John McAllion: former MP/MSP ‘Cybernats’: Newsnet’s explains why is Lynda Williamson on a shadow of its former self the fake media fury • see page 5 • see page 6 £1 • issue 441 • July 2014 facebook.com/scottishsocialistvoice

WILL THE INDYREF CAMPAIGN TOPPLE

SCOfacebTookT.coIm/SScotHtishS oLciaAlistVBoice OU@sRsv_v? oice EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson

DESPITE THE two year long negative scare campaign run by It’s peoples’ power versus the unionists in Better Together, as we pass midsummer and close on the historic 18 September ref - PLHOToO: Crnaig Macdlean on elites in indy battle erendum Yes campaigners re - as voting fodder for the West - main optimistic and focused. minster careerists. A glance at the motley band In public meetings and can - now officially backing the No vassing it is clear that such vot - camp from Tory toffs through ers are increasingly receptive to Labour time servers to the Or - the message that a Yes vote is ange Order, tells it’s own story of not a vote for the SNP but a vote its real nature as a support cam - that opens the door to a differ - paign for an outdated vision of a ent approach which is in line society which suits the political with their aspirations. and financial elites it serves. Crucial to this task will be As far as the three unionists mobilising the so called “miss - parties, Labour, Tory and the Lib ing million” of non-voters, tra - Dems are concerned one of their ditionally described as key motivators is more a concern apathetic, or worse demonised for the survival of their comfort - as lazy and feckless by comfort - able world than real concern for able commentators paid well by the Scots who elect them. posh papers. London-based veteran come - Increasingly however in cam - dian Stanley Baxter, backing a MASS CANVASS: the RIC’s Mass Canvass event on 22 June – nearly paigning, particularly in Scot - No vote, said “South of the bor - 1000 canvassers polled 8317 people in 46 areas, returning a result of land’s deprived areas, another der’s been very good to me. I’m 40 per cent Yes, 29.5 per cent No and 30.5 per cent undecided reality is revealed. The cynical very happy in London”. city-serving years of Blair and It might have been said by Labour voters increasingly by bosses and Tory money and Brown increasingly abandoned any of the Scots unionist MPs know that Miliband’s chances relying on the old centralised such potential voters and rein - who have spent the last two of winning a Westminster elec - campaign model feeding a tame forced a “they are all the same” years lecturing their electors on tion are diminishingly small and media scares and smears – in - scorn for politicians. why they must stick with West - even if he did, he plans to con - cluding, shamefully the publicly minster with an escalating list tinue with cuts and austerity. funded BBC – has met a gen - Energy and belief of increasingly incredible scares Ranged against this dismal uine, nimble peoples’ response. Rather than apathy, non-vot - and downright lies. prospect is the highly motivated, Described by none other than ing has a range of concrete rea - broad based and, crucially, mass former city banker and New sons such as fear of debt Undemocratic Yes campaign offering a real vi - Labour minister Baroness Shriti collectors using the voter regis - Of course the truth is that the sion of real change informed by Vadera as led by “grumpy old ter to pursue Council Tax arrears UK is run by a parliament a growing consensus for a so - men” Better Together has re - but at its heart it is founded on a elected on undemocratic voting cially just greener Scotland. sponded simply by increasingly hard headed, evidence based, be - system which guarantees that, This message has been taken hysterical scares and utilised lief that voting changes nothing. whoever wins, policies remain out to communities the length state power in London to tell If the energy and belief of the big business and banker and breadth of Scotland in pub - lies about Scotland. Yes campaign can convince friendly with only mild differ - lic meetings, debates, street High summer is normally a those voters that this vote on 18 ences in tone between the so stalls, leafleting and canvassing time for holidays and relaxation September can lead to change called mainstream parties. not to mention thousands of per - but this is unlikely to see the and convince people to translate It was against this reality that, son to person discussions with mass Yes camp scaling down its this into voting then despite the in the latest foray north of the family, friends and workmates. activities in the weeks between long poll lead for the No camp border by a Westminster “Big Backing this up has been the now and 18 September. a Yes vote can be won. Beast” Miliband’s “vision” of a key development of a diverse For the SSP, the Scottish So - With those most reliable poll - No-voting Scotland at the heart and vibrant internet based cam - cialist Voice and the wider left, ster Ladbrokes predicting a 78 of a supposedly renewed and paigning with not only sites the task remains to overcome per cent turnout, this is a realis - progressive UK had, as one re - such as Newsnet Scotland and the fear driven politics of the tic objective and could see a spected commentator said “the Bella Caledonia but thousands No camp and win over those peoples’ campaign defeat the impact of a blancmange hitting of individual postings on social absolutely key Labour voters politics of fear, war and greed concrete”. media. What has emerged is that who have been taken for ranged under the increasingly Back on planet Scotland, a No campaign largely funded granted by their party and used threadbare Union Jack.

2 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 by Colin Fox

NO OTHER country in the world is so exercised by such an imminent and far-reaching polit - ical decision as Scotland today. Politics has been revitalised here over the past two years. Public meetings, largely organ - ised by the huge grassroots Yes campaign, are being hosted in community centres, churches and village halls every night of the week all across the land at - tended by hundreds of people. They illustrate above all a nation engaged. Millions are debating political choices, often for the first time, as our nation faces the independ - ence referendum with an in - ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REALITIES tensity rarely seen anywhere far less encouraged. This debate has been a god - MAISSTING MHILLIOEN :A we RneedT to p eOrsuaFde thRoseE whFo dEon’tR usuEallyN voteD to sUuppoMrt Yes DEPBHOTOA: CraTig MEaclean send for those serious about socialist politics as thousands dominant at Westminster. of Scots have made it clear keeping the pound and keeping of people recognise our ideas public they will vote Yes if it looks like hold of NATO’s coat-tails. Quite are as relevant as ever. meetings on independence Cameron and the Tories are how many of those engaged in This point was reinforced now routinely attract hundreds set to win another five years in this debate stay involved re - again this week when the of people. And several more power at Westminster in 2015. mains to be seen. Clearly Scot - Joseph Rowntree Foundation are planned between now and And the impact of the tish democracy will the published a report showing the 18 September. biggest grassroots political healthier the more that do so. economic difficulties facing the Sales of our independence campaign since the anti-Poll Be all that as it may, the average family. They con - pamphlet have been unprece - Tax struggle 25 years ago is SSP has re-emerged as a cluded that the average family dented. More than 700 people another important factor still to leading force on the Scottish with two children needs a pre- have applied to join the party be fully felt in persuading ‘the left. Those who talked of ‘a tax annual income of £40,600 in the last year as a result of missing million’ – those who post-SSP’ political landscape in order to afford a minimum our pro-independence posi - do not usually vote – to sup - in Scotland over the past five acceptable standard of living. tion. New branches are spring - port Yes this time. years are now exposed as That figure is £10,000 higher ing up across the country. mere ‘wishful thinkers’. than the average actual in - Such interest in our party vin - Opinions Clearly there can be no talk come for such a family. dicates the patient and persist - Opinion polls often fail to of a new left in Scotland after ent approach we have record these respondents for a 18 September without the Basic provisions followed and the determina - variety of socio-economic and SSP. Our party has benefited And a similar report by Uni - tion of SSP members to cham - statistical factors. Few polls ever greatly from engaging in this son’s Glasgow health branch pion our party’s incomparable record the opinions of Scot - debate. SSP activists under - revealed that Scotland’s largest political record. land’s poorest communities. stand just how important a employer, the NHS, has 48 per The SSP involvement in Yes But polling done by the SSP, party is in such circumstances. cent of its staff on certain Scotland, the Radical Inde - the Radical Independence We have worked with others grades unable to afford basic pendence Campaign and many Campaign and by local Yes in the independence movement provisions like books, a warm other pro-Indy groups has groups reveal many thou - without hiding our socialist winter coat or new shoes. helped shape them all. With the sands of voters in this ‘miss - programme or political identity. For the Scottish Socialist polls still showing a No lead it is ing’ constituency fully intend to And we have both aired and Party such economic and so - inevitable people reflect on say Yes this time round. developed our programme for cial realities are at the heart of what that outcome might mean. And Scotland will never be 21st century socialism – a so - this debate. A Yes vote in Sep - But this contest is not over. the same again if they do. The cialism based on democracy, tember is not only a vote for in - The prospect of another nation will be transformed from equality and an end to environ - dependence it is a rejection of Tory victory in 2015 is one fac - top to bottom, despite what mental and human exploitation the neoliberal economics and tor that might lead the Yes and the SNP worldwide – and are much the warmongering politics pre - campaign to victory. A majority imply by keeping the Queen, stronger for it.

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 3 JOHN FINNIE MSP John Finnie MSP gives his take on campaigning for Yes in the Highlands MIND THE MIDGES, MIND YOUR Regardless of location, whether our densely populated urban areas or the ultimate ‘low den - LANGUAGE, MIND YOUR FEET sity’ housing of the Highlands in most instances the collie will have been both bad-mannered Folk in the countryside tend and Islands, it’s vital we max - have announced your visit and insensitive not to allow the to be less upfront about their imise participation in our historic anyway. two other main issues of the day politics, often keen to listen constitutional debate. Whilst the So, whilst not necessarily to be discussed first. whilst maintaining their own message ‘vote Yes - build a so - suggesting every leaflet is To many that may seem a counsel. Likewise, overt dis - cially just Scotland’ will be the ‘knocked-in’ it’s important not to small attendance – indeed that plays of allegiance like posters same across the country, simply leave your written mes - number was replicated at the are relatively rare. there’s no doubt that the deliv - sage and go off without even later evening meeting 70 miles Sunday 22 June was Radical ery techniques will vary. passing the time of day. away en route back to Inver - Independence Campaign’s I am a big fan of the architect At the turn of the year I was ness, however, as a percent - Mass Canvass day, except for who designed some of the asked to speak at a Yes meeting age of the local population that Inverness and Ullapool were the blocks of houses on the on the far north coast. I left In - would represent a huge atten - event kicked off on the Saturday. sprawling estates on the south verness 10am Saturday morn - dance at a meeting in Edin - Whilst odd instances of leaflet - side of Inverness. Walk around ing for the three hour journey, en burgh and Glasgow. ing may happen on a Sunday, a paved path on the outside route picking up the local coun - The evening meeting followed there’s no appetite from any po - and deliver to eight homes a cillor, George Farlow, pooling fish, chips and discussion in the litical party or referendum cam - minute. Neither the crofting our tea, coffee and biscuits – local social enterprise café. paign group to ‘hack off’ any townships of the north-west nor there’s no meeting without tea. Then, following the Yes meeting, would-be voter by knocking on even the bungalow hinterland Before the meeting we met where there was more tea, cof - their door on the Sabbath. Tele - of Loch Ness-side offer such with the local GP to get update fee and biscuits, it was off to an phone pollsters take note. rapid fire delivery opportunities. on on-going challenges of de - office of another social enter - I’m sure the Highlands is no livery care at home. It’s impor - prise to discuss funding options different from many other rural Receptive tant to pack as much into a trip and collaborative work with an - areas when it comes to cam - A few weeks ago I was as possible. other nearby charity. paigning. As elsewhere, there leafleting a large area of social The meeting took place in a All these enterprises had their have been some healthy atten - housing in Inverness with an ‘closed for the winter’ café. own identity but shared many dances at central towns across active and seasoned cam - Twelve people attended and a activists in common. the area for meetings and de - paigner from the Black Isle. As ‘lively’ discussion took place, As Sabbath approached I bates and we must build on we dispensed sacks full of mainly about equal marriage headed back to Inverness get - that public engagement, re - newspapers to a receptive pop - and the recent changes to croft - ting there at about 1am. Total gardless of the outcome of the ulation, he advised me that “on ing legislation. Importantly, attendances about 24. Total referendum. a good night I can get out 30 or everyone seemed to know what ‘reach’ immeasurable. To folk 40 leaflets in the Black Isle”. the other was going to raise, in north-west Sutherland In - Great message Why would that be? Well it’s with little surprise at what was verness is remote, never mind The essential Highland cam - not the done thing to walk up exercising the Free Kirk elder. Edinburgh whilst London is paigners kit consists of: a capac - to a rural dwelling and not an - Of course there was discussion just the place where the land- ity to listen; a willingness to trek nounce your presence, albeit on the constitution but it would owners stay. to meet the voter, but watch that barbed-wire fence when trying To subscribe to the Scottish Socialist Voice – newspaper of the Scottish Socialist to approach voter on tractor; an Party – fill in this form and send it to: Scottish Socialist Voice, Suite 370, 4th Floor, understanding of the diverse na - Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. Or telephone: 07810205747 ture of ground conditions and Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to ‘Scottish Socialist Voice’ animals you may encounter; an Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/scottishsocialistvoice & Twitter: @ssv_voice understanding of the importance View PDFs at: scottishsocialistparty.org/category/socialist-voice of weather to the campaigner and voter alike; sunscreen, ‘sen - Name...... sible footwear’ and, perhaps Address...... above all, a will not to offend...... Finally, mind the midges, mind your language and mind Phone...... your feet and you should be ok. Email...... Ours is a great message about I enclose: g £5 for 2 issues g £10 for 4 issues g £20 for 8 issues an opportunity for rural Scot - land for all of Scotland.

4 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 JOHN M cALLION by John McAllion

THE BURDEN of delivering a No majority against independ - Scottish Labour is now a ence was always going to fall on the shoulders of the Labour Party. The Tories won only one Scot - tish Westminster seat at the last shadow of its former self election. The Liberal Democrats that has been in office for four won eleven but are currently lan - years during which they had im - guishing at just 6 per cent in the pose deeply unpopular policies latest opinion polls, 29 and 25 that have hit and hurt millions of points behind Labour and the To - voters across the country. More ries respectively and 13 points importantly Labour did not do behind UKIP. The Coalition par - nearly as well as might be ex - ties are losers in the context of pected of a party that is just a year Scotland’s referendum. away from forming a majority By contrast Labour still holds government. nearly 70 per cent of Scotland’s Taking less than a third of the Westminster seats and is by some local government vote and just a distance the main opposition to quarter of the European vote does the SNP in Holyrood. Scotland not suggest that public opinion in until relatively recently was one the rest of the UK is swinging be - of Labour’s tribal heartlands. hind Ed Miliband and his party. Throughout the dark years of The personal ratings for Tory UK dominance, Scotland Miliband make matters even loyally registered Labour parlia - worse. In one poll 60 per cent of mentary majorities in opposition those asked thought he was “not to Thatcher and Major. Many of YOUR FUTURE PM? up to the job” of being Prime Labour’s big political beasts were, why would anyone trust Minister. More than half thought and some still are, based in Scot - somebody who’d pose he was “out of touch” with their with Murdoch’s vile rag? tish constituencies. concerns and 59 per cent viewed porters. It became necessary to set Salmond and David Cameron him as “weak”. Shredded base up a rival campaign “Unite with would be “a good idea”. The sep - Labour remains the only ele - Labour” to accommodate the arate Labour campaign did allow Poor decision ment of the British establishment likes of Gordon Brown who as Labour politicians to develop their On a range of policy issues capable of stemming the rising well as not wanting to share plat - own key campaign message: vote from child poverty to the econ - tide of Yes votes. Yet Labour is forms with the Tories still har - no in September and vote in a omy, big majorities thought that now but a shadow of the party that boured a burning resentment Labour Government in next a Labour government led by him once dominated Scottish politics. against Alistair Darling his one- year’s UK election. would fail to deliver. Voters ob - The latest polls suggest it is on time less than loyal Chancellor However, with UK opinion viously have a problem with Ed course to lose its third Scottish and now leader of the cross-party polls registering single digit and that was the case even be - election in a row to the SNP. It has unionist campaign. Labour leads over the Tories and fore he posed with a copy of The lost popular support in each Scot - Brown not only kept his dis - showing Cameron and Osborne Sun and then apologised to Liv - tish election since 1999. tance from Better Together but with a 12 point lead over erpool for his poor decision Its local government base has began to develop his own inde - Miliband and Balls on the econ - making in doing so. Senior fig - been shredded by the introduction pendent No campaign. He has omy, the argument that another ures in the party are now rou - of proportional representation. criticised the Better Together Labour government is just around tinely briefing against their own Labour now controls just two of tactic of turning the referendum the corner lacks any credibility. leader and have already begun to Scotland’s 32 councils. Its activist into a contest between Scotland As the economy continues to plan who will replace him after base has been hollowed out with and Britain. grow many Labour insiders fear what they see as Labour’s in - the party issuing just 13,000 ballot He was particularly dismissive that their lead over the Tories will evitable defeat in 2015. papers during the most recent of Tory ministers coming north to disappear and with it the prospect Their main concern is with UK Scottish leadership election. lay down the law about what of another Labour government. Labour’s future under a different Moreover, Labour’s campaign Britain would allow or not allow Their fears were compounded by leader. Their disloyalty not only on the referendum has been less an independent Scotland to do – the results of the European and undermines Labour’s future elec - than inspiring. The party’s deci - no currency union, no more de - English local government elec - tion chances, it blows to pieces the sion to join with the Coalition par - fence orders, etc. He even sug - tions. Aside from the rise of case that a No vote in 2014 will ties in Better Together alienated gested, to Alistair Darling’s horror UKIP, the Tories did much better open the way for a Labour Gov - many of its own activists and sup - that a debate between Alex than might be expected of a party ernment in 2015.

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 5 MEDIA by Lynda Williamson, parts of the debate. He says “It’s Newsnet Scotland almost deliberate, this intimida - tion, and I find that very sinister THERE IS a radiator salesman and unpleasant.” from Hadleigh in Suffolk named ‘CYBERNATS’: Will reports of Labour election Phil Neville. Mr Neville recently re - candidates equating Scots young - ceived a torrent of abuse on social sters with Hitler Youth make it onto media – some comments expressed the pages of our newspapers? a wish for his speedy demise. His But for me the truly baffling crime? He shares the same name as THE ONGOING thing about all of this is the haste a particularly boring football pundit. with which officials from the Yes Take a look at any discussion campaign rush to apologise and around football on social media and condemn the numpties from the you won’t have to dig too deep to MEDIA FURORE Yes side while staying eerily silent find some frank and robust ex - about abuse is thrown at their own changes of opinion. I’ve even seen supporters. some truly vitriolic comments about Of course they seek to distance Strictly on Facebook! themselves, perfectly understand - The point is that there are a few ably from abusers but surely they numpties on the world wide web. must defend the abused? Perhaps online persona have be - Though it’s a confident move - come like the avatars that some peo - ment that thinks it can afford to ple create in fantasy computer alienate its own followers by staying worlds like Second Life enabling silent on the issue, by trying to seem them to become the person online oh so reasonable, do the Yes cam - that they wish they were in real life. paign risk appearing to tacitly accept Who knows? responsibility for online abuse? That these people inhabit every I sure as hell hope they are not area of social media should be a accepting it on my behalf, not after given, the evidence is there for any - what I’ve witnessed after a few one who takes a cursory glance to hours of research. see, this should not be up for debate. by the mainstream media who glee - a perfect example of that vitriol. Of course the spokespeople for But in one area and one area alone, fully report the inevitable transgres - While the Nazi insult is the most Yes must condemn whole heart - it seems to be. sions of a small minority of Yes common it is by no means the only edly any form of abuse, online or supporting fools while ignoring or the worst insult thrown at Yes otherwise and we all have a duty to Online grassroots similar transgressions from the other supporters and ignored by those ourselves and to the wider move - The No Thanks campaign has side of the debate even from the pin - whose narrative it does not fit. ment to treat everybody we en - nothing equivalent to Wings Over nacle of the No Thanks hierarchy. Coming hot on the heels was a counter with courtesy no matter Scotland or Newsnet or Bella Cale - Furore when a certain lady was similar incident when a No Thanks how challenging that may be. donia or any of the myriad of Yes accused of having links to the supporter hiding under the nick - supporting sites. Labour Party but deafening silence name of ‘Kilted Kelpie’ tweeted: Unacceptable There is also a kind of online following Alistair Darling’s New “The launch event of ‘Sex of - But we must also expect, neigh grassroots movement and earlier Statesman interview when he ac - fenders for YES’ is tonight. There’s demand swift and robust rebuttal this year research published by cused independence supporters of a Yes group for everyone.” of any suggestion that the problem Glasgow University showed that the being Nazis. The Nazi accusation is Beneath the text was a picture of of online abuse is unique to sup - Yes campaign are romping to vic - particularly common, it’s a lazy in - Alex Salmond stood alongside a porters of independence. That is tory in the battle for social media. sult proffered by those devoid of young woman with a banner head - the narrative of No Thanks and No Thanks cannot afford to allow imagination but it does keep crop - line which read ‘SEX OFFEND - just unacceptable. this to continue. They cannot beat ping up with monotonous regularity. ERS for YES’. Online abuse is perpetrated by the phenomenal Yes grassroots ac - Indeed it popped up once again When researching this article I a small minority, the vast majority tivists on the ground with Radical with a future Labour candidate for asked some Yes supporting friends of us will never encounter any, if Independence and the SSP targeting election in Angus tweeting an if they had experienced any abuse we do, there are facilities to block the disaffected in our society, ar - image of German youngsters while online and was truly dis - people on all the popular social guably the people who have most to gathered under a Nazi banner in turbed to discover that some low media sites. benefit from a Yes vote in Septem - response to an image of five Scots life had written a post on Facebook So let’s continue to win the on - ber . They need to neutralise the on - youngsters pictured at an anti-bias which read: “Silly Scottish slut... line debate and let’s get out there line grassroots effect. With that in rally. It seems that youth is no de - hope you get raped.” and talk to people face to face – mind they have embarked on a cam - fence against the more vitriolic el - Yet the mainstream media is that’s how we will win the ultimate paign to demonise the “cybernats”. ement of the modern Scottish reporting that Rory Bremner dis - prize of independence for our coun - In this quest they are ably assisted Labour party and Kathy Wiles is likes the “threats and bluster” of try and it is there for the taking.

6 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 WORKPLACE RUCTIONS AFTER THE REFERENDUM workers, Labour and bSy Ricchie Veonton,t SStP isgaged hin the po litics onf the refedren - eclass mapjority poepulation heats udp, liees of Labnour mis-cleaders ein work - national workplace dum debate like no other issue in the Tories, Lib Dems and main - ing class audiences. organiser living memory. stream media are more hindrance We have exposed the fact that Questions of profound signifi - than help to the unionist cause; when Labour claims independ - THE SCOTTISH referendum cance about what kind of society they are widely recognized as ence would break the unity of the has added substantially to the we live in and what kind of society workers’ enemies. working class, it was 13 succes - stresses and strains between we want to construct under Scot - Hence the rolling out of Gordon sive years of Labour governments Labour and the trade unions. tish self-government have been Brown as newly-discovered evan - that banned workers’ solidarity, On one side of the potential for debated in community halls and gel of workers’ solidarity, promis - legally outlawing the right to take clashes we have the blind, un - school assembly rooms every ing “justice with Labour”, etc.! action in support of fellow work - thinking loyalty to Labour of the night of the week, in every corner Of course many workers are li - ers, under threat of seizure of tops of many of the trade unions; of the nation, with tens of thou - able to fall for Labour’s lies, given trade union funds. either blatantly through affiliation sands participating. It is a mass po - the residual roots of what used to to the Tory-funded, Labour- litical education system that means be Labour in the mass of the pop - Labour lies fronted Better Together, or in - nothing will remain as it was after ulation, going back several gener - We’ve exploded Labour lead - creasingly in recent months via September 2014. ations. That danger is heightened ers’ lie that voting Yes is con - the United with Labour front for And the exposé of Labour as by the same Labour leaders’ cyn - demning workers in England and unionism. open collaborators with the avowed ical portrayal of the referendum Wales to permanent Tory rule: Lined up against such trade Tory enemy of workers has added battle being between them and the only twice has the Scottish vote union ‘leaders’ is a growing battal - immensely to the process of work - SNP – another lie! been essential to a Labour govern - ion of union activists and members ers unshackling themselves from A substantial minority of work - ment being elected, one of which who see as their old Labour loyalties. ers, traditionally Labour voters, was the brief eight months of a rapid escape route from the dic - The British and Scottish Labour have had these myths burnt out of Harold Wilson government from tatorship of the Tories. leaderships are increasingly the their consciousness at public meet - February to October 1974. chief barriers to Scottish inde - ings of the SSP, or other Yes meet - We’ve explained that far from Political education pendence. As the battle for the ings with SSP speakers. Socialists abandoning the working class At a UK-wide level within the hearts and minds of the working are in the best position to crush the down south, independence would trade unions this might not be an usher in the opportunity to lead by issue of prime importance; but example, by shaping a society in within the Scottish union member - Labour leaders lie that voting favour of the working class that ships it is a decisive turning point, Yes is condemning workers would act as a beacon to fellow another factor in the abandonment in England and Wales to permanent workers in our neighbouring states. of Labour by big chunks of the Tory rule – only twice has the And SSP speakers have been working class. instrumental in reminding thou - Scottish workers and working Scottish vote been essential to a sands of the realities voting No class communities have been en - Labour government being elected and then seeking “justice with issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 7 WORKPLACE Labour” at Westminster in 2015 STRANGE ‘SOCIALISM’: green energy sector; removal of would mean: it was Labour in in the past year, Scottish Trident and opposition to involve - office under Brown, Blair and Labour leader Johan Lamont ment in imperialist wars. Alastair Darling that announced has denounced Scotland as But where would such a pro - 100,000 civil service job losses; a ‘something for nothing gramme leave ‘Scottish’ Labour? society’ and threatened to abolished the lower 10p tax rate The Labour Party in Scotland remove free prescriptions, for the lowest paid; implemented under Westminster rule is a mere over-60s’ bus passes and rampant privatization; destroyed free school meals appendage of a British party that Final Salary Pension Schemes; is firmly hitched to capitalism and presided over the most un - and besotted with winning mid - equal division of wealth since dle-class swing voters in so- 1886, according to Oxfam. called Middle England. Labour’s attachment to the UK In other words, fundamentally state is an expression of its deeper and utterly opposed to any sugges - ideological devotion to capitalism tion of socialism. and it’s state institutions. In the event of independence, Since at least the 1990s, Labour in Scotland would be Labour has transformed into an obliged to reposition itself. openly capitalist party. But pre - Not a principled autonomy or cisely because of its working independence from the capitalist class origins of a century ago, and British Labour Party – based on the remaining institutional links the principles of the right to na - between Labour and the majority tional self-determination and of the trade unions, that makes role of Labour in their undisguised tions; rarely if ever as a principled therefore pursuit of an independ - Labour the chief political obsta - collaboration with the sworn Tory left/right split. ent Socialist Scotland – more an cle to the advancement of the enemies of the working class. Those Labour members who’ve unprincipled readjustment driven working class, let alone full After September 18, we are had the courage to campaign for in - by self-preservation and parlia - blown socialism. likely to see eruptions, schisms and dependence will face stark choices mentary ambitions in an inde - a haemorrhaging of members from in an independent Scotland: join pendent . Capitalist Labour Labour in Scotland. with other genuine socialists in the The central question would still By clinging onto traditional If, as we hope and expect, a Yes SSP to fight for a socialist majority remain: what ideology and polit - working class voters, whilst vote is won, the tops of Labour at in the 2016 elections, or stay in the ical programme would drive such preaching and practicing neoliberal UK and Scottish level will never be Labour Party in the hope of trans - a Scottish Labour Party in an in - capitalism, Labour is involved in a forgiven for their anti-working forming Scottish Labour into a so - dependent state? monumental deceit that upholds the class collaboration with the Tory cialist force. power and profiteering of the capi - enemies of democratic self-rule. Of course a political programme Lamont ‘socialist’? talist elite – the billionaires who If their efforts were to succeed for radical socialist transformation The performance of the parlia - rule Breadline Britain. in getting a No vote, hundreds of is at the heart of this question, rather mentary wing of Labour in Scot - The same applies to foreign thousands will neither forget nor than names and party labels. land bodes ill for those dreaming policy, which is only an exten - forgive their role in blocking Policies that could mobilize of a socialist revival in Scottish sion of domestic policies: it was workers’ escape route from bru - working class people in a move - Labour’s ranks. For instance, only Labour that dragged Britain into tal Tory dictatorship. And after a ment built on the shoulders of the two Scottish Labour MPs voted the killing fields of Afghanistan while, those in uproar at the Scot - referendum campaign and that against the recent Tory cap on and Iraq, clinging onto the coat- tish and British Labour leaders challenges capitalism would in - welfare benefits. tails of USA imperialism. would include tens of thousands clude: a decent living minimum I’ve witnessed some in Labour The debates at trade union conned into voting No who then wage; reversal of Westminster’s for Independence claim – in their branches and public meetings on realized their betrayal, as the as - cuts; massive increases to pensions argument that independence would the referendum have raised is - sault on jobs, pay, benefits and and benefits; defence and exten - revive Labour as a socialist force – sues that can’t simply be bottled services began to bite deep. sion of a modern public welfare that Scottish Labour leader Johann up and put in cold storage again state; abolition of all anti-union Lamont is actually a socialist, but after September. Unprincipled laws and introduction of work - hampered by the London-based These include the call for con - If, with the assistance of the place democracy; reversal of past domination of Ed Miliband et al. trol over trade union decisions by growing Labour for Independence Tory and Labour privatisations; It’s a strange version of socialism the Scottish membership; the for - trend, we win a Yes vote, all hell democratic public ownership of that denounces Scotland as a mation of industry-wide shop will break loose in and around Royal Mail, energy, transport, con - “something for nothing society”, stewards committees across na - Labour in Scotland. struction, banks; progressive taxa - threatening to remove free pre - tional boundaries (and not just re - MPs will vie with MSPs for par - tion of the rich and big business; scriptions, over-60s’ bus passes or stricted to the borders of the current liamentary seats in an independent full employment through creation free school meals; or that be - UK, in this age of multinational Holyrood – mostly unprincipled of decent, well-paid jobs and ap - smirched the Scottish working capitalism); and the treacherous jockeying for parliamentary ambi - prenticeships in housing and the class as “not genetically pro -

8 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 WORKPLACE FORCE FOR CHANGE: alongside the SSP, socialists in the Labour Party and trade unions, plus newly awakened socialists in RIC and Yes groups across Scotland, and socialists currently in the SNP can help forge a mighty force for fundamental socialist change in Scotland and beyond PHOTO: Simon Whittle

grammed to make political deci - rious, and a graphic indication of conference voting – unanimously! Thousands of SNP members sions” – both declarations being the deepening chasm between the – for public ownership of Royal on demos, rallies and public made in the past year by the same trade union ranks and Labour. Mail and the railways, only to have meetings have said to the SSP: ‘socialist’ Johann Lamont. A clear and growing majority of the Labour leaders spit in the face “When we get independence, A Yes vote may embolden some activists and union reps in the likes of their own party conference, de - we’ll be with you.” in LFI and the Labour Campaign of UNISON and UNITE are for claring within minutes that they for Socialism in challenging the Yes, which brings them into con - will do no such thing on winning Make the break Scottish Labour leadership. But the flict with the party their unions are power at Westminster. These pro-independence social - fundamental problem they would still affiliated to. Workers convinced of the need ists need to ‘make the break’ from still face is the lack of any Regardless of whether it’s a Yes for radical change, including an SNP party whose dominant groundswell in the working class or No majority in September, the through the mass learning process leadership have shown their dedi - towards joining the Labour Party case for breaking from Labour has of the referendum, would do cation to capitalist economy and en masse to reclaim and convert it grown in the trade unions; expo - much better to devote their talent capitalist institutions through poli - into a socialist party. nentially so compared to when the and energy alongside those of us cies such as lower Corporation Tax; In fact, the opposite is the trend. SSP launched our ‘Make the already organised in the SSP, in membership of the nuclear, war - At least a whole generation of trade Break’ campaign in January 1999. constructing a mass, working mongering NATO; support for a unionists and working class com - Trade union branches and es - class socialist party. Realignments medieval monarchy; and their im - munities have experienced nothing pecially union activists are key on the Scottish left in the event of plementation of Westminster aus - but disappointment, disgust and de - to the renewal of socialism in independence will strengthen that terity through cuts imposed by spair at their experience of Labour Scotland, alongside young peo - strategy immensely. SNP-led councils. in government at council, Holy - ple and those currently not in a That is especially so given the Together with the SSP – which rood or Westminster levels. unionised workplace. thousands of socialists who have up for all 16 years of our existence has And their most recent experience until now chosen the SNP as the persistently fought for socialism is of the same Labour being on the Severe limitations biggest vehicle to travel to inde - and Scottish independence – so - wrong side – united with the Tory But that won’t be achieved by pendence in. On reaching that des - cialists in the Labour Party and class enemy – during the referen - trying to breathe life into the tination – the raison d’être for the trade unions, plus newly awakened dum battle. Labour Party. The severe limita - SNP over 80 years – they will then socialists in RIC and Yes groups Far from any movement of tions of that strategy – even when confront the choice of what kind of across Scotland, socialists currently workers being attracted to join the applied by the biggest trade union Scotland to build with the powers in the SNP can help forge a mighty Labour Party, unions like USDAW in the country – were highlighted in of independence. force for fundamental socialist have had members resigning and Falkirk, with all the consequences Whether to surrender to a tartan change in Scotland and beyond. threatening to resign due to the for Unite the union and it’s activists capitalism, ‘more of the same’ but Nothing will remain the same union’s ultra-Labour loyalist affili - at Grangemouth refinery. under the Saltire – or do battle for after 18 September – provided we ation to Better Together; a mis - The limitations – indeed the fu - a full-blown socialist programme fight to shape Scotland into the taken, but entirely understandable tility of that strategy – were further for Scotland, as part of the inter - socialist society workers need it conclusion by workers who are fu - underlined by last year’s Labour national struggle for socialism? to become.

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 9 FINANCE APPEAL by Jim McVicar, SSP National Treasurer THE SCOTTISH Socialist Donate to SSP indy appeal Party has registered with the Scotland, working class work and canvassing and appreciated. Our Electoral Commission as a people will be better off and have received requests from independence campaign Yes campaigner for the Westminster-led Tory all over Scotland for SSP appeal fund has a target of independence referendum in governments in Scotland will campaign material. £50,000 and though still in its September. be consigned to the dustbin The Scottish Socialist infancy, has received The Scottish Socialist Party, of history. Party, unlike the Tory and donations from every corner since it was formed, has The pro-independence Labour joint-unionist of Scotland and although supported Scottish campaign have been out on campaign, have no friends in £50,000 is a massive amount independence and has the streets throughout big business to bankroll our of money for the SSP to campaigned within the pro- Scotland, with street stalls, campaign. raise, I am confident that we independence movement for public activity, public We rely solely on the will achieve our target with an independent socialist meetings and door to door money we raise from our your continuing support. Scotland as a way of lifting canvassing and whether as members, friends and That’s why I’m appealing to working people out of the part of , RIC or supporters to finance our you through the pages of the misery that pro-market working independently as the campaign, and every penny Scottish Socialist Voice to governments have brought to Scottish Socialist Party we we receive to help promote make a pledge or donation to all our lives. have received a positive our socialist vision of the independence appeal In an independent response to our campaign Scotland is much fund today. See below for details of HOW TO PLEDGE AND DONATE MONEY how to donate. Thanks for your support. • Donate via your local SSP branch • Paypal: [email protected] • Send a cheque to ‘SSP Independence Appeal If you want to help with the appeal fund, or if Fund’ and return to Jim McVicar, SSP National you need any more details, contact Jim McVicar • Update: SSP Fife recently Treasurer, Suite 307, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD on 07810205747 or email: found an old branch bank • Text 07810205747 with your pledge amount and [email protected] account with a sizable balance. email address if you have one They’ve donated £1,000 to our • Bank transfer: SSP Appeal Fund Account, Co-op However you choose to pledge, please text Jim appeal. Branches – check Bank, Sort Code 08-92-99 / Account No. 65094637 the details so we can keep track of all donations. your accounts!

10 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 NEWS by Roseanna McPhee and Colin Turbett SCOTTISH GYPSY TRAVELLERS SCOTLAND’S LONGEST standing ethnic minority, the Scottish Gypsy Traveller com - FACE CONTINUED DISCRIMINATION munity, face continued discrim - breaches of Scottish Govern - ination despite the recognition ment law and European proto - in recent years of full ethnic mi - cols regarding planning and nority status. It is emerging that provision, activist Roseanna local authorities are circumvent - McPhee argues a case that offi - ing their legal responsibility cials and elected members will under government regulations to not be able to ignore. assess and plan for Gypsy Trav - ellers by simply stating that Last resort there is no such community in Citing UN, European and Scot - their area and that provision is tish Government policy she goes therefore unnecessary. on to quote a 2013 Scottish Par - Local plans, which have to be liamentary Equal Opportunities endorsed by the Scottish Govern - Committee Inquiry which heard ment, are the means for this that “labelling as illegal a commu - process, but Renfrewshire Coun - nity’s action in seeking accommo - cil’s latest plan ignores the pres - dation options where no others are ence of a number of families who RICH CULTURE: Shamus and Roseanna McPhee, brother and sister available, invokes a criminal jus - have been trying to get planning Scottish Gypsy Traveller activists, are fighting back tice response that really ought to permission for settlement in the be the last resort.” Linwood area. ellers: the site in Linwood was areas such as North Ayrshire, and Sadly public views are preju - closed a number of years ago – Dumfries & Galloway. The ex - diced by the TV images of the Big Forced dispersal Gypsy Travellers being blamed cuse, which often goes unchal - Fat Gypsy Wedding variety rather Traditional stopping places in for vandalism when the reality lenged, is that of criminal activity than the reality and poverty of life Johnstone, Linwood and Lang - was a site that was neither wel - and anti-social behaviour – as if for Scotland’s Gypsy Traveller bank in neighbouring Inver - coming nor maintained properly. these things were absent in main - community. Their rich culture and clyde, have been closed off or Forcing the SGT community stream communities! way of life is being eradicated subject to forced dispersal, so into stopping places where they However, contrary to expecta - through the actions of a society that there is nowhere now for are neither welcomed nor pro - tions that this community are un - unable to tolerate difference. So - Travellers to stop in a large area vided for, only increases tensions able to articulate and effectively cialists support their right to their of the West of Scotland. with other local residents, often advocate their views, members culture and condemn racism and Neither Renfrewshire, Inver - in an atmosphere stoked up by of the SGT community are fight - prejudice in all its forms – clyde, nor East Renfrewshire have racist elements. Similar ing back. In a letter to Renfrew - whether institutional or individ - site provision for Gypsy Trav - processes are happening in other shire Council highlighting their ual, as they feed off each other. A sporting chance? Preview: Endurance by “While it is fairly easy to find whilst also examining the is - • A Moment’s Catrin Evans and The out about a white man who sues around women in sport in Peace Theatre Women’s Creative sprints for Australia, getting infor - general such as gender testing Company in Company . The Arches, mation on, for example, a female and how their sporting achieve - co-production Argyle Street, Glasgow, triple-jumper from Ghana has ments are reported and com - with The Arches. 24–27 July, various times proved a lot more difficult”, says mented on in the media. Box office: Catrin Evans, artistic director of It also poses questions like, 0141 565 1000 ENDURANCE IS a theatre the Women’s Creative Com - have things really changed for project which has brought to - pany. But it is these women’s women now that they are ‘al - gether over a dozen women from stories that Endurance attempts lowed’ to participate in compet - across Glasgow to show the to bring to a wider audience. itive boxing and weightlifting, achievements and challenges The women involved in the and what does it mean for of sportswomen from across project have been researching women to be living under the the commonwealth nations. a number of sportswomen ‘British Empire’? www.amomentspeace.co.uk

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 11 OPINION My name is Ena McLean. I am a member of the Scottish Socialist Party. I have never spoken at a public meeting in my life. I am not politically clever or savvy so I ‘The only way to won’t be getting into party politics. I am here as an ordinary citizen to have a conversation with you about the coming referendum. get the Scotland I I am sure that some of you are finding it difficult to come to a decision about independence. The more you listen to the Yes/No debates want is to make a the more confusing it gets. Who do you believe? Who can you trust? The so-called experts can’t complete break agree about anything. They contradict each other all the time. We’ve had scare tactics, promises of good times to ENA M cLEAN is a veteran socialist, a warm, lively woman in her seventies who come. Now both sides are lwives ini Kntighhtswoo dW, Glasgoew. Shse rejotinemd the SSiP nlast ysear. Sthee was dr’ue to being nice to each other. I’m speak at a recent SSP public meeting in Knightswood on the socialist case for really confused. So I decided independence, but was ill on the day and couldn’t deliver her speech. But Ena to ignore them all and base my is keen to share her thoughts through the Voice... decision on Scotland as it is now and Scotland as I want it human terms. It means that disabilities on the individuals in. Iain Duncan Smith sat there to be. My conclusion is that the one in three kids go to school they are assessing. and made excuses for her. only way to get the Scotland I on an empty stomach, or go to People who are affected She made a mistake; the want is to make a complete bed hungry in a cold home that have to go through those press were out to get her; blah, break with Westminster. the parents cant afford to heat. assessments on a regular blah, blah. On the one hand he I’m not talking about basis just in case they should is devising punishing plans for Career politicians dysfunctional families, where wake up one morning and find the sick, disabled and I am absolutely not anti- drugs or alcohol abuse are an that where yesterday they unemployed and on the other English. But I am completely issue. I’m talking about families could only walk 25 yards today he is defending an expenses anti-Westminster. In my who are in work but earning they might be able to walk 26 – cheat. This is typical of the opinion, Westminster is stuffed such abysmally low wages that so they should be in a job. arrogance of the privileged. full of career politicians who it’s a constant struggle to make Better together with these posh yearn to be lords and ladies ends meet. These are the Fiendish plans parasites? I don’t think so! and millionaires, who are there families who are using food It’s not enough to be sick or The Westminster solely to protect the interests of banks and pay day loans. disabled, you have to be government are planning more the very rich and powerful. We have become a low punished by having to worry austerity cuts which will plunge The English, Welsh and Irish wage economy in a rich from one assessment to the thousands more into extreme working class are suffering the country. Stagnant wages and outcome of the next. This is poverty. We can stop them by same Westminster imposed the ever-rising cost of living are the policy of Iain Duncan becoming independent. austerity as the Scots. The big putting families at risk of real Smith. I listened to him on the A Yes vote is not a vote for difference between us is that hardship. There is a better Andrew Marr show a few Alex Salmond. It’s a vote for we have a fantastic, once-only way, but as long as we’re tied weeks ago. He was outlining the people of Scotland to be opportunity to create a new to Westminster we are never his fiendish plans for further able to start over again and Scotland. A fairer and more going to find it. reforms of welfare. create a New Scotland. How equal democracy. Imagine too if we could On the same programme he many countries get a chance Just imagine if we could change the fact that the sick was asked to comment on the to do that? Let’s not waste change the fact that one in and disabled are compelled to Tory MP who had been that chance. three children in Glasgow undergo humiliating reprimanded for using I’ll finish by stealing a couple alone live in abject poverty. assessments by profiteers who taxpayers’ money to make of words from the Bard. Let Forget about the numbers for a have no understanding of the mortgage payments on a Scotland become a ‘burning minute and think about this in effects of the illnesses and house her parents were living shining light to a’ the place.

12 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 NEWS by Stephanie Pride

IT SAYS a lot about the state of local politics in Falkirk that SNP AND LABOUR FALKIRK SPAT one socialist can rudely heckle another during what is ostensibly a debate about independence. MIRRORS NATIONAL HOminsSter sTeat (IcuLrreIntlTy ocY cupied I’m not particularly proud to by the ostracised Eric Joyce) at say that I was the heckler and the next general election. the other socialist (by his own For all their posturing, however, description) was Michael Con - there is little to choose between the narty, MP for Falkirk East, and two main social democratic parties one of the few Labour rebels to in Scotland other than their stance vote against the benefits cap at on independence, and as Patrick Westminster. Harvie pointed out at the local Connarty, who declared him - hustings, a lot of their manufac - self a socialist three times at a tured differences come down to recent referendum hustings or - who is in power. ganised by the Falkirk Herald, was clearly desperate to parade Real alternative his left-wing credentials to an For example, in the Scottish audience that appeared evenly HYSTERIC RIVALRY: (l-r) Labour’s Michael Connarty and Karen Whitefield, Parliament it was Labour who split between the Yes and the chair Ian Scott, the SNP’s Claire Adamson and Patrick Harvie of the Greens argued for imposing a condition No camps, but was overwhelm - PHOTO: Michael Gillen on public contractors of offer - ingly anti-Tory. Of course there is nothing new local campaign against coalbed ing the living wage, while the While I have nothing against here, and the picture in Falkirk methane extraction in Airth, the SNP opposed it on the grounds Connarty, who I am sure is sin - mirrors the quality of the na - SNP have effectively cast them - that it could fall foul of EU cere in his desire for social jus - tional debate over independence. selves as the champions of competition laws. Harvie said tice, his view that the best way For some years, Labour and grass-roots democracy against the positions could well have to achieve working class solidar - the SNP have been locked in an an out-of-touch Labour Party been reversed had Labour been ity and a nuclear-free Britain is increasingly bitter power strug - machine hell-bent on power at in power, although the Nation - by staying part of the union and gle in Falkirk, with the national - all costs: simultaneously ‘in alists in particular have a record putting your faith in the Labour ists gaining ground in recent hock’ to the unions, ‘contemptu - of blaming other institutions for Party was deserving of derision. times. However, it is Labour who ous’ of its membership and ‘in their own shortcomings, which On the Yes side, the SNP’s rule the roost on the council, with bed with’ the Tories (when its would somehow all be over - Clare Adamson MSP was a 14-13 split in their favour - de - most prominent former member come if they presided over an equally keen to prove her left- spite the SNP winning a greater is not drunkenly aiming punches independent Scotland. leaning credentials. In a bid to share of the first-choice vote. at them!). In truth, neither party can de - outflank the Labour opposition, For the SNP, it must have hurt That they have been able to do liver on its rhetoric and it is up she denounced a UK minimum to lose power on the cut of a pack so is testament to their hard work to the likes of the Scottish So - wage that she maintained was a of cards when both sides were on the ground, not least in the cialist Party to expose this and tenth of the national average! tied in 2007, while it rankled even Yes campaign, while the local offer a real alternative to the re - more to see Labour go into coali - Labour Party has lurched from jection of politics which is so Circus of rivalry tion with the Tories to achieve an one debacle to another and could often the public response, not Needless to say, it wasn’t overall majority in 2012. even lose their once safe West - least in Falkirk. long before the two sides were Since then, the SNP group has slugging it out over some highly boycotted meetings of the council contestable facts and figures, in protest at the ‘undemocratic’ with only Patrick Harvie MSP carve-up of executive power, de - Fill in this formJ and osend iit tno: Sc ottishh Sociealist P aSrty, SuSite 37P 0, prepared to acknowledge that spite doing exactly the same thing 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD. Or phone: not every point made by the themselves on other councils. 07810205747. Or join the SSP online: scottishsocialistparty.org/join-us other side was illegitimate. Leading activists have wasted no g Indeed, the presence of the time in accusing Labour of sup - I would like to join the Scottish Socialist Party g Scottish Green Party leader re - pressing criticism and dirty tricks I would like more info on the Scottish Socialist Party ally showed up the circus of the - even shortening the height of a Name...... SNP-Labour rivalry with its flagpole bearing the saltire ‘for Address...... hair-splitting hysteria and earned political reasons’ (a claim which ...... by far the greatest applause from turned out to be groundless). Phone...... an audience sick of the sideshow Given their populist stance on Email...... of SNP and Labour bickering. community issues, such the

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 13 CULTURE dustry and trade across the globe. However slave links? Most importantly why has the one aspect of the city’s history that isn’t hugely city, and indeed the country, not seen fit to Exhibition on covered is its connections with the trans-At - publicly recognise its slavery connections lantic slave trade. Last October, celebrated in - through a broader public education initiative ternationally as Black History Month, the and possible apology or at least an official po - Glasgow’s links Scotland office of the National Union of Jour - sition of ‘regret’? nalists hosted an event at the Mitchell Library Scotland’s influence continues to be felt in to slave trade in Glasgow, looking at Scotland’s connection the Caribbean today as many Scots settled How Glasgow Flourished 1714 –1837 to slavery and the Caribbean. A key criticism there, running plantations and creating fami - A temporary exhibition on show at the from participants was just how little that con - lies. Scottish family names and landmarks can Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in nection between Scotland’s largest city and the be found across many of the islands, Jamaica Glasgow until 17 August horrific slave trade was discussed at a national and Barbados in particular. For example, level within Scotland. Hampden was one of Jamaica’s oldest sugar by Dominic Bascombe, Assistant This exhibition, unfortunately does not take and rum estates. The house there was built by Organiser, National Union of us much further in that discussion. Whilst the the Stirlings of Keir in 1779. Journalists in Scotland exhibition does mention the city’s slave trade With the opportunity to send crops from the links, there is little depth to it. Caribbean back to Glasgow for refinement, HOW GLASGOW Flourished is a wide One exhibit points out: “Slavery on Ameri - slavery was a cheap way to keep production ranging exhibition covering much of the city’s de - can, Caribbean and Indian plantations as well costs low and price of the products competitive. velopment through the 1700s under the reigns of as cheap migrant labour in Glasgow were all In fact Scottish merchants encouraged others the Hanoverian kings George I, George II, part of ‘The Glasgow System’ which enabled to join in exploiting the trade in humans. George III, George IV and William IV, right up businessmen trading in tobacco and sugar to George Bogle III wrote many letters from India to the start of Queen Victoria’s reign. grow wealthy... In 1807 the Act for the Aboli - to his family at Daldowie House near Glasgow With some 230 objects, 40 per cent of which tion of the Slave Trade was passed by parlia - informing them about the cheap Indian labour have not been previously on public display, it ment. The British government was forced to available, as an incentive for fellow Glaswe - should come as no surprise that like the city’s make generous compensation payments to mer - gians to invest there. international connections, this exhibition was chants for their loss of income. Glaswegian Whilst the ‘How Glasgow Flourished’ exhibi - deliberately conceived to coincide with the business men invested this money in their city.” tion does provide an overview of a very specific Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow. Quite rightly, the exhibition does point out period of the city’s history, it is important that Contrary to popular belief, much of the that Glasgow’s slave connections are still pres - Glasgow and indeed Scotland is better informed city’s landscape was developed during this ent in many of the city’s landmarks and street about its connections, and in particular its connec - 1700s period including the open spaces of names including Jamaica Street et al. But it is tions with slavery. Let’s be completely open about George Square, Buchanan Street, and Argyle also present in other famous buildings such as who we are and how we got here. A national ex - Street. An often overlooked period, the exhi - the Mitchell Library. hibition examining this in more detail, alongside bition shows how famous Glaswegians came Why is this not better known? Why are increased focus in schools, perhaps during Black up with ideas and inventions that changed in - there no official commemorations of the city’s History Month, would be most welcome.

event itself. There is also a family ing the Gap and Scottish Documen - surveys two centuries of Scottish his - area and the event is family friendly. tary Institute, the crowd-sourced fea - tory from the Battle of Culloden to the INDYREF Some cinema dates – on Sat 12 ture documentary Scotland Yet which coming of North Sea oil, and it’s fol - July, 11am-1pm, a special screening gets to the beating heart of the current lowed by a panel discussion examin - event at the Filmhouse cinema in campaign, and films of young first- ing the film’s portrayal of the TGHEE FETSTSIVAL Aof Rthe TComY mon Edinburgh will feature two hours of time voters and inspired activists from exploitation of Scottish people. Weal, 6 July at 12-6pm at The the best of cultural filmmakers and RIC Edinburgh. John Byrne’s six-part TV follow-up Arches in Glasgow, celebrates left activists on the indyref campaign. And the Glasgow Film Theatre to Tutti Frutti – Your Cheatin’ Heart music, arts and politics and brings to - A range of filmmakers have been spotlights Scottish history, culture (unseen since 1990) is also at the gether various left and progressive brought together into one energetic and identity in their ‘To See Oursels’ GFT. Made entirely of Scottish film organisations and campaigns to cel - reel to show their different and in - screenings and events. Filmmaker archive, From Scotland with Love ebrate left politics, music and culture. spired takes on the importance for Eleanor Yule and Dr David Mander - (Sunday 31 August) is a feature film The Radical Independence Cam - everyone of owning the future in an son launch their book The Glass Half by award-winning director Virginia paign will have a stall at the event independent Scotland. Full: Moving Beyond Scottish Miser - Heath, with a transcendent score by and will be speaking in one of the The event will see Ken Loach’s ablism on Monday 14 July, with an il - Scottish musician and composer many discussions taking place on Spirit of 45 examining the creation of lustrated talk which defines the King Creosote. Followed by a Q&A the day. The festival includes a ‘Live the welfare state, the recent Scotland- genre from its cultural roots in litera - with director Virginia Heath and King Arch’ for music, comedy, spoken wide mass participation feature We ture to its flowering on screen. Creosote, with King Creosote also word and film screenings, a ‘Talk Are Northern Lights from Nick Hig - A special big screen treat in the playing a couple of tunes live from Arch’ for debates and Q&A, a ‘dis - gins, and the hilarious music videos GFT’s programme is the 1974 TV film the film’s soundtrack. cussion arch’ to discuss the ideas of of ’s Lady Alba. of John McGrath’s play The Cheviot, the Common Weal Project, and an Also on the reel is the personalised the Stag and the Black, Black Oil on • See filmhousecinema.com ‘Arts Arch’ for producing live art at the documentary of Igor Slepov for Bridg - Sunday 10 August at 5pm. The play glasgowfilm.org & cwfest.com

14 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 441 INTERNATIONAL by

DESPITE TONY Blair’s pleas to the contrary, the current crisis in Iraq is a direct conse - BUSH AND BLAIR’S WAR quence of the American war against that country and its sub - sequent destruction. It is worth reminding our - UIIN BUNSH & BDLAIIR’’ES NARMES:: Ptthe iillllIegaNll S IRAQt leCment Rin BaIghdSad. TIheS start - selves why America attacked warr on IIrraq caused tthe compllette ing point must be the removal Iraq. It certainly had nothing to desttrructtiion off iitts economy and tthe of the Maliki Government. do with Saddam Hussein being collllapse off basiic serrviices lliike Although elected it is a govern - a brutal dictator. The United watterr and ellecttrriiciitty ment which lacks any real legiti - States has supported brutal dic - macy; its victory obtained tatorships around the world as it through a combination of bribery, once enthusiastically supported electoral fraud and the repression Saddam Hussein. of opponents. And it had nothing to do with The aim must be to replace this weapons of mass destruction, by a government of national stopping the spread of interna - unity. Following, there must be a tional terrorism or heaven forbid, genuine programme of nation establishing democracy. building at aimed at restoring the In reality, it was about in - economy and infrastructure, and stalling a dependent pro-Ameri - a political program which in - can regime in Baghdad and cludes moving towards a more gaining strategic control over federal structure ensuring rights Iraq’s oil. We don’t need the for all groups and communities Chilcot Enquiry findings to tell alised Sunni uprising against the Islamic fundamentalism. Secular within the country. the world what the world already regime in Baghdad. forces embrace a wide range of American domination of the knows. We actually need the This includes remnants of the movements and issues including country must be brought to an Chilcot Enquiry to help fuel the old Baathist regime, Sunni tribal progressive and left forces, those end including the removal of campaign to try Tony Blair as a groups and disaffected sections of fighting for civil rights and the American bases. war criminal. the army. What unites them are emancipation of women, for grievances against the Shia dom - democracy and modernity. Future Consequences inated government in Baghdad; a The main aim of the left is to en - Ultimately, the future of Iraq The consequences of the inva - regime propped up by Shia mili - sure that in this struggle secularism can only be secured through the sion have been dramatic. tias and American money. These triumphs and that the left achieve establishment of powerful left Upwards of a million people grievances include turning the a leading role. Islamic fundamen - forces aiming to take the country killed and millions now living in Sunni population into second talism is the polar opposite of this; down a very different road from exile. The complete destruction class citizens in their own coun - authoritarian, socially conserva - that of the past. of Iraq’s economy. The collapse try, collusion between Shia death tive, anti-democratic, anti-modern The country has a strong his - of basic services such as water squads and the Iraqi army and the and embracing a vision of society tory of mass left movements and electricity. The disintegra - general malaise in which the which is deeply reactionary. particularly the Iraqi Commu - tion of the institutions which country finds itself. All conflicts in the Arab nist Party, before it was de - held the country together and re - Iraq is no longer any kind of world; no matter how diverse; stroyed by Saddam Hussein in sulting sectarian strife of almost unitary state; that was smashed to must be seen within this context. open collusion with the CIA biblical proportions. pieces by the American invasion; Among the Sunni population who supplied the regime with All this more than a decade rather a patchwork of ethnically of Iraq are many who do not want the names of tens of thousands after the invasion and with untold divided regions. In fact ISIS have to see the establishment of an Is - of Iraqi communists. billions of dollars poured into the declared the establishment of an lamic state and there is already The corruption and brutality country to try and keep it afloat. Islamic state stretching from some evidence of armed conflict of the Baathist regime under The current crisis has been de - Syria to Iraq. Putting it back to - between these forces and ISIS. Saddam Hussein brought the scribed as an attempt by an Is - gether again will be extremely While recognising the gen - country to the edge of a lamic fundamentalist army to The starting point must be the uine grievances of the Sunni precipice. The American attack take control of the country. To creation of an inclusive, demo - people and we should vigor - on Iraq destroyed it. say that this is a gross exaggera - cratic and secular state. ously oppose ISIS and support Only the re-establishment of a tion is an overstatement. The The conflict also highlights a those, mostly Baathist forces strong secular state, led by the group in question, ISIS, are cer - wider issue. In the Arab world the who oppose them. However, left and moving in the direction tainly playing the lead role but main struggle is between the this conflict cannot be re - of socialism can safeguard the are being assisted by a gener - forces of secularism and that of solved without a political set - interests of the Iraqi people.

issue 441 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 15 for Socialism, Independence email: [email protected] and Internationalism Follow @ssv_voice on Twitter July 2014 Issue 441 Promoted by Jim McVicar on behalf of the Scottish Socialist Party, Suite 370, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. Printed by Forward Graphics, Elderpark Workspace, 100 Elderpark Street, Glasgow G51 3TR by Allan Grogan, Labour for Independence

OTHER THAN the term na - tionalist, the term most commonly used by the no camp describing Yes voters is the term separatist as in to separate or create division. Yet it can be argued that this no - The politics tion of division has been evident as part of the United Kingdom for the last 60 years. Since the end of the Atlee Gov - ernment in 1951, the UK has chance to say we will not tolerate gradually shifted towards a ‘Me of separaextcuseis ando diversionn s over real First’ society. The theory behind answers to social issues. this is that if the richest get richer The opportunity to say we will then the wealth will trickle down no longer accept playing off reli - to the poorest. Yet this is very gions, races or genders against rarely the case, that is why the UK each other. That we can’t play off is now the 4th most unequal soci - young against old, rich against ety in the western world. poor, poor against the poorer, that How in this case do the people there is a better way. of a country so unfair and unequal not rise up? In order to continue We deserve better this profligation, diversions have INDEPENDENCE: On 19 September, after a Yes to be created to ensure the public it’s not the vote, the easiest thing to do do not focus on how corrupt the destination, would be to continue as a smaller current system is. it’s merely the version of what the UK is. But These diversions aided by right beginning we deserve better than this, we wing press such as the Daily Mail, PHOTO: Craig Maclean can do so much better than this. take the focus away from the real and continual media enforce - for a more fairer society, yet those Issues at the very heart of issues and create a tension and ment of this. One needs only to days seem to be a thing of the past poverty and health issues must separatism within society. Immi - look at the Channel 4 show Ben - in Westminster. In the past Labour be addressed, jobs must be cre - gration is an obvious and lasting efit Street to see the major at - used to raise funds for campaigns ated, pride must be restored in all avenue for rationalisation of tempts to create tension between by going to the miners and social forms of employment. It won’t poverty and inequality. the working poor and poor. clubs. They used to work with the be easy, but nothing worth fight - Throughout this campaign I trade unions with the mutual inter - ing for ever is. This campaign ‘British’ jobs have met people who fully believe est of protecting the people who has seen the largest civic move - This is not anything new. In the that the reason they are struggling had elected them. ment in recent history, millions ’50s unemployment was blamed is down to those who won’t or Now far removed from their of Scots yearning, demanding a on the Irish and Caribbean mi - can’t work. The reality of the situ - trade union links they host better way, we owe this to them grant taking jobs away from ation of course is very different. fundraising dinners at £1000 a that we deliver on the ideals put “British” people, this continued The UK has one of the lowest lev - table. Who can afford that? forward in this campaign. with Asian immigrants and now els of social security in Europe. The same businesses and inter - Independence isn’t the destina - Eastern Europeans. Of course The fact that people who work est groups that seek to maintain tion, merely the beginning. The this pretence only goes so far and 40 hours a week are receiving less the same cycle of me first poli - hard work starts there. The oppor - so in recent years politicians and than those on social security is not tics. Scotland deserves better, a tunity given to us with independ - the media have found a new an indictment of unemployment society which represents the ence must not be squandered, we channel for shifting the focus wealth, rather the low paid, zero needs of all not just those that can should make no excuses or diver - away from the real issues. At - hour culture that is prevalent afford to have their say. sions, we owe that much. tacking the ‘undeserving poor’ is within our society. Yet this story is The purpose of the Common I look forward to working with the way to ensure deep rooted di - all too often untold, leaving those Weal, is to create an ‘All of Us comrades within a real Labour visions within the working class. in abject poverty to fight over the First’ society, ensuring that we Party, and members of all politi - This diversion has proved par - scraps off the corporate table of tackle the real causes of poverty cal parties and none in achieving ticularly successful thanks to an wealth. The Labour Party, used to and inequality. Independence of - a better way, a better Scotland onslaught of political accusations stand up to these myths and fight fers us this opportunity, the and a better tomorrow.