MSPs vote to pardon miners convicted during 80's strikes
Those found guilty of breach of the peace and obstruction of the police will have their convictions wiped
Last updated 16th Jun 2022
MSPs have voted unanimously to pardon miners convicted of crimes like breach of the peace and obstructing police during strikes in the 1980s.
However, an amendment brought forward by Labour to include financial compensation was rejected by 24 votes to 92.
The Miners' Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Bill would see the convictions of those found guilty of breach of the peace, obstruction of the police, or a breach of bail conditions during the strike of 1984-85 wiped.
The Bill passed unanimously at Holyrood today, with support from all 117 MSPs who voted.
Speaking against the amendment, Justice Secretary Keith Brown said it should be down to the UK Government to create such a compensation scheme.
He said:
"My view is that any compensation should be properly thought out, it should be uniform and it should be fair."
Richard Leonard - who created the amendment - said:
"The excuses for opposing this over the past few months have been manifold - they have been that employment law and industrial relations are not devolved, or that this parliament did not exist in 1984, or that this parliament is not competent, or that time is of the essence.
"But I will say this - if it is competent for this parliament to pardon the miners for what happened in 1984-85 it must be competent for this parliament to compensate the miners for what happened in 1984-85."
Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said the Bill would send a message to workers.
She said:
"You have power and we stand with you.
"An attack on one is an attack on us all - we must always be on the side of workers.
"The Scottish Labour Party has always been and always will be on their side."
Imploring fellow MSPs to pass the Bill, Mr Brown said: "For now, we must take the opportunity to recognise the circumstances that led to so many convictions and to say that as a parliament and as a country we want to pardon those convictions and bring some comfort and reconciliation to those involved."