More than forty years after police violence scarred the miners’ strike, the long‑delayed inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave has finally begun. For the communities who lived through 1984—and for every worker who has faced the heavy hand of the state—this is a long‑overdue chance to expose the truth, confront institutional wrongdoing, and demand justice that has been denied for generations.
he launch of the long‑awaited inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave marks a watershed moment in the struggle for truth about one of the most notorious episodes of state violence in modern British industrial history. More than four decades after the events of 18 June 1984, the Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Peter Wilcox, opened the inquiry with a commitment to “impartiality, humility and a firm commitment to transparency” . For the miners who lived through that day—and for the generations of workers who inherited its legacy—this inquiry is not simply a matter of historical record. It is a test of whether the British state can finally confront the truth about how it wielded power against its own people.
What Happened at Orgreave
On that June morning in 1984, thousands of striking miners gathered outside the Orgreave Coking Plant near Rotherham. They were met by an unprecedented mobilisation of police, including mounted officers and units equipped with riot gear. Over several hours, violent clashes unfolded. Police charged pickets on horseback, struck miners with batons, and dragged them into vans. Ninety‑five miners were arrested for riot and unlawful assembly—charges that were later dropped when police evidence collapsed under scrutiny .
The images from that day—of workers beaten, kettled, and pursued—became emblematic of a government determined to break the National Union of Mineworkers and reshape the balance of power between labour and the state.
Why This Inquiry Matters
1. A Pattern of State Power Without Accountability
As Kevin Horne, one of the miners arrested at Orgreave, put it: “This was state‑sponsored organisation against the miners and our livelihoods.” His words echo a long‑held belief among mining communities: that Orgreave was not a policing failure but a deliberate, coordinated strategy to crush the strike and intimidate workers nationwide .
2. Media Collusion and the Battle for Narrative
John Dunn, another miner arrested during the strike, highlighted the role of the press: “The mass media colluded with the Tories by lying in their headlines and reports… or not reporting it at all.” The inquiry offers an opportunity to examine how public understanding of Orgreave was shaped—and distorted—by selective reporting and political pressure.
3. Destruction of Evidence
Perhaps most troubling is the revelation that police have recently destroyed material relevant to the inquiry. Kate Flannery of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign warned that this is not simply a matter of the past: “This is of great public interest and concern and is about a government who actively worked against its own population and handed the police paramilitary powers and destroyed an industry in the process.”
If evidence has been destroyed, it raises profound questions about institutional culture, transparency, and the willingness of authorities to obstruct accountability even decades later.
The Human Cost: Trauma, Community, and the Long Shadow of 1984
For many miners and their families, Orgreave was not an isolated event but part of a wider campaign that devastated communities. The closure of pits, the criminalisation of trade unionists, and the economic collapse of mining towns left scars that remain visible today.
Solidarity recognises that trauma is not only physical. It is generational, communal, and political. The inquiry must therefore address not only what happened on the day but the broader context of state hostility toward organised labour.
What Workers Need From This Inquiry
Transparency
The inquiry must have full access to surviving records, police operational plans, and government communications. Any obstruction must be treated as a matter of public concern.
Accountability
If wrongdoing is established—whether by individual officers, senior commanders, or government officials—there must be consequences. Justice delayed must not become justice denied.
Recognition
The miners who were vilified, beaten, and falsely accused deserve formal acknowledgement of the wrongs committed against them.
Reform
Orgreave is not simply a historical event. It is a warning. The inquiry must inform modern policing practices, ensuring that no government can again deploy police as a political weapon against workers.
Solidarity’s Position
As a union committed to justice, dignity, and democratic accountability, Solidarity welcomes the launch of this inquiry. We stand with the miners, their families, and the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign in demanding a full, fearless examination of the events of 1984.
The struggle for truth is part of a broader struggle for a society where working people are not treated as enemies of the state. Orgreave is not only about the past—it is about the future of policing, protest, and workers’ rights in Britain.
By Pat Harrington
