Amnesty Bill announced SPEAKING at the Yorkshire miners' gala in Rotherham this weekend, Tony Benn "The Campaign group of Labour MPs has decided to introduce an Amnesty Bill into the House of Commons, under which all those who were fined or imprisoned as a result of their activities during the miners' strike will be given a pardon which will wipe out all their sentences. This Bill is based upon the ordinance signed by who as the last Conservative Governor of Rhodesia granted a pardon to Mr Ian Smith and all those who supported him during the period of his illegal regime there.
'This Bill is being presented to parliament now, as part of the campaign for a total amnesty which will go to the Trades Union Congress and the Labour conference this autumn. The Labour movement will expect the next Labour government to provide a complete amnesty and pardons for all those who were punished for their courageous and principled stand in support of the mining communities over the last eighteen months, and will go on pressing until such an The Southern Rhodesia Amnesty Ordinance was signed by Lord Soames on March 20 1980. Its first provision was: 'A free pardon is hereby granted to every person in respect of any act committed by him, being an act which constitutes a criminal offence'. ed as a result of the 12 month strike. The latest net total of those still not reinstated is 671. Not one single sacked miner in the Scottish and Kent areas In contrast not one single seab convicted for similar offences has been sacked. Eighty miners are currently still serving their prison sentences.
tinued organisation.
tuna. Lacn sacked mince Is being paid between £25-35 have been distributed on porters looked set to bring iogether these area camthe response from n nonal campaign.
State of Siege, it began to GM COOKSON son of NOMPAS who has That the NUM wer have been able to use the national leatet to collect groups have continued to lelp to prisoners' relative Nor are we campaigning directly on behalf of concern is with a political union movement.' Kent NUM leader Jack Collins calls for a national amnesty campaign: not one of the sald: regions of the TUC La massive nauona campaign Photo: GM COOKSON 147 sacked Kent miners has been reinstated others to discuss organis 7.30pm, Friends Meeting