Selby and Kippax MP welcomes ‘long overdue’ inquiry on Orgreave.

The Home Secretary has confirmed that a national public inquiry will finally take place on events surrounding clashes between police and striking miners at the Orgreave Coking Plant in 1984.

For decades, campaigners and trade unionists have been advocating for an inquiry into the events at Orgreave. They’ve argued that events had a lasting impact on those present that day and their families, as well as undermining the wider mining community’s confidence in policing for decades.

In the Labour Party manifesto last year, a commitment was made, as part of their wider pledge to provide justice and truth for victims of historical injustices, ‘that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light’. Today, the government has announced a full statutory inquiry, as part of its plan to rebuild public confidence in policing.

Speaking about the announcement, Keir Mather MP said: “I was pleased to meet with the Minister two months ago to have the opportunity to share the perspectives of local people who were present on that fateful day.” “I am grateful that this Government has acted swiftly and that an inquiry will be launched in the Autumn.”

“The news today reaffirms the government’s commitment to work in the interests of former mining towns and villages like ours. I hope that the inquiry can provide the answers that our coalfield communities deserve.”

The government has engaged with campaign groups throughout the process of designing the inquiry to ensure their concerns and experiences are considered. Their announcement follows on from the Autumn Budget in which the government reversed a Historic injustice on pensions for over 100,000 coal miners across the UK.