Orgreave: Inquiry news by year’s end

The new home secretary Amber Rudd today (July 20) announced she will meet with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Camping (OTJC) after the summer recess following calls for a public inquiry into the incident.

Her announcement, made during Theresa May’s first Prime Minister’s question time, is a backtrack from earlier statements claiming that the independent police complaints commission (IPCC) had objected to launching an inquiry into the battle of Orgreave.

Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham raised an urgent question in which he demanded for justice for the campaigners and Jeremy Corbyn also called for an inquiry during today’s PMQs.

Last week Lord Keen had suggested that the IPCC launching a campaign into the incident could conflict the current investigation into the Hillsborough disaster.

“Obviously we are pleased to hear that the home secretary is going to look into the investigation and meet with OTJC in September,” said Joe Rollin, an OTJC stalwart and Unite regional organiser.

“However the first we heard of it was from PMQs. She hasn’t written to us to confirm this,” he added.

Andy Burnham had said that Lord Keen’s comments had been a home office attempt to kick the issue into the long grass.

Joe agrees; “There is no reason why the call for justice should be kicked into the long grass over Hillsborough prosecutions.”

The conclusion of the inquests into the deaths at Hillsborough has shone a light on events at Orgreave and the suggestion that tactics used by South Yorkshire police in 1984 were replicated five years later.

The IPCC took over two-and-a-half years to conduct an initial investigation which they claim they didn’t have the resources to complete.

The police watchdog indicated that it had been unable to get to the truth as it could not locate a series of important documents, including the police operational orders that were drawn up in advance of June 18, 1984.

Brutally assaulted

Ninety five miners were arrested at the Battle of Orgreave, when thousands of police officers, some in riot gear, and on horseback, clashed with miners pickets outside a coking plant and brutally assaulted miners participating in a year-long strike aimed at defending jobs and mining communities.

When the cases came to court they were all abandoned after the evidence by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) was heavily discredited and later the force made out of court settlements to 39 miners.

No police officers were ever charged of any offence despite clear evidence of assault, perjury, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public offence.

“This has left a legacy of mistrust within mining communities of the police and it is one of reasons I joined the OTJC,” said Joe.

A decision on whether to press ahead with an inquiry is expected by the end of the year.