Members' Business — S6M-09600 Russell Findlay: The 50th Anniversary of the Murder of Margaret McLaughlin

That the Parliament recognises that 6 July 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of the murder of Margaret McLaughlin in Carluke, Lanarkshire; notes that Margaret McLaughlin was aged 23 when she was murdered while walking from her home to Carluke train station; further notes that the murder investigation was reportedly led by Detective Chief Superintendent William Muncie; recognises that the police investigation resulted in the arrest of the Carluke resident, George Beattie, who was a teenager at the time; notes that George Beattie was convicted of Margaret McLaughlin’s murder at the High Court in Glasgow in October 1973 and consequently spent around 15 years in prison; understands that George Beattie continues to deny his guilt and that his conviction has been the subject of a long-running campaign alleging it to be a miscarriage of justice; notes that the campaign was covered in the BBC documentary series, Rough Justice, which was produced by the journalist, Peter Hill; further notes campaigners’ concerns about the integrity of the police investigation; notes that those concerns were referenced in a speech made to the House of Commons in March 1993 by Jimmy Hood, who was then an MP; understands that the criminologist, Professor David Wilson, who is originally from Carluke, wrote a book about the murder of Margaret McLaughlin; notes that the book, Signs of Murder, which was published in July 2020, reportedly identifies a "more likely suspect", who has since been named publicly as Les Jardine; understands that, in 2020, Margaret McLaughlin’s then fiancé, Bob Alexander, spoke to the media for the first time since her murder; notes that Bob Alexander reportedly believes that George Beattie is innocent of Margaret McLaughlin’s murder and that he was "fitted up" by the police; understands that George Beattie believes that there is no available route to challenge his murder conviction, and notes the view that Police Scotland and the Crown Office should be encouraged to conduct a full review of the murder of Margaret McLaughlin.