YP Letters: Misguided opinions over events at Orgreave

From: Chris Skidmore, Yorkshire Area NUM Chairman, Huddersfield Road, Barnsley.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jun 2016, 16:43 BST
Updated 19th Jun 2016, 17:48 BST
A scene from the Battle of Orgreave.A scene from the Battle of Orgreave.
A scene from the Battle of Orgreave.

WHILE acknowledging that everyone who pens a letter to The Editor is entitled to their own opinion, it is becoming somewhat tedious when that right is being abused. I don’t suppose for one minute that Ron Firth, Hilary Andrews or Bob Simons (who have expressed their misguided opinions) were actually present at Orgreave on June 18, 1984.

As a former mineworker who did more than his fair share of picketing and was present at Orgreave on the day in question, I find it distasteful that they use 
phrases like “assorted hangers on”, “rent a mob” etc. Probably because they were not present, they are indifferent as to whether the Armed Forces supplemented the assembled ranks of police or not.

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South Yorkshire’s chief constable at the time, Peter Wright, is no longer with us to question re-his statement given on July 17, 1984, on BBC Radio 4 that “truncheons were only drawn in extreme self-defence”.

Surely a public inquiry would decide if this was merited? A public inquiry works both ways and would surely assist this to happen.