{"id":278864,"date":"2025-07-21T02:34:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T02:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/278864\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T02:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T02:34:24","slug":"inquiry-launched-to-uncover-truth-behind-violent-clashes-at-orgeave-miners-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/278864\/","title":{"rendered":"Inquiry launched to uncover truth behind violent clashes at Orgeave miners\u2019 strike"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Breaking<\/p>\n

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\"Breaking<\/p>\n

A public inquiry to uncover the truth of what happened during violent clashes between police and striking miners in Orgreave<\/a> is set to begin in the autumn, the government has announced.<\/p>\n

The statutory inquiry<\/a>, promised in Labour\u2019s election manifesto, will get to the bottom of one of the \u201cmost controversial episodes in policing history\u201d.<\/p>\n

It comes more than 40 years after 120 people were injured during skirmishes between police and miners in the Battle of Orgreave<\/a> at a coking plant in South Yorkshire<\/a> on 18 June 1984.<\/p>\n

In total, 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Announcing the inquiry, home secretary Yvette Cooper<\/a> admitted events at Orgreave had \u201ccast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas\u201d.<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cThe violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

The aftermath of the violence at Orgreave (PA)<\/p>\n

The inquiry, which will have the powers to compel people to provide evidence, will be chaired by the Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield.<\/p>\n

It follows years of campaigning from the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign (OTJC), which welcomed the news, saying: \u201cWe have waited a long time for this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campaigners said they are determined to find out who was responsible for \u201corganising and ordering the deployment of multiple police forces, including mounted police armed with truncheons, shields and dogs, against striking miners\u201d.<\/p>\n

They also want to find out why \u201cother evidence had been destroyed or embargoed until 2066 and 2071\u201d, after it emerged Northumbria Police<\/a> had destroyed two boxes of documents relating to the strike in April last year.<\/p>\n

OTJC secretary, Kate Flannery, said: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Union of Mineworkers<\/a> (NUM) general secretary, Chris Kitchen, said the inquiry was \u201chugely welcome\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Kitchen added: \u201cThe events at Orgreave, and throughout the strike, destroyed the trust between the police and mining communities even now, 41 years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is vital that this trust is won back and the NUM believe this inquiry will go some way to rebuilding that trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Arthur<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Arthur Scargill, who led the miners union during the strikes, was injured outside the Orgreave coking plant during the violent clashes (PA)<\/p>\n

Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave, said: \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Yorkshire\u2019s mayor, Oliver Coppard, described the events at Orgreave as one of the most controversial in policing history.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe violent clashes, the arrest of 95 miners, the collapse of the subsequent trial after revelations about police conduct, and the absence of any investigation or accountability scarred those involved, and people across our entire community,\u201d he said, adding that the inquiry is a \u201clandmark moment for justice and accountability\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a step towards setting the historical record straight, ensuring lessons are learned, and restoring public trust,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe it to the miners, their families, and our communities to ensure that the events of Orgreave are finally understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mounted<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Mounted riot police at the miners’ demonstration at Orgreave colliery on 2 June 1984. Weeks later, violent clashes broke out (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Home Office said formal consultation between the home secretary and the Rt Rev Wilcox on the inquiry\u2019s terms of reference has begun.<\/p>\n

The Rt Rev Wilcox, who is working with the government to identify experts to support him on an independent panel, said he did not \u201cunderestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task\u201d.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8817],"tags":[748,393,4884,1620,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-278864","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sheffield","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-sheffield","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114888892373391208","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}