Ministers urged to exonerate convicted ex-miners

FORMER miners with convictions should receive pardons similar to those that will soon be handed out to gay men by the Scottish Government, according to campaigners.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has announced plans to pardon gay men convicted of homosexual offences under old laws.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay said this move means there is nothing to prevent ministers doing the same for Scottish miners convicted during the strike between 1984 and 1985.

The Scottish Government has previously rejected any calls to review the convictions of nearly 500 miners dating back to the strike.

Ministers have said individuals would have to lodge their own appeals against their convictions with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Mr Findlay, who supports the pardon for gay men, said: “The Scottish Government has rightly taken this stance in issuing these pardons to ensure that a historical wrong is righted.

“But it has done so, again rightly, with no reference to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

“Now that a precedent has been set there should be no barrier to address the historic injustice of convictions of miners during 1984-85.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Plans to pardon men convicted of same-sex sexual activity reflect the fact that these laws were discriminatory.

“This differs from the convictions of people during the miners’ strike where it is alleged convictions were wrongful because it is suggested people did not commit the offences for which they were convicted.”