Durham council calls for public inquiry into Battle of Orgreave
Hundreds of picketers and police officers were injured during the disorder outside a coking plant in South Yorkshire on June 18, 1984. The violent clash saw dozens of miners arrested, leading to allegations of police brutality and government involvement.
The latest plea by County Durham Labour members received cross-party support at a full council meeting on Wednesday.
Councillor Rob Crute, representing the former mining community Blackhalls division, described the events at Orgreave as a “serious miscarriage of justice”, and urged the government to fully investigate policing decisions and behaviour.
“It’s vital that the truth comes out and the police, and any other associated bodies, are finally brought to account,” he said.
“The thousands of striking miners, including many from our county here in Durham, were at Orgreave and still suffer today from the physical and psychological problems associated with it.
“Many lost their jobs and livelihoods. Many saw their marriages crumble and some were left in limbo for many many months awaiting trial for charges of affray and riot. In all cases, those charges were abandoned once it became clear the lads arrested had been fitted up by the police. The trauma of it all haunts them to this day.”
Labour had promised to hold an inquiry into Orgreave if it won the general election, and in November campaigners revealed an inquiry is closer to being agreed.
Cllr Crute said the probe would help “right the wrongs of the past” and ensure those initially arrested would receive justice.
He added: “What happened at Orgreave sent a message to the police that they used violence and lied with impunity.
“In 2015, the IPPCC review concluded there was evidence some police officers on duty had committed assault, perjury, and ultimately perverted the course of justice. But the real perversion of justice is that some have never been held to account.
Recommended reading:
Subscribe to The Northern Echo now.
“If we really care about accountability and responsibility in public service, and we want to ensure that truth and justice prevail, we must demand nothing less than a full inquiry.”
Labour’s Kevin Shaw, of Dawdon division, told the council chamber the events at Orgreave were “one of the most serious abuses of power by the police and government in this country’s industrial and trade union history”.
“The truth has never been told, never formally acknowledged and therefore never understood by the public,” Cllr Shaw added.