The government has announced the formal start of the official inquiry into the violent policing at the Orgreave coking plant during the 1984-85 miners' strike and the discredited prosecutions of 95 men that followed. Former home secretary Yvette Cooper announced the inquiry in July, with Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, as chair.
The terms of reference, similar to those of the Hillsborough independent panel, seek the fullest disclosure of information and aim to produce a report by spring 2028 to aid public understanding. At Orgreave on 18 June 1984, about 8,000 miners assembled for a mass picket and were met by 6,000 police officers, leading to notorious violence including mounted police charges.
Prosecutions against 95 miners were dropped in June 1985 after police evidence was discredited in court. Michael Mansfield, who represented several defendants, called it 'the biggest frame-up ever'. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, which has sought a statutory inquiry since 2012, welcomed the announcement but expressed disappointment at the time taken.
Policing minister Sarah Jones said the panel's purpose was to get to the truth, adding: 'What is important to me is that people have the confidence to come forward... to tell their story.' South Yorkshire police said they were fully committed to supporting the inquiry.
The four panel members include Wendy Williams, Mary Bousted, Joanna Gilmore, and Angela Sutton-Vane. Wilcox stated: 'I will follow the evidence without prejudice... wholly independent of government, law enforcement or any other public body.'
