South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has said it is a huge disappointment that the Scottish Government has chosen to block Scottish Labour’s amendments, which would have established a mechanism for financial redress for those “unjustly” convicted during the 1984/85 miners’ strike.

Justice Minister Keith Brown recently told the chamber: “Although the amendment is not being voted on today, I must speak to it, because it is in front of us. The amendment does not specify what would be compensated for, nor does it specify an amount to be paid or the basis for calculating such an amount…. That is not to say that compensation is wrong, but the bill is not the place for it.”

Hundreds of miners were arrested during the dispute, with more than 200 sacked as a result.

This meant they lost out on wages, pensions and redundancy payments.

Colin Smyth said: “I hope a compromise can be achieved, and the National Union of Mineworkers has suggested a one-off payment of a set amount, depending on the charges each miner was convicted of, which I would back.

“This historic injustice has affected whole communities for decades. It’s high time we sent a clear signal to workers everywhere that they can stand up for their rights, without fear of losing their job or being criminalised for doing so.”