Bicentenary of the Scottish Insurrection of 1820

That the Parliament commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Scottish Insurrection, a week of strikes and unrest that occurred from 1 to 8 April 1820; notes that the insurrection, also known as the Radical War, arose following an economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars ended, bringing increasing unrest as artisan workers sought action from an uncaring British government as they struggled with high unemployment, unfair working conditions and high food prices; considers that this radical insurrection sought the creation of an independent Scotland with power wholly devolved to the people of Scotland and that on 3 April work stopped over a wide area of central Scotland, including Stirlingshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, with an estimated 60,000 people striking before, on 4 April, a group of radicals marched to the Carron Works in Falkirk to seize weapons but were dispersed by hussars at Bonnymuir; is aware that militia taking prisoners to Greenock jail were attacked by local people and the prisoners freed; acknowledges the brave efforts of radicals such as James Wilson, John Baird and Andrew Hardie, who were hanged and decapitated for their involvement in the rising, while 20 others were sentenced to penal transportation; notes that the movement ultimately helped to raise awareness of a subsumed Scottish national identity and helped sow the seeds that led to the Scottish Reform Act 1832, which in turn expanded the franchise in Scotland by bringing the Scottish electorate overnight from 5,000 to 65,000, or 13% of adult men, meaning that it was no longer a private preserve of a few very rich families; commends the ongoing work of the 1820 Society, a group dedicated to promoting the historical significance of these events; understands that Historic Environment Scotland has plans to put on a display at Stirling Castle to mark the bicentenary and is currently considering other activities to mark the anniversary, and further understands that Museums Galleries Scotland is also exploring the potential benefits of shared approaches to mark the forthcoming anniversary, and that National Records of Scotland is considering opportunities to include the anniversary in its online content and social media communications.