Most arrests did not lead to charges and that would suggest the police had taken sides

The miners’ strike in 1984 was a significant turning point in Scotland’s history, and that is one of the many reasons why we should be proud, as a country, to right the injustice so many suffered.

There is very limited confidence that the UK Government is at all interested in workers’ trade union rights in the here and now, never mind them revisiting injustices experienced by the miners almost 40 years ago.

We’ve got to do it here. We have our own parliament, and all the tools we need for Scotland to take the leading role and show the rest of Britain what should be done.

Indeed, the scope of the Miners’ Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Bill should be expanded to include more miners who were arrested away from official picket lines and include an even wider range of offences than just breach of the peace, police obstruction or breach of bail.

Many miners were arrested in local communities, away from official picket lines or demonstrations. They should be included in any pardon. There shouldn’t be a hierarchy of justice.

Proportionately, Scotland suffered higher rates of arrests and convictions than other parts of the UK. Our miners were twice as likely to be arrested than miners in England, and three times more likely to be sacked.

They were arrested by police in Scotland and convicted in Scottish courts where our Sheriffs sentenced them. It’s only just that we do the right thing by them now.

Those who were sacked lost redundancy money and pensions which impacted on their future. They should be compensated.

Setting things right wouldn’t cost huge sums of money in the great scheme of things. But for those who suffered, it would mean everything.

It’s harder to measure the injustice many suffered after the strike, because of anti-trade union blacklists which hindered them getting jobs in the construction industry, in particular.

There is no doubt skullduggery went on, whoever was at the bottom of it. The miners and their families lost such a lot because of the way they were treated. They went from being the backbone of this country, to finding themselves stigmatised and facing an uncertain future. Some never recovered from what was done to them.

It should also be remembered that the closure of the mines wasn’t done to clean up industrial practices to save the planet. This wasn’t about any climate emergency, because those concerns didn’t exist in the 1980s. The whole thing was about money, tackling the unions and removing their power.

As many as 60% of arrests here did not lead to any criminal charge and that suggests the police and courts were not impartial guardians of justice but taking sides in a lawful industrial dispute between two parties, the miners and the National Coal Board.

The lasting effects of the Miners’ Strike led to attacks on other unionised workforces, and outcomes still felt today.

Very soon, we saw contacting out of public services, reduced wages and a huge shift in the balance of power both in society and workplaces, which is one reason so many are facing a cost of living crisis right now.

Righting the wrong done to those arrested in 1984 is an opportunity for Scotland not a burden, a chance to do the right thing.

We should take it.