The UK government has announced a formal inquiry into the “Battle of Orgreave,” a violent and controversial clash between striking coal miners and police in 1984. The confrontation, which took place near the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire, involved over 5,000 miners and a similar number of police officers brought in from across the country during a year-long strike against pit closures by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government.

Footage from the scene on June 18, 1984, captured police charges on horseback and miners being beaten with batons, sparking decades of allegations of police brutality and excessive force. Over 120 people were injured, and 95 miners were arrested and charged—only for the charges to be dropped later due to lack of evidence. Campaigners have long demanded transparency regarding the deployment of such a large police force, their tactics, and access to withheld government documents.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that an inquiry, led by the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, would seek to uncover the full truth behind the events. “We must now establish what happened,” Cooper said. Kate Flannery of the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign welcomed the move but stressed the need for full access to official records, saying, “We have waited a long time for this day and this is really positive news.”

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright

More than 100 Labour MPs have backed a move to block the government’s controversial welfare reform bill, which aims to cut disability and sickness-related benefits to save £5bn annually by 2030. The MPs have signed a reasoned amendment that could potentially halt the bill’s progress if selected by the Commons Speaker and supported by a majority. Critics argue the proposed changes, which would tighten eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (Pip), could push an additional 250,000 people—including 50,000 children—into relative poverty.

Despite mounting dissent, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden defended the reforms, citing the projected doubling of people on long-term sickness and disability benefits by the end of the decade. He stressed the need for action to manage rising costs, which are forecast to reach £70bn annually by 2030. The government maintains that £1bn will be invested to support people back into work, though Labour MPs argue the impact assessments are inadequate and the consultation process insufficient.

Labour’s internal rift deepened after several MPs, including select committee chairs and recently elected members, joined the rebellion. The resignation of whip Vicky Foxcroft and the backlash over earlier votes on winter fuel cuts have galvanized support for the amendment. As the vote looms next week, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with rebel MPs determined to send the government “back to the drawing board” and reconsider the reforms’ long-term consequences.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright

London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has expressed his “shock and frustration” over a planned protest in support of Palestine Action, set to take place in central London on Monday. The protest, backed by 35 groups including the Stop the War Coalition and MEND, follows a high-profile break-in by Palestine Action activists at RAF Brize Norton, where red paint was sprayed on military aircraft in protest against the UK’s support for Israel.

With Home Secretary James Cleverly reportedly preparing to formally proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, Sir Mark described the group as an “organised extremist criminal group”. He stressed that while the Met currently lacks the legal authority to prevent the protest, conditions under the Public Order Act have been imposed. Protesters will only be allowed to gather between 12:00 and 15:00, and not within the designated exclusion zone covering much of Westminster.

Palestine Action confirmed on social media that the protest will be held at Trafalgar Square, outside the restricted zone. Meanwhile, human rights groups including Amnesty International and figures like Baroness Shami Chakrabarti have voiced concerns over the proposed ban, warning it could criminalise peaceful dissent. The move to proscribe the group has drawn both praise and criticism across the political spectrum amid ongoing debates over protest rights and the war in Gaza.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright