POLITICALLY SPEAKING: Hemsworth MP Jon Trickett is outraged there will be no enquiry into the Battle of Orgreave

This is an insult to the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign which has gone through years of frustration.

It is a weak attempt by the government to pave over the injustices of the past.

The government’s reasoning behind the decision is that no-one died and there were no convictions.

But this entirely misunderstands the nature of the Battle of Orgreave. There were no convictions because the criminal proceedings against miners collapsed due insufficient evidence.

This after months of anxiety and worry for miners threatened by life imprisonment.

There were no deaths, but did not the same police force led by the same Chief Constable go on to cover-up deaths following the Hillsborough disaster?

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed that there were clear links between the tactics employed by the South Yorkshire Police in the aftermath of both Orgreave and Hillsborough.

A report published last year found evidence to support the allegation that three senior policy officers in command at Orgreave had created an untrue account of the events that happened at Orgreave in June 1984.

By exaggerating the violence of the miners, the police provided a justification for their own use of force. This goes to the heart of why this government does not want an inquiry.

They fear the finger of blame will be point directly at Margaret Thatcher who used the police force as a political tool to break the morale and dignity of the miners who were seen as a challenge to the government of the day.

An inquiry would establish whether members of the cabinet were involved in the police force’s action on that day.

The Labour Party is firm on this issue: this denial of the truth and withholding of justice cannot continue. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign has fought for too long and will not back down.

I represent men who were at Orgreave on that day and want their stories to be told. The Labour Party is behind them and will grant a full public inquiry on day one in government.

If you would like to discuss this issue - or any other matters of concern relating to my constituency - then please drop into my office at Moorthorpe Railway Station, Barnsley Road.

It is open from 9.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday and appointment scan be booked in advance.

Alternatively, you can email [email protected], Tweet me @jon_trickett or call 01977 655695.

To find out more about the other campaigns and issues I am involved in, visit www.jontrickett.org.uk