Salmond calls for Thomas Muir to be pardoned

Making the inaugural Thomas Muir lecture at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh last night, on the 250th anniversary of the eponymous radical’s birth, Mr Salmond said: “The exploits of Muir, a pioneer of democratic political reform and Scottish independence, are recognised in the monument at Old Calton Cemetery.

“However, the trumped up charge by the notorious Lord Braxfield of ‘unconscious sedition’ still stands against the names of Muir, Palmer, Skirving, Margarot and Gerrald. It is time to set the record straight.”

Thomas Muir, part of a group of 18th Century Scottish radicals and reformers, was part of the legal profession and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1787 at the age of 22.

Muir was a great supporter of the contemporary American and French revolutions, and supported far-reaching parliamentary reform in Great Britain.

His political activities saw him tried for sedition in 1793 and sentenced to 14 years’ transportation in the Botany Bay penal colony.

Mr Salmond said: “In his speech before the Court of Judiciary, Muir said: ‘Gentlemen, from infancy to this moment I have devoted myself to the cause of the people. It is a good cause – it shall ultimately prevail – it shall finally triumph’.

“His friend William Skirving said from the dock: ‘I know that what has been done these two days will be rejudged’.

“We have the ability to do this in Scotland and we should do it now to reclaim the position of these founders of democracy in Scotland.”

Mr Salmond’s call comes only days after the Scottish Government confirmed it would not seek a posthumous pardon for a man believed to have been wrongfully hanged in 1752.

A government spokesperson said its powers to recommend a royal pardon are “necessarily used sparingly” and the case for overturning the historic conviction was not strong enough.