Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

Michael Welsh (Lab., Doncaster North): At Orgreave yesterday, the chief constable of south Yorkshire must have ordered a tremendous number of policemen to carry out their duties there, but then he also brought in the cavalry. There were light troops on horseback hurting the lads on strike and wielding their batons unmercifully. We then saw the riot squad move in and do the same think to our lads – belting them across the head. The result was that 16 loads of coal left the depot for an undertaking that had no desire for it. In Saltley in 1972, the miners went to picket and the chief constable closed the depot down. Nobody was hurt. Which of those chief constables acted most rationally?
Leon Brittan (Home Secretary): If a highwayman holds one up, it is always possible to avoid violence by handing over to him what he wants. I do not commend that course to a society that believes in freedom.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

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Original

Mr. Michael Welsh (Doncaster, North)
At Orgreave yesterday, the chief constable of south Yorkshire must have ordered a tremendous number of policemen to carry out their duties there, but then he also brought in the cavalry. There were light troops on horseback hurting the lads on strike and wielding their batons unmercifully. We then saw the riot squad move in and do the same think to our lads—belting them across the head. The result was that 16 loads of coal left the depot for an undertaking that had no desire for it. In Saltley in 1972, the miners went to picket and the chief constable closed the depot down. Nobody was hurt. Which of those chief constables acted most rationally?

Mr. Brittan
If a highwayman holds one up, it is always possible to avoid violence by handing over to him what he wants. I do not commend that course to a society that believes in freedom.

161 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• 1972 United Kingdom miners’ strike (1) ·
• 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners’ strike (1) ·
• Battle of Orgreave (1) ·
• Battle of Saltley Gate (1) ·
• Birmingham (8) ·
• British Steel (1967–1999) (1) ·
• Coal mining (24) ·
• Coke (fuel) (5) ·
• Conservative Party (1834-) (22) ·
• First Thatcher ministry (2) ·
• Heath ministry (4) ·
• Heath, Edward (4) ·
• Industrial action (1) ·
• Labour Party (UK) (17) ·
• Margaret Thatcher (3) ·
• Metropolitan Police (1) ·
• Michael Welsh (Labour politician) (1) ·
• National Coal Board (2) ·
• National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain) (2) ·
• Orgreave, South Yorkshire (1) ·
• Picketing (2) ·
• Rotherham (21) ·
• Saltley (1) ·
• South Yorkshire Police (3) ·
• Yorkshire (8) ·

All tags.

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