Happy New Year greetings to everyone who have stood with us over the past 17 years in our fight for justice for blacklisted union members in the construction industry. This New Year message is a quick round up of the big stories from 2025, and looks forward to what to expect in 2026.
Looking back through 2025
R.I.P. John Jones & Vic Heath – two blacklisted union activists who passed away this year, both who fought for better health & safety and direct employment on building sites and in local authority DLOs.
Spycops inquiry
The Blacklist Support Group (BSG) and a number of individual blacklisted activists are core participants in the public inquiry into undercover political policing, that was established in 2015 – which has continued to hear oral evidence throughout 2025. Listening to the evidence from the undercover officers has exposed the depths the British state will sink in order to infiltrate trade unions, anti-racist, environmental, socialist and animal rights groups, and spy on family justice campaigns on behalf of murder victims. The evidence of undercover police officers; Peter Francis, Mark Jenner, Bob Lambert and Andy Coles are particularly offensive in terms of racism, sexism and stereotypical slurs against unions and progressive political campaigners. The evidence of those targeted by spycops in contrast has been like watching a dignified people’s history of grassroots campaigning in the UK since the 1960s.
The BSG opening statement for Tranche 2 of the inquiry is here:
A number of blacklisted union and anti-fascist activists gave oral evidence throughout 2025:
Dan Gilman https://www.facebook.com/dave.smith.52/videos/701478995952585/?idorvanity=314161167427
Steve Hedley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSmmnNwhHvE
There are too many links to list them all in one email – but search #spycops for all the stories.
In relation to spying on trade unions, the evidence of Peter Francis and Mark Jenner were on particular interest. Two short videos prove decisively that Special Branch were spying on perfectly legal union activity – not just supposed “subversives intent on overthrowing parliamentary democracy”, which is their claimed justification.
Peter Francis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSmmnNwhHvE
Mark Jenner: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1548011103719403
The judge in the public inquiry has made a decision that Dave Smith will be denied the right to give oral evidence. A Judicial Review against Mitting’s decision has been lodged at the High Court – a judgment is due in early 2026. Thank you to the Human Rights Fund for financially supporting our JR.
Our sister campaign, Police Spies Out of Lives was behind one of the biggest TV documentaries of 2025, The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed which is still available on ITVX and BritBox. https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk
Demand The Impossible – a new play opened in the Corn Exchange in Newport based on the spycops scandal and featuring a lead character who is a blacklisted electrician (based on Steve Barley from South Wales). https://www.facebook.com/dave.smith.52/videos/701478995952585/?idorvanity=314161167427
Construction fatalities
Many union members were blacklisted because we stood up for safe working conditions on building sites. When workers are victimized for tasing concerns about health and safety, that doesn’t just affect that individual worker and their family, it creates a climate of fear where others stay silent when bosses cut corners. The 2025 workplace fatality statistics published by the HSE show that construction remains the most unsafe industry in the UK. Mourn the Dead – Fight like Hell for the Living
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals-overview.htm
Government establish an inquiry into Orgreave
Congratulations to Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign who successfully forced the government to set up an inquiry into the police riot during the miners strike. Top work by inspirational campaigners. https://otjc.org.uk/orgreave-inquiry-announced/
Looking forward to 2026
Independent Blacklisting Collusion Inquiry report due soon
The largest construction employers in the UK ran the Consulting Association blacklist, but from the very start of our campaign in 2009, blacklisted workers asserted that some of the information on our blacklist files originated from union officials. BSG continually called for an inquiry to establish the facts and get to the truth. When Sharon Graham was elected as UNITE General secretary, she set up the Independent Blacklisting Collusion Inquiry, totally independent from the union and its lawyers. Since April 2022, the inquiry lawyers have been gathering documentary, digital and witness evidence from experts and blacklisted workers. Nick Randall KC, who is leading the inquiry spoke at UNITE Conference in July https://youtu.be/tVoLNrCw7T8?si=vM6YSsRS_vbr2lbO
The full report is scheduled to be published very early 2026.
Spycops hearings continue
The public inquiry resumes oral evidence hearings in February 2026, when the undercover officer Carlo Soracchi (cover name Carlo Neri) will be giving evidence Soracchi spied on union members from construction industry, railways and UNISON. During his deployment Soracchi lived in the same house as blacklisted union activist Steve Hedley and spied on people on an RMT picketing at Kings Cross. BSG have publicly accused Soracchi of being an agent provocateur after he incited activists to petrol bomb a charity shop he claimed was a front for an Italian fascist.
Blacklisting within the Employment Rights Act goes out to public consultation
The Employment Rights Act became law in 2025, but different sections within the legislation are still to go out for public consultation. Consultation on blacklisting is timetabled to take place in early 2026. BSG have already been contacted by the TUC to make suggestions as part of the official TUC submission. We thank the Institute for Employment Rights for their expert support with the legal technical aspects for the proposed new legislation.
Love & Solidarity to all of our brothers, sisters, comrades & friends.
Happy New Year & Keep the Faith.
Blacklist Support Group
book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8