a hundred people were injured during the most violent day of the 1984-1985 miners' strike. Campaigners have long called for an inquiry to investigate claims of police brutality and the blaming of miners' for the violence as part of an alleged 'institutional frame-up'. In total, 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited. But demands for an inquiry had long been resisted by politicians including the late Lord Tebbit, who called it a 'sheer waste of money' and pointed out that many of the people involved were dead. Today, the Taxpayers' Alliance told MailOnline it was concerned about the cost of holding such the inquiry, considering how expensive and long they tend to be. 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'. Ms Cooper said what happened at Orgreave 'cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas'. She 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.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Orgreave inquiry launched to 'uncover truth' behind clashes at 1984 miners' strike
A new public inquiry will "uncover the truth" behind the so-called "Battle of Orgreave", a bloody fight between striking miners and police officers in the 1980s. One hundred and twenty people were injured in the violent confrontation on 18 June 1984, outside a coal processing factory in Orgreave, South Yorkshire. Five thousand miners clashed with an equal number of armed and mounted police during a day of fighting. Police used horse charges, riot shields and batons against the picketers, even as some were retreating. In the aftermath, miners were blamed for the violence in what campaigners believe was an institutional "frame-up". "There were so many lies," says Chris Peace, from campaign group Orgreave Truth and Justice, "and it's a real historic moment to get to this stage." "There's a lot of information already in the public domain," she adds, "but there's still some papers that are embargoed, which will hopefully now be brought to light." Although dozens of miners were arrested, trials against them all collapsed due to allegations of unreliable police evidence. Campaigners say some involved have been left with "physical and psychological damage", but until now, previous governments have refused calls for a public inquiry. Launching the inquiry today, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky Newsi that she wanted to "make sure" campaigners now got "proper answers". "We've obviously had unanswered questions about what happened at Orgreave for over 40 years," Ms Cooper says, "and when we were elected to government, we determined to take this forward." The inquiry will be a statutory one, meaning that witnesses will be compelled to come and give evidence, and chaired by the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox. "I'm really happy," says Carl Parkinson, a former miner who was at Orgreave on the day of the clash, "but why has it took so long?" "A lot of those colleagues and close friends have passed away, and they'll never get to see any outcome." Mr Parkinson and Chris Skidmore, who was also there that day, were among the group of campaigners informed first-hand by Ms Cooper about the public inquiry at the Orgreave site. "It wasn't frightening to start off with," Mr Skidmore remembers of the day itself, "but then what I noticed was the amount of police officers who had no identification numbers on. It all felt planned." "And it wasn't just one truncheon," says Mr Parkinson, "there were about 30, or 40. And it was simultaneous, like it was orchestrated - just boom, boom, boom, boom. "And there's lads with a split down their heads for no good reason, they'd done nothing wrong. We were just there to peacefully picket." In the intervening years, South Yorkshire Police have paid more than £400,000 in compensation to affected miners and their families. But no official inquiry has ever looked at the documents surrounding the day's events, the lead-up to it and the aftermath. "We need to have trust and confidence restored in the police," says South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, "and part of that is about people, like this campaign, getting the justice that they deserve. "Obviously, we've had things like Hillsborough, CSE [Child Sexual Exploitation] in Rotherham, and we want to turn the page."
