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| Absent Amber Rudd accused of 'bitter betrayal' over Orgreave | Absent Amber Rudd accused of 'bitter betrayal' over Orgreave |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The home secretary, Amber Rudd, sparked fresh anger over her decision to reject an inquiry into the “battle of Orgreave” on Tuesday when she failed to appear in the House of Commons to justify her decision. | The home secretary, Amber Rudd, sparked fresh anger over her decision to reject an inquiry into the “battle of Orgreave” on Tuesday when she failed to appear in the House of Commons to justify her decision. |
| The police minister, Brandon Lewis, was left to deny charges from Andy Burnham, the former shadow home secretary, that Rudd had “cruelly misled” campaigners at a meeting in September, which they left under the impression that some form of inquiry was going to be authorised. | The police minister, Brandon Lewis, was left to deny charges from Andy Burnham, the former shadow home secretary, that Rudd had “cruelly misled” campaigners at a meeting in September, which they left under the impression that some form of inquiry was going to be authorised. |
| Burnham said Rudd’s decision to reject an inquiry into the clash between the police and miners in June 1984 at the height of the miners’ strike was “a bitter betrayal” that had been reached after an “incomplete and unsound process”. | Burnham said Rudd’s decision to reject an inquiry into the clash between the police and miners in June 1984 at the height of the miners’ strike was “a bitter betrayal” that had been reached after an “incomplete and unsound process”. |
| He questioned whether the home secretary had reviewed the relevant South Yorkshire police files that had never left Sheffield, had read new testimony from ex-officers who had been there or had read the secret cabinet minutes in which Margaret Thatcher had told her home secretary, Leon Brittan, to increase the rate of prosecutions of miners. | He questioned whether the home secretary had reviewed the relevant South Yorkshire police files that had never left Sheffield, had read new testimony from ex-officers who had been there or had read the secret cabinet minutes in which Margaret Thatcher had told her home secretary, Leon Brittan, to increase the rate of prosecutions of miners. |
| Burnham, who had tabled the Commons urgent question, also appeared to accuse the home secretary of bad faith over her meeting with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, which left them with the clear impression that “the only remaining question was what form that the inquiry would take”. The Times reported next day that there would be an inquiry, quoting ‘Whitehall sources’, Burnham said. | Burnham, who had tabled the Commons urgent question, also appeared to accuse the home secretary of bad faith over her meeting with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, which left them with the clear impression that “the only remaining question was what form that the inquiry would take”. The Times reported next day that there would be an inquiry, quoting ‘Whitehall sources’, Burnham said. |
| “It is utterly cruel to have given the campaigners false hope and misled them in this way. We will never give up this fight,” said Burnham. | “It is utterly cruel to have given the campaigners false hope and misled them in this way. We will never give up this fight,” said Burnham. |
| But Lewis told MPs he had been present at the September meeting of home secretary and the campaigners and denied she had given the impression that an inquiry would go ahead. The home secretary had only made clear that she would take a decision at a later date, he said. The minister acknowledged there was a disagreement about the meeting but it did not mean the decision to reject an inquiry was wrong. | But Lewis told MPs he had been present at the September meeting of home secretary and the campaigners and denied she had given the impression that an inquiry would go ahead. The home secretary had only made clear that she would take a decision at a later date, he said. The minister acknowledged there was a disagreement about the meeting but it did not mean the decision to reject an inquiry was wrong. |
| Rudd’s absence from the Commons was also sharply criticised by the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, who accused the government of leading the campaigners up the garden path. She criticised the home secretary’s justification for refusing an inquiry saying that the absence of deaths or wrongful convictions was no reason to refuse to investigate an injustice. | Rudd’s absence from the Commons was also sharply criticised by the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, who accused the government of leading the campaigners up the garden path. She criticised the home secretary’s justification for refusing an inquiry saying that the absence of deaths or wrongful convictions was no reason to refuse to investigate an injustice. |
| Abbott quoted the former Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan, who described the miners as “the best men in the world” and the 1984 strike as heartbreaking. The criticism of Rudd’s decision united Labour MPs, with both the former party leader Ed Miliband and the veteran Dennis Skinner, voicing strong concern. | Abbott quoted the former Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan, who described the miners as “the best men in the world” and the 1984 strike as heartbreaking. The criticism of Rudd’s decision united Labour MPs, with both the former party leader Ed Miliband and the veteran Dennis Skinner, voicing strong concern. |
| The Conservative Yorkshire backbench MP, Philip Davies, sparked fresh outrage when he backed Rudd, saying: “These people were trying to bring down the democratic government at the time. They lost. They need to get over it.” | The Conservative Yorkshire backbench MP, Philip Davies, sparked fresh outrage when he backed Rudd, saying: “These people were trying to bring down the democratic government at the time. They lost. They need to get over it.” |
| His sentiments echoed those of Norman Tebbit, one of Thatcher’s ministers, who told the Telegraph on Tuesday that “the police behaved properly at Orgreave. An inquiry could have been used as a stick with which to beat the Thatcher government.” | His sentiments echoed those of Norman Tebbit, one of Thatcher’s ministers, who told the Telegraph on Tuesday that “the police behaved properly at Orgreave. An inquiry could have been used as a stick with which to beat the Thatcher government.” |
| In a defiant press conference at the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) hall in Barnsley, campaigners said they were considering mounting a crowdfunded bid for a judicial review of Amber Rudd’s decision not to hold any kind of inquiry into the episode. | |
| Barbara Jackson, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, was close to tears as she described feeling “shocked and devastated” by the home secretary’s decision. | |
| Addressing the crowd of former pitworkers, their relatives, supporters and union activists in the South Yorkshire town, Jackson said: “As you can all tell this is very difficult and very disappointing but there are options for the future, some of them we will be discussing with the legal people about the possibility of a judicial review. | |
| “We have focused on police violence because we thought that was the best way to get our – now we’re going to focus as well as that on the political side of the strike and the involvement of Margaret Thatcher’s government of the time … We regard the gloves as off on our side.” | |
| Jackson told the gathering that she had struggled to contain her emotion when she received the “very calculated and very cold” phone call from Rudd informing her of the government’s decision on Monday afternoon. | |
| “When she rang she was completely matter of fact, she said, ‘Listen to me say what I’ve got to say, then you can ask any questions.’ It was all very calculated and very cold. She read me – I didn’t know at the time – but she read me what was her ministerial statement she was going to read to parliament. I was shocked and devastated to find out we were not going to be offered anything.” | |
| Jackson said the campaign had received a flood of support and donations since the announcement, as she revealed that its lawyers were considering a crowdfunded bid for a judicial review. |