Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Home Secretary must order Orgreave inquiry


Today, the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign meets with Home Secretary Amber Rudd to discuss the need for an inquiry into events at Orgreave and the policing of the miners' strike.

I asked colleagues from across Parliament to co-sign this letter and show their support for the Orgreave campaign:

Dear Home Secretary

ORGREAVE INQUIRY

One of the greatest Parliamentary advances of recent times has been the willingness of all sides in both Houses to shed light on past injustices.

We all want to maximise trust in our public bodies and we can only do that if we open up fully about our country's past. To continue this journey of reconciliation, we must look at all past injustices and not be selective about those we prioritise. We must follow wherever the evidence takes us.

Following the conclusion of the Hillsborough Inquest earlier this year, that evidence trail now firmly points towards Orgreave. There are clear parallels between police tactics at Hillsborough and Orgreave, both on the day and in the aftermath.

The new Prime Minister has rightly promised to heal divides in our society. As you will know, there is still resentment in former coalfield communities about the policing of the miners' strike and this is one of the residual scars on our society.

As Home Secretary, Theresa May invited the Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign to make a legal submission and she received that last December. 

As members of both Houses, we respectfully ask you to accept this request and establish an inquiry into Orgreave without delay. We do not accept that potential prosecutions related to Hillsborough should be allowed to delay it and believe that there are many precedents where arrangements have been put in place to mitigate any risks.

Former miners, their families and communities have waited long enough for the truth. It is now incumbent on us all to make sure it is finally established.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Burnham
Khalid Mahmood
Lord Larry Whitty
Lisa Nandy
Marie Rimmer
Kevin Brennan
Dave Anderson
Conor McGinn
Louise Haigh
Helen Jones
Yasmin Qureshi
Baroness Gale
Alex Cunningham
Sarah Champion
Lord Peter Hain
Lord Sawyer
David Lammy
Karl Turner
Stephen Twigg
Sharon Hodgson
Baroness Jean Corston
Grahame Morris
John Healey
Rosie Winterton
Michael Dugher
Chi Onwurah
Baroness Lister
Lord Judd
Cat Smith
Lord John Monks
Roberta Blackman-Woods
Andrew Gwynne
Emma Lewell-Buck
Clive Betts
Angela Rayner
Jim McMahon
Catherine McKinnell
Lord Stewart Wood
Stephen Doughty
David Winnick
Baroness Lynne Golding
Lord Alton
Lord Bird
Lord Balfe
Caroline Lucas
Baroness Jenny Jones
Lord Rennard
Lord Maclennan