Report marks Battle of Orgreave

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) marked the 40th anniversary of “one of the most serious abuses of power by police and government in this country’s industrial and trade union history” on 18 June by delivering a new report to the Home Office and major political parties.

The OTJC says this contains new information confirming that then prime minister Margeret Thatcher and her government “were influencing the miners’ strike and policing, while publicly stating a policy of ‘non-involvement’”.

It also confirms that “successive Conservative Governments and senior police have worked to cover it up”.

The so-called Battle of Orgreave took place outside the British Steel coking plant near Rotherham in Yorkshire during the year-long 1984-85 miners’ strike. Thousands of striking miners faced thousands of police officers, many in riot gear.

Ninety-five miners were arrested and almost a third charged with the offence of riot, which carried a possible life prison sentence.

A subsequent trial collapsed and all the charges were dropped due to unreliable police evidence and police lying in their accounts (see Labour Research, March 2024, pages 16-18).

OTJC secretary Kate Flannery said: “It is important that the truth is established via an independent inquiry and that the police and government are brought to account for their actions at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.”