Blair Peach Archive Opens At Bishopsgate Institute

20 February 2025

By Indianna Purcell, Communications Volunteer at INQUEST

This April will mark the 46th anniversary of Blair Peach’s killing. His partner Celia Stubbs has donated a huge collection of materials relating to his death that are now available to the public at the Bishopsgate Institute.

This catalogue of personal and legal documents not only provides essential background information of Celia’s fight for justice but will aid those who are seeking to challenge an institution more powerful and protected than they may be.

On Wednesday 19 March (anytime from 4-8pm) Celia Stubbs is hosting an open archive afternoon to mark the launch of the Peach collection in the Library at the Bishopsgate Institute. A curated selection of letters, posters, scrapbooks, photographs, inquest notes, and campaign materials will be available for viewing. Anyone is welcome to attend.

The Killing of Blair Peach

On 23 April 1979, midway through a general election, the fascist National Front party was planning a campaign meeting in Southall Town Hall. The racist gathering in one of London’s most diverse districts elicited a huge outcry. After attempts to get the meeting banned failed, thousands of anti-racist campaigners descended on Southall in protest and a few thousand police officers were enlisted to make sure the meeting went ahead without disruption.

Among the anti-racist campaigners was 33-year-old Blair — a teacher from New Zealand. Within minutes of leaving the protest, Blair sustained a heavy blow to the head, the fatal blow wielded by a member of Unit 1 of the Special Patrol Group, with 11 witnesses stating that a police officer was the perpetrator. Blair died later that night in hospital.

Coronial Cover-Ups: the long fight for the truth

Soon after Blair’s death, Commander John Cass, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Complaints Investigation Bureau, carried out an investigation. The investigation report identified the six officers involved and recommended three of those officers be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice. Despite this, no officers were ever held accountable for Blair’s death.

An initial inquest into Blair’s death found that Blair died ‘by misadventure’. However, the inquest was seriously prejudiced by the coroner’s refusal to disclose copies of Cass’ report to the lawyers representing Blair’s family and the Anti-Nazi League.

The inquest would later be criticised by the National Council of Civil Liberties (now known at Liberty) and several MPs due to the coroner’s bias for the police and his dismissive attitude towards witnesses.

It was only when the Cass Report was finally published in 2010, that Blair’s family found out the identity of the officer suspected of hitting Blair.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the obstructive behaviour from the police and the coroner’s conduct during the inquest –– Blair’s friends, family and particularly Celia carried on their fight to get to the truth. And, importantly, for the legal system to recognise Blair’s killing for what it was –– unlawful. A significant reward of their campaigning was the creation of INQUEST, co-founded by Celia.

Archives of resistance

The Peach Collection at the Bishopsgate Institute holds 45 years’ worth of vital material relating to the Friends of Blair Peach Committee and campaign for justice; press cutting scrapbooks; cuttings from New Zealand’s press, and cuttings from the Socialist Worker newspaper. Also included is the correspondence between Celia and the TUC, GLC as well as MPs.

Celia herself was a victim of the British police’s infamous ‘spy cops’ operation and included in the archive is material relating to the undercover operation targeting her, which went on for 20 years. A copy of Cass’s investigation report, finally published after 30 years following the disturbingly similar killing of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson in 2009 by a member of the Territorial Support Group, is also in the archive.

Blair Peach’s brutal killing may have left a community in mourning, but it invigorated a campaign for justice within the legal system, particularly for a fairer inquest system, one which – albeit ongoing – is all the stronger today.

Bishopsgate Institute is now home to the archives of several organisations and individuals that have challenged state violence and impunity. Alongside INQUEST’s vast collection you can access the archives of Bernie Grant MP, Women in Prison and Clean Break, amongst many other vital collections.  

The Bishopsgate Institute is free to attend and open to everyone, located a couple of minutes away from Liverpool Street station at 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH. The Institute’s library, Researchers’ Area, Great Hall and reception are wheelchair accessible and assistant dogs are welcome. The Researchers’ Area is open 10am-5pm, Monday to Friday, with late opening on Wednesdays. If you have any enquiries about attending, email [email protected].