I welcome the announcement by Nicola Sturgeon that the SNP will introduce Miners' Pardon Bill to provide a collective pardon for miners convicted of certain offences during the 1984/ 85 miners. In my view it should include all miners convicted of all offences in the course of a strike created by the Tory Government.
I call for the UK Government to adopt a similar bill covering all miners in the United Kingdom and I call on the Labour Party to submit a motion to parliament to follow the Scottish Parliament decision which would give a pardon for all miners who are still suffering as a result of convictions which were on any test political judgments.
In particular I call on all MP's in Barnsley constituencies to support this proposal, and hope that MP's Dan Jarvis, Stephanie Peacock and Miriam Cates will all support the Scottish Parliament in putting right a wrong committed by the Government in1984/5.
Arthur Scargill.
President.
National Union of Mineworkers 1982-2002. 7/9/2021
