'Hatred' of Margaret Thatcher 'still burns bright' in Scots mining communities 40 years on, says MP

dailyrecord.co.uk:

“Hatred” of Margaret Thatcher “still burns bright” in Scottish mining communities 40 years on, an MP has said.Owen Thompson MP blasted the legacy of the former Prime Minister as he urged the UK Government to pardon miners and launch an inquiry as the 40th anniversary of the strikes looms.The Midlothian MP also hit out at Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer for ignoring his calls for a pardon in Scotland for those convicted of offences relating to the 1984-1985 strike to be extended south of the border.He spoke out as a new documentary highlights the horrific impact of the strikes and the government crackdown.Thompson said: “The hatred of Margaret Thatcher in our mining communities still burns bright 40 years on.“People have not forgotten what went on.

It was like a civil war. Thatcher’s name is poison in my constituency.“Very little has changed - the Tories didn’t care about working people under Thatcher and they could not give a toss now either.“Just look at the 2,800 job losses announced by Tata which all fall within Wales - a place devastated by the strikes.“Keir Starmer has snubbed the working people that he claims to represent by remaining silent about my calls for the pardon.“We still have not got to the bottom of what went on – we need a full, independent inquiry to do that.“The miners’ strike is a poignant chapter in Scotland’s history, symbolising the struggle of industrial workers against UK government policies hostile to their livelihoods and communities.“It helped shape political attitudes in Scotland, contributing to an even greater sense of a distinct Scottish identity and political divergence from the rest of the UK.”The strike started in Yorkshire in 1984 before spreading like wildfire.On March 12, 1984, militant