The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield, met today with Rotherham MP, Sarah Champion, and the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to discuss an investigation into events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.
Following Labour’s victory in the General Election in July 2024, Sarah and Bishop Pete jointly wrote to the Home Secretary, stressing the importance of delivering this commitment. In their joint letter to the Home Secretary, Sarah and Bishop Pete said:
“In recent years, South Yorkshire Police has undergone a lengthy process of rebuilding relations following the Hillsborough Inquiry and revelations about the Force’s failure to tackle child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. Much progress has been made. But this cannot be complete whilst lingering distrust about events at Orgreave persists. South Yorkshire deserves to know the truth about its police force and the actions of state institutions.”
Bishop Pete said:
‘Events at Orgreave over 40 years ago remain a raw wound for many across
South Yorkshire. Only an Independent Inquiry is capable of bringing a measure
of healing and I believe the time for that has come. I sense that the Home
Secretary understands this’.
You can read Sarah Champion MP’s full press release on this story, on her website.
