Amber Rudd was right to leave Orgreave in the past | Simon Jenkins

Most public inquiries waste time and money. The proper place to debate public policy is parliament

Those who can’t rule today try to rule yesterday. This week’s demand by Labour’s Andy Burnham for a show trial of police tactics at the battle of Orgreave, 32 years ago, was a piece of pure politics. His rebuff by the home secretary, Amber Rudd, was proportionate and wholly reasonable.

We know what happened at Orgreave. The police reaction to the miners’ union picketing was excessiv...