Orgreave Campaigners Meet Home Secretary
Miners closer to an Orgreave Inquiry
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign have had an extremely positive meeting at the Home Office with the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper to discuss the Labour Government’s commitment to an Orgreave Inquiry / Investigation and the options and format of the inquiry. The meeting gave arrested miners and their wives and supporters an opportunity to impress upon the Home Secretary why an Orgreave inquiry needs to start as a matter of urgency to ensure it happens in their lifetime. Previous Conservative Home Secretaries have refused to hold any kind of Orgreave inquiry but the Labour Party have promised to hold some kind of Orgreave inquiry as a manifesto commitment for the last 8 years.
Kevin Horne, miner arrested at Orgreave said:
“It is now over 40 years since striking miners, fighting to save our jobs and communities, were attacked and arrested by police for picketing the Orgreave coking plant during the 84/5 miners’ strike. As the years role by and many miners have died, those of us left, and our families need answers about what the government planned and what the police did.”
95 striking miners were arrested at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 after police in full riot gear with truncheons, dogs and charging horses, brutally attacked the miners gathering at a National Union of Mineworkers picket at the Orgreave coking plant. The miners were later charged with either riot or unlawful assembly with threats of a life prison sentence. Almost a year later when the cases went to trial in May 1985, it became clear that the police had lied in their evidence and that they had perjured themselves in court. The trial collapsed after 48 days of hearings, the Prosecution abandoned the case when it was obvious that many officers had large parts of their statements dictated to them.
Kate Flannery, Secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) said:
“Our latest OTJC report, submitted to the Home Secretary and all major political parties and MPs, describes the Conservative Government’s political interference and involvement in the 1984/5 miners’ strike and how they used the courts, violent policing and the media to give the police the confidence to behave with impunity throughout the miners’ strike and years later at Hillsborough. The Orgreave trial was set up to be a ‘show trial’ but when the polices violent behaviour and lies became obvious and the miners were acquitted, the miners never got their chance in court to say what really happened and no one in the police or government has ever been held to account”
Kevin Horne, miner arrested at Orgreave also said:
“Much of the police conduct at Orgreave, and on picket lines throughout the strike, was out of control. This has taken a personal toll on many of us miners and our families. Many of us are still traumatised, many have died and are now elderly and ill and after 40 years it is important that an Inquiry is conducted quickly. It is in the public interest to hold an Orgreave inquiry. We thank all our supporters during and since the strike, throughout Britain and throughout the world for the wonderful solidarity we received, then and now”
A follow up briefing meeting held in parliament with a number of MPs gave the OTJC an opportunity to discuss the need for an inquiry to take place urgently. Plenty of information exists and has already been obtained to give an inquiry a substantial head start to deliver truth and justice. The OTJC does not demand an expensive, overly-long Inquiry.
- The Inquiry must have the power to require all the relevant information and evidence to be produced to it.
- Those who have an interest in the Inquiry must be able to fully participate in order to lend their experience, knowledge and understanding to the process.
- The panel conducting the inquiry / investigation must include a range of skills so that people can have confidence it will fully understand the issues and be independent and objective in its approach.
- The Inquiry must be transparent, open and accessible and its conclusions publicly explained in an authoritative way.
Many politicians, local councils, trade unions, the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, the South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard and thousands of supporters are amongst the many who want to see an Orgreave inquiry.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For media enquiries:
Email: orgreavejustice@hotmail.com
X:
@orgreavejustice
OTJC report – The Case For an Inquiry:
Information leaflet about why we need an Orgreave inquiry:
https://otjc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ORGREAVE_Leaflet_2022.pdf
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