ScottishLeft Review Issue 103 January/February 2018 - £2.00

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PLUS: PFI/PPP scandal in North Ayrshire I Universal Credit Politics in Germany after their election I and more ... 1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 ASLEF CALLS FOR AN INTEGRATED, PUBLICLY OWNED, ACCOUNTABLE RAILWAY FOR SCOTLAND (which used to be the SNP’s position – before they became the government!)

Mick Whelan Tosh McDonald Kevin Lindsay General Secretary President Scottish O cer ASLEF the train drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk

2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 feedback

comment 2018: here we go cottish Left Review wholeheartedly interview with Richard, we have asked campaign, it became clear that Leonard welcomes the election of Richard others to lay out their perspectives on did not command a majority of support SLeonard to the leadership of what difference his election makes and from his parliamentary colleagues in Scottish Labour. As outlined in the last what difference he may make in future. the 24 strong Labour group at Holyrood. editorial, his election was we argued to Indeed, the composition of his front He won by a sizable margin (57% to 43%) be a benefit to all of the left in the age bench team reflects this, with the likes of overall but not amongst individual party of the hegemony of austerity and neo- Jackie Ballie, Sarwar and Iain Gray in its members (52% to 48%) or registered liberalism. How much worse off the left ranks. supporters (48% to 52%), indicating that reviews would have been without his election despite progress being made the right is What this all means is that the task can be gleaned when one considers not still a considerable force within Scottish of Scottish Labour under Leonard’s just his competitor’s personal behaviour Labour. Where he won handsomely was leadership to move to the left and to gain and past voting record but also his amongst affiliated (union) supporters popular credibility is going to be difficult opportunism in trying to move to the (77% to 23%). Membership rose in to say the least because Scottish Labour left during the course of the leadership the run up to the election but one faces something of a Catch-22 situation. campaign in order to outflank him. We should not assume these were all It needs to grow more (members, elected hope to be able to work with him in Leonard supporters. For example, in representatives etc) in order to exert further advancing a radical left agenda Glasgow Southside, Anas Sarwar’s more influence but that can only be done as per his manifesto for his leadership own Constituency Labour Party, the when it becomes more credible and it campaign. That is why we approached membership nearly doubled with a 600 will not become more credible until it him to conduct an interview for this increase. Of the electorate for the vote, grows more. Not talking of becoming First edition, and are delighted that he only 64% voted and party membership Minister on 7 May 2021 would have been accepted. an own goal but outside the election of some 35,000 is still way down on the campaign, this is a tall order from the That said, it is not Scottish Left Review’s SNP’s membership of just under 100,000 now third party of Scotland. job to be an uncritical cheerleader for - it has fallen from its peak of 125,000 - any leader, party or cause. And to that and is considerably less than the 50,000 Slow and steady progress against extent this editorial notes a number of it should be given that the population of resurgent Toryism in Scotland and a more important points. These are laid out in Scotland is about a twelfth of that of the politically adept and stable Holyrood the spirit of a fraternal and comradely rest of Britain and Labour membership in (than Westminster) government is more exchange. It is also why, alongside the Britain is 600,000. Moreover, during the on the cards. For example, two Survation polls in early December indicated the ScottishLeftReview Labour could put the Tories back into Issue 103 January/February 2018 third place in Holyrood. But that requires a party that is not disunited and where Contents the leader’s mandate is respected and Editorial comment: 2018 – here we go...... 3 effectively prosecuted. Feedback: Immigration controls - Bob Fotheringham ...... 5 If Scottish Labour is to break out of its Beating a path to Bute House - Richard Leonard ...... 6 decline, then it will need to address Haven’t we been here before? Jim Sillars ...... 9 the constitutional question in a more Scottish Labour’s leadership election and the ‘elephant in the room’ - Bob Thomson ...... 10 fulsome way than Richard has. In a tweet New leader, same old battles - Mick Cash ...... 11 Democracy and democratic leadership - Michael Keating ...... 12 right at the beginning of the leadership Rebirth of social democracy? Dave Sherry...... 14 campaign, he stated: ‘For the avoidance Death of the Fourth Estate as we know it? Paul Holleran ...... 16 of doubt, let me make it clear. There Scottish Futures Trust is no magic panacea - Jim and Margaret Cuthbert ...... 17 will be no ground ceded to nationalism License to profit and plunder - Campbell Martin ...... 19 at the expense of progressive socialism Measuring economic democracy - Andrew Cumbers...... 20 under my leadership. No coalition, pacts Why we need a Workers’ Rights Bill before leaving the EU - Chris Stephens ...... 21 or deals with the SNP. And no second The art of occupation - Gregor Gall ...... 22 independence referendum’. This suggests Universal Credit equals misery for all those dependent on it - Sandra Webster ...... 24 that Leonard believes that Corbyn Cuts to addiction services in England and Wales since 2010 - Paul Harrold ...... 25 entering Downing Street, with his own No Jamaican joy in sight for German political establishment - Victor Grossman...... 26 arrival in Bute House, will extinguish the Book & film reviews - Sean Sheehan, Jackie Bergson, Donald McCormick, Gordon Morgan.....27 remaining flames of independence. This Kick up the tabloids - Vladimir McTavish...... 31 calculation seems somewhat faulty on

3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 at least several counts. First, the Tories Labour left’s recent advance. Writing on rise above the current 1% cap are those are determined to hang on with the help the new radical left website, Conter, in whose pay is set by a Pay Review Body of their natural DUP allies until 2022 so early December 2017 in a piece entitled and that would be for 2018-2019. This the damage they wreck will continue. ‘The Challenge For Young Radicals’, Róisín meant that for civil servants, teachers, Second, a hard Brexit or even a no deal McLaren and Hugh Cullen, both SSP firefighters, local government workers Brexit will only make the sense of political members, opined: and the like (covered by Westminster) grievance in Scotland against the Tories there will be no change whatsoever. Having a socialist as leader of the greater. Labour’s position on seeking to a opposition in Westminster is not enough. The challenge facing PCS is to coordinate job-protecting Brexit hasn’t made much … Corbyn is hamstrung by a party that is with other unions so that each strike difference here. Polls show voters are not wedded to the establishment. The same delivers a bigger punch. The CWU looks clear what Labour’s position on Brexit is. is true for … Leonard, who has been at like it will reach a deal with Royal Mail And, third, there is no sense that a return the top of corrupted, unionist politics so it will be out of the frame. Meantime, of Britain-wide class struggle will make a for decades and does not represent the the UCU union is balloting for national dent in austerity or neo-liberalism. radical force that many new Scottish strike action over an attack on members’ But there are other issues Scottish Labour Labour members hope for. … Aside from USS pensions and the UNISON, UNITE urgently needs to address. The local the small number of far-left entryists in … and the GMB unions are considering a 2% government elections last year resulted Labour … most new Corbynistas support per annum offer for local government for in Labour being in a coalition of governing his liberal values or social democratic 2018-20 for England, Wales and Northern parties in 9 councils and in majority or reforms. He’s not building the class- Ireland (where there is more for lower minority administrations in another seven conscious support needed to implement paid) after the government released more of the 32 councils. The Westminster socialist change in Government. Socialists cash to the local authority employers. budget settlement was not kind to who are swept up in Corbynism are The TUC has named 12 May 2018 as the Scotland but with the new Scotland Act perhaps guilty of looking for shortcuts – day for a national demonstration against now in, the SNP Scottish Government understandable after decades out in the the pay cap. This should be a massive can raise taxes on the rich and better off. cold. demonstration if various unions called Now the SNP Scottish Government is set strike action for that day and this was the to pass on more cuts to local authorities. By contrast, an earlier contributor to beginning of a concerted fight and not So whilst Scottish Labour will attack Conter, Alasdair Clark, argued ‘maybe it’s the effective end point of any campaign. this at Holyrood, in all these 16 councils time for … young radicals to look again at Scottish Labour’ given the demise of RISE, Lastly, the SNP Scottish Government Labour must adopt a ‘no cuts’ stance but presented its first Draft Budget under especially in the seven it must implement that ‘many socialists have never quite felt comfortable in the SNP’ and because the new Scotland Act. The final vote on ‘no cuts’ budgets. Leonard must make it will take place on 19 February 2018. sure this happens. ‘Scottish Labour will be the home for socialists who want to achieve the Superficially, it looks good in terms of This then leads on to the issue of Labour’s political aims so many of us spoke about lower taxation for low earners, and higher relationship with the SNP. Labour can, in 2014 - a radically altered Scotland’. taxation for higher earners. But scratch with the Greens, push the SNP to the left beneath the surface and it is a timid over various issues like renationalisation The last edition of Scottish Left Reviewled budget, with just 1p less per pound for and taxation but that will take the on the forthcoming battle to break the 1% the lowest earners and only 1p more for establishment of some kind of working public sector pay cap. As we now know, highest two bands. The latter will only relationship with the SNP. A party with the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) raise £164m, highlighting that this is just 24 MSPs cannot just hold a gun to the union’s consultative ballot of members an income tax and not a wealth tax. In SNP’s head and keep threatening to pull on breaking the cap gained, on a 49% these regards, it is like the SNP’s ‘A Penny the trigger. Risks come with cooperation turnout, a 79% vote to take industrial for Scotland’ policy of 1999-2002 and in terms of inter-party competition but action if the government refuses to scrap Dugdale’s policy in 2016. But worse still maintaining tribal contestation will not the cap. PCS states it is now moving is that although Scottish Government do Labour any favours either. We should towards being ‘strike ready’ as it looks civil servants will receive an average 2%- recall here that John McDonnell has at the areas of weakness in the ballot to 3% pay increase (which is still less than made clear Labour’s support for Chris make sure it gets over the 50% turnout inflation), there is no funding for a pay Stephens’ Westminster Bill (see his article threshold under the Tories’ Trade Union increase for local government workers in in this issue). At the same time as this, Act. Scotland and there will still be massive council cuts with no real increase in Labour needs to become the voice not In his Budget in November, the Chancellor council funding. just for radicalism but for the working promised only to provide new, additional class so that ‘class’ becomes Labour’s funding for nurses if a pay review body • We will address the situation in lexicon. That will allow ample room for for their pay recommends it. Before the Catalonia in the next edition once differentiation from the SNP with mantra Budget, police and prison officers were this becomes clearer. Suffice it to of the (classless) ‘nation’. This point is told they will receive a pay rise above say that while Rajoy did not gain the important as Kevin McKenna (Sunday the public sector pay cap (although outcome he, his Popular Party and Herald 24 December 2017) forcibly that will still represent a cut in the real the Spanish state wanted, the cause argued that Scottish Labour should value of their wages when set against of independence did not advance that spend at least as much time and energy inflation and has to be paid for through much either. The result shows the attacking the Tories as it does the SNP. efficiency savings aka job cuts). In the complexity of politics on the right-left This approach is a quite a different one documentation released for the Budget, and unionist-independence spectrums. from others, where not all on the left Hammond made clear that the only other have enthusiastically welcomed the public sector workers that might get a pay 4 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Feedback: Immigration controls mmigration is a central question Islamophobic posts from Britain First colonialism, imperialism and modern for both left and right, in the main as part of his ongoing campaign to racism come into existence. Money, centres of Western capitalism. In scapegoat Muslims and immigrants for commodities and capital are free to I move around the world at will, without recent issues of SLR, John Foster and America’s economic ills and American Peter Lomas have addressed some imperialism failure to dominate the undue interference. Indeed, the same of the issues. Both contained points I world with its military superiority. applies to the wealthy who own and agree with. John pointed out that EU In Britain, the Football Lads Alliance control these things. It is the poor, the immigration policy is racist. It allows for (FLA), using issues of ‘terrorism and dispossessed and exploited who are free movement within the EU but rigidly extremism, attracted thousands to forced into refugee camps or undertake excludes immigrants and refugees from a demonstration in London. The FLA what for most are dangerous, enforced the rest of the world. The EU currently has fascists such as the EDL’s Tommy journeys into an uncertain future to try pays Turkey 6bn euros to hold millions Robinson at its core. to better their situation. of asylum seekers and to stop them What lies behind the scare stories The problem with the notion of entering the EU. Refugees fleeing war, and the targeting of asylum seekers immigration controls, of any type or oppression and economic destitution and immigrants? As the mainstream however well intentioned, is the idea find the EU has a closed border and capitalist economies have floundered, that somehow it is the immigrants consequently many of them die in with falling profits, stagnant growth to blame for the economic woes of a overcrowded and inadequate boats and declining living standards, those particular country. The idea for example trying to cross the Mediterranean. politicians and business people whose of ‘British Jobs for British Workers’ During the EU referendum campaign, responsibility it is to organise the system (Gordon Brown’s slogan), rests on the UKIP and pro-Brexit Tories used EU and make it work, for the benefit of assumption that there is a common immigration in a highly divisive way, business, have used cuts and austerity interest between British workers and arguing Britain was being flooded in an attempt to restore profitability. British bosses, which there is not. with EU immigrants seeking to Racism is central to how this works. Socialists have a responsibility to stand obtain benefits and misuse the NHS. with those oppressed and exploited by John argued: ‘We need a non- racist The racists and their right-wing the impact of neo liberal free market immigration policy’. supporters say that problems with the capitalism. The notion of non-racist NHS in Britain can be put down to too immigration controls is a delusion. By contrast, Peter says that the many immigrants using resources. Free responsibility of Northern societies Bob Fotheringham is a member of the movement from the EU, for them, is should be ‘to help reconstruct the Socialist Workers’ Party in Scotland simply about people coming to Britain poorest post-colonial societies – those to gain access to better welfare benefits. ruined countries – beginning with sub – They say wages are falling, and jobs are Saharan Africa’ using increased foreign being lost because British workers are aid. I agree rich capitalist countries have being undercut by foreign workers who Cover: a major responsibility to show solidarity will work for less and work longer hours. Nadia Lucchesi and give support to countries ravaged ([email protected]) by imperialism, global warming and Socialists’ starting point should be to the impact of neo-liberal economic challenge the myths put forward by Proofing services: capitalism. But northern aid to the politicians and media about the so- Bob Thomson and John Daly poorer parts of the world usually comes called problems of immigration. Low Communications and with massive strings. I doubt if it could wages, unemployment, rising inequality organisational development: provide anything other than increased and poverty are the consequences Carole Ewart exploitation and levels of oppression. of decisions made by capitalists and politicians whose class interest is to Editor Email: While their intentions were honourable, increase levels of exploitation while [email protected] both ignored the central reason why finding ways of minimising resistance. immigration has become so important. Web: www.scottishleftreview.org Throughout the history of the socialist Both sought to address economic movement, activists have fought to Tel: 0141 424 0042 questions without considering the find common class interest between central political issue which dominates Address: immigrant and indigenous workers, discussion on immigration and free Scottish Left Review, recognising they have a common enemy movement. In Europe, the far right and can gain more by fighting together. 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, has achieved a measure of electoral Glasgow G41 4PL success. For the case of Germany, For most of human history, people see Victor Grossman’s article in this have been able to travel the planet Printed by issue. In Poland, fascists organised unhindered by borders and border Hampden Advertising Ltd, a demonstration attracting tens controls. Only with the advent of 403 Hillington Road, G52 4BL, of thousands calling for a ‘White the nation state, itself a product of Europe of Brotherly Nations’. Trump capitalism, have restrictions on the Tel: 0141 429 1010 unapologetically retweeted the movement of people, along with

5 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Beating a path to Bute House Richard Leonard was elected leader of the Scottish Labour Party in November 2017. We interviewed him in late December.

Richard Leonard supporting the anti-cuts demo outside the Scottish Parliament on Budget Day, 14 December 2017.

You’ve said you’re too old to be a sectors of society. Hardie also had a ability to introduce new, income tax Corbynista, so how would you describe radical vision for how the country should bands has only just been made possible, your political views in the context of the be changed and it’s that radicalism but already we’ve seen the Scottish Labour Party? which I believe Scottish Labour needs to Government baulk at going far enough and raising the money that’s needed to ‘It is an abiding and indisputable adopt once again. It is only by offering properly fund Scottish local authorities truth that a people which does real change – and by working as a and the lifeline services they deliver. not understand the past will never party across the UK to do this – that comprehend the present, nor mould people will believe Labour can actually It has also failed to scrap the council the future’. So wrote Tom Johnston transform their lives. tax and give councils the ability to raise in his foreword to the 1946 edition of The slogan of your campaign was ‘real money through tourist taxes or land The History of the Working Classes in change’. How can this be achieved in value taxes. The SNP has proved itself to Scotland. Thus, my influences come the context of the limited powers of the be an exceptionally timid government. from the Labour and socialist traditions Scottish Parliament? Scotland is a rich country and we should going back to Keir Hardie, Harold Laski, look for radical alternatives to tap into the Red Clydesiders, RH Tawney, William The Scottish Parliament has huge the wealth of the few who hold the Morris, Jennie Lee, the post-industrial powers over housing; industrial policy; most land and property. A windfall tax utopians and the New Left. Personally, manufacturing; education, skills and on the top one per cent could deliver a my early politics were forged on the science; local government; local transformational boost to the budget anvil of the Thatcher years and the clash government finance; and health, not just which could be used to tackle the deep between state and society. It was a the NHS but public health. Moreover, seated inequalities which exist. brutal time and an important, defining there are huge powers over public Similarly, the SNP has refused to lift point in our country’s history. procurement. So, in my view, I would suggest that political will is limited children out of poverty by raising child I have also been hugely influenced by rather than the Scottish Parliament benefit by just £5 a week – a power the Parliament now has. It’s failed to Labour’s founding father, Keir Hardie. powers. He was a committed egalitarian and close the attainment gap in our schools for me Labour principles are founded We know that the richest one per cent because it won’t fund education on equality - of ensuring the economy in Scotland today already own more properly and as a result schools are works for all, that wealth and industrial personal wealth than the poorest 50 being forced to use that attainment and political power resides with the per cent put together and, going back gap money to employ core, rather many rather than the few, and that to Hardie, that is obviously unequal, than additional, staff. The government women are treated equally across all unjust and irresponsible. Of course, the also goes out of its way to avoid using 6 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 the power it has over public contracts I believe that our message about and to feed their families. Thus, we the government puts out to tender to ending poverty including poverty pay, change the way our economy works and ensure that companies which blacklist promoting the Living Wage and secure in whose interests. And Scottish Labour employees, which use zero hour work, tackling rogue private landlords needs to be a real grassroots movement contracts, which fail to pay the real living and the need to embark on a massive again, not just focused on what’s wage cannot receive public monies. social housing building programme happening at Holyrood. We need to get The Scottish Parliament has many will win people’s hearts and minds. We people involved, to be a campaigning levers to drive the economy, to drive need economic transformative change, movement, to get our message out up employment standards for working which will in turn change the balance of across Scotland. power and wealth. During my leadership people, to drive up people’s wages. Yet After the announcement of your election campaign I said that my role as leader is this current government chooses not to victory on Saturday 18 November in to make Scottish Labour a campaigning use them. Glasgow, you travelled through to Fife movement for socialism once again, and to support the workers in occupation Do you support ‘devo max’ and if so to give people hope. This means taking at BiFab. Can you tell us what part what extra powers would that entail? more chances. Labour is in third place, the extra-parliamentary struggle will and unless we are audacious now we ‘Devo Max’ is an idea which seems to play for Scottish Labour under your will never win back the support of the change depending on who is talking leadership? about it. My view is firm that the people of Scotland. radical change that Scotland needs, We also need an industrial strategy for Labour at its best has always been is the same radical change that is the 21st century, re-empowered and a movement for social change, not needed across the UK in terms of a properly resourced local government just a political party. We need to shift in the distribution of power and and a renaissance of public and get back to grassroots campaigning, in democracy. That is why Scottish co-operative ownership with new being seen in Scotland’s communities Labour’s position is one of federalism and innovative public investment in and taking our message out beyond – something I’ve argued for over public services. We need a radical Holyrood. Engaging with our members, many years - which allows disparate redistributionist policy that taxes working with unions in workplaces parts of the UK to find solutions to wealth as well as income more and communities across Scotland and their own regional economic needs, progressively. I believe all of these the co-operative movement, is vital while at the same time being part of radical ideas can reach out and win to re-energising Scottish Labour and a greater whole with all the benefits back those voters that Labour has lost the electorate alike. That’s why it was that entails. The Party’s constitutional in Scotland. It is an approach which important for me to have someone in convention, which I know my interim will build a bridge to young voters, and my Shadow Cabinet who would take a deputy and Shadow Scottish Secretary it will bring renewed belief to Labour lead on campaigning, and ensuring the Lesley Laird, is keen to get going, will voters who have stuck with us through communication between the Party and forge that radical change. thick and thin. the parliamentarians is strengthened further. Neil Findlay will be responsible Can you foresee a situation where You’ve said that Scottish Labour needs for unearthing the issues that our Labour, with yourself as its leader, to be like the ‘Yes’ movement. Can you members and affiliates believe we cooperation with the SNP and Greens to explain what you mean? should be campaigning on and bringing form a progressive political consensus The ‘Yes’ movement was very good at them to Holyrood, but also ensuring our in the Scottish Parliament on issues such offering people an alternative vision campaigning agenda outside Parliament. as progressive taxation, the return of of Scotland and a message of hope. Scotrail to public ownership, fracking, Notwithstanding some differences, the To my mind that is what won voters similarities between yourself and Jeremy social security, procurement and round during the referendum, not promoting the living wage? Corbyn are many and varied. One of independence per se. People felt excited these is that the parliamentary Labour Scottish Labour is always willing to work and enthused by the energy around groups in Holyrood and Westminster with other political parties if we have a the movement. And, of course, asking are not wholly on board with a return to common aim. It’s worth remembering people to make a positive choice and what can be described as ‘old Labour’ that the history of the Scottish vote ‘Yes’ to something is far easier traditional values like importance of Parliament has been one of partnership than asking them to vote ‘No’. A similar public ownership, the redistribution of – from the constitutional convention thing happened for Labour during the wealth and so on. How do you intend to 2017 General Election campaign. Too which campaigned for the Parliament deal with this political challenge? to the coalition governments, in the many people feel powerless because of I believe that listening to people and first instance between Labour and the the lack of equality in our political and giving them the opportunity to express Liberal Democrats until 2007. So when economic systems and Jeremy Corbyn’s message was a clear alternative to that. their views is part of the process of there is common ground we will work It gave people hope. So Scottish Labour working as a team. It’s an opportunity with those who, like us, want to change needs to be clear in its message of to get a broad section of opinion and Scotland for the better. radical change to engender that same find common ground. The leadership As you know many of the Labour Party’s reaction in people; that things can election has showed us that a re- traditional supporters have deserted it be different, that they can get a good invigoration of our politics is needed for the SNP. How do you propose to win education, they can get a decent job we need a vision of a better future, a them back? with decent pay, they can afford a house vision of hope again. In the last few

7 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 of our environment; and if the rights of EU citizens living and working here are not safeguarded - then we should without question reject the Tory Brexit deal when it is brought before the UK Parliament. The current challenge is not to stop Brexit but to shape it and under this heading there are now plenty of opportunities. The repatriation of powers returning from the EU to Edinburgh is also an opportunity. The Scottish Government has regularly justified a course of action by claiming that it was obliged to do so by Brussels and Brexit would end that. The use of these new opportunities can ensure the maximum progress for communities, for example from procurement. • Our thanks are to Lesley Brennan for organising the interview.

Richard Leonard supporting the BiFab demonstration in Edinburgh, 15 November 2017. years Scottish Labour has led the way no second independence referendum. with what some would describe as The democratic will of the people of ‘old Labour’ values, such as seeking to Scotland was to remain part of the UK. extend public ownership, campaign to The referendum is now more than three end austerity, redistribute wealth and years behind us and we all need to move power, and these are all policies which on and look at the radical change that the Scottish Labour team has fully can be accomplished as part of the UK. supported. There will always be people who will believe that independence is the answer Can you say where your twelve policy but nationalism is not a liberating reviews fit into this? ideology. Rather, it is an inhibiting one. These reviews are about making our While the creation of a separate Scottish policies relevant, distinctive and aligned state is perfectly feasible - it would with our Labour values. Our values must defeat rather than advance the higher always underpin our purpose including cause of economic democracy that we policy priorities and electoral goals. Our so badly need to strive for. Nationalism goal of ensuring that our policies are is not a short cut to socialism. for the many and not the few is central Is Brexit an opportunity or threat in Richard Leonard contributed a chapter to our mission. Having a clear sense your perspective, and how will it fit into to ‘What would Keir Hardie Say? of purpose similar to Corbyn’s plan the peculiarities of politics in Scotland Exploring his vision and relevance to motivates activists and wins back voters. as well as international trends like the 21st Century politics’ (Luath, 2015). In the leadership election, you stated austerity, neo-liberalism and reactionary that your leadership would see no populism? EDITORIAL COMMITTEE concessions to nationalism and the I was a Remain voter. I do believe Bill Bonnar Bill Ramsay constitutional issue in Scotland was Britain should retain access to the single little mentioned. What do you think will Cat Boyd Lilian Macer market. However, I am clear that we happen to the independence movement? Sarah Collins Gordon Morgan need to be tough, uncompromising and Moira Craig Tommy Sheppard I make no apology for saying that the principled on any Brexit deal. The Tories only coalition I want to see is the one handling of negotiations have been a Sean Duffy Dave Sherry between the Labour Party and the diplomatic and negotiating disaster. And Carole Ewart Stephen Smellie union movement. There will be no if it continues in this vein - and if this Gregor Gall Bob Thomson ground ceded to nationalism at the Tory Brexit deal is a detrimental deal Editor Convener expense of progressive socialism under for jobs and the Scottish economy, for Pat Kelly my leadership. No coalition, pacts, or our manufacturing base, for workers’ Vice Convener. parliamentary deals with the SNP. And rights, equal rights and the protection 8 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Haven’t we been here before? Corbynism, England and the British road to socialism Jim Sillars sounds caution over Corbynism and what this means for independence

he next Westminster election in is not possible, even if the SNP was upon one political factor over which Scotland will see Labour repeat a genuine left party, which it is not. Scottish Labour has no control - how Tthe tactic used in the years Having wrongly described itself as a the English vote. If Corbyn cannot win leading up to the 1990s: people told government (a description enshrined there, then the first rule of the Union that they must vote Labour to get a in legislation), it is now being judged kicks in - that we again get again a Tory Labour Government, and nothing else as a government in the full sense of Government we rejected, against which matters. Therein lies a problem for the that word, and so wide open to a left devolution’s limited powers provide no ‘independent left’ and the large number critique, which we can expect the defence. of people who have been regularly Leonard/Corbyn party to apply. The Leonard claim will be shown false, voting SNP, and for the SNP itself. It is a The next Holyrood and Westminster and disastrously so. Faced with another problem because if Corbyn’s Labour, in elections will be fought across the Tory Government, and we have again the last week of the campaign, is polling Central Belt, which has now resumed the political equation that was the in the 40%s, Leonard’s claim will look its role as the decisive power base in breeding ground for the independence like unvarnished truth – the SNP cannot Scotland. It just happens to be the place movement. The movement might find form a UK government, but Labour can. where most of those economic and within itself an independence that We can expect another socialist social evils are to be found in spades unhitches it from the SNP’s electoral manifesto from Corbyn’s Labour, and, thus, open to a socialist message fate, and so be much stronger. Or it may creating considerable energy and and programme as the only means of stay hitched and see its first priority enthusiasm among activists and significantly altering the living conditions to help build the nationalist party to supporters who will believe he is within of the people, while the SNP will take take control in the elections that come touching distance from power. We the blame as the ‘Government’. The SNP after 2021 and 2022. Whatever the have been here before. In 1992, Neil mantra that Westminster is to blame for relationship between the movement Kinnock’s Labour looked like a winner, all Scotland’s problems becomes less and the SNP, the failure of Corbyn and Labour did well on that belief in legitimate the more often it is called in to deliver England, which will reveal Scotland. But winner it wasn’t, because aid. the emptiness of Leonard’s position, will be the basis of a new drive to England voted Tory again. So, we can expect Labour gains at SNP’s independence. The weakness in my I think that will be the case at the next expense across the Central Belt. What argument is if Corbyn wins in England. Westminster elections. Today, even would such an electoral blow do to the Pigs will fly first. after a disastrous election campaign, SNP and the independence movement on English votes for English laws, the still hitched to its wagon? Initially, Jim Sillars is a former Labour and SNP Tories have a majority of 61. That is the it would be drowned in the noise of MP mountain Corbyn has to climb down Unionists rejoicing, crowing with glee at there. While I am sure Corbyn will be the certainty of no second referendum able to mobilise a big Labour vote in on independence. The independence England, he will also mobilise a big Tory movement as a whole would seem to vote to make sure he doesn’t win. Unlike have been delivered a death blow. But the last Westminster election, when no that sorrowful scenario would depend one believed he had a chance, the next one will be fought on the basis that he does. That will be the Tory cry to their voters. "Scottish separation is It will not be difficult between now part of the process of and the Holyrood, then Westminster, elections for Labour to outflank the England's Imperial SNP on the Left. The gross inequality disintegration and is a in Scotland, the social evils of heIp towards the ultimate poverty, no housing, bad housing, the deliberate state directed humiliation triumph of the workers and destitution delivered to people by of the world." sanctions, and the prevalence of low wages, all call for socialist answers. In the context of Holyrood, the lack of John Maclean extensive taxation powers, and limited 1879-1923 welfare powers, means that an effective comprehensive attack on these evils

9 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Scottish Labour’s leadership election and the ‘elephant in the room’ Bob Thomson argues Scottish Labour cannot assume Corbynism will solve the national question first met Richard Leonard when we both butter issues, jobs and public services to despite warnings, Labour disastrously campaigned in the Stirling constituency win back the voters we lost to the SNP. went into bed with the Tories in Iduring the 1983 election. I voted But many of the policies in Richard’s ‘Better Together’ which was based on and campaigned for him in the recent manifesto require additional powers for misinformation, scaremongering and leadership election. I read his manifesto Holyrood to be able to implement. belittling Scotland as a nation unable and media releases carefully as I did those to survive on its own unlike hundreds The mathematical and political reality of his opponent, Anas Sarwar. Both their of other small countries. The obvious is that Scottish Labour is third to manifestos dealt in detail with economic example was if we voted ‘yes’ we would the SNP and Tories at Holyrood and regeneration, jobs and improving public be forced to leave the EU! You did not Westminster. The SNP is just short of services. However, there was an elephant have to be a rocket scientist to realise an overall majority at Holyrood and still in the room that was hardly mentioned there would be a reaction from ordinary well ahead in polls. If Labour is to win and often only in answer to questions Scots to this denigration of their country. back the voters who deserted it for the – the constitutional issue that has Deservedly most of the senior figures SNP, it must come up with constitutional dominated Scottish politics for the last 30 involved have taken their directorships answers as well as a genuine Labour years - independence, ‘devo-max’ or the and consultancies and disappeared. manifesto. Most of these voters were status quo! Labour was never going to out-union not, at least at the time, nationalists the Conservative and Unionist Party and This was strange as only in February per se but were fed up voting Labour in should have had a more thought out, 2017 there had been a major debate at Scotland and getting Tory governments more inclusive strategy. the Scottish Labour Party conference in Britain. The SNP’s record on social at Perth on setting up a People’s issues has been relatively progressive Richard has consistently argued that Constitutional Convention by UK Labour and it is seen as having protected public nationalism and borders separate to look at devolution of powers to services from Tory excesses. workers and reduce solidarity but constituent countries, regions, local unions have organised both in Britain Labour’s record on constitutional change government and communities. This and Ireland for many years and have a has been inept, timid and self-interested. was I believe a reaction to Labour’s proud record on international solidarity. Witness Tony Blair’s imposition of the catastrophic defeats by the SNP at the Notwithstanding the ‘Scottish Question’, 2015 General and 2016 Scottish elections second question on tax raising powers in Britain’s unwritten constitution is a and to have a policy position for a the 1997 referendum which he thought democratic disgrace with a hereditary likely indyref2 sometime after the 2021 would be lost. This was deliberately to head of state and an unelected House of Scottish election. Jeremy Corbyn has try to diminish the status of the new Lords. It is deliberately unwritten so that said that if Holyrood voted for a second Scottish Parliament, the commitment politicians can interpret it to suit their independence referendum he would not to which he had inherited and was own interests at a particular time. The oppose the decision of a democratically never an enthusiast. Then in the 2014 advisory referendum on Brexit must be elected parliament. independence referendum despite treated as sacrosanct while the PM tries arguments from many in Scottish Labour, There now appears to be a belief of to use the medieval powers of the royal including myself, Labour failed to argue many in Scottish Labour that with prerogative to deny Parliament any say for a second question on the ballot the Corbyn bounce, Labour’s radical in the outcome. It is in need of radical paper on ‘devo-max’, only immediately manifesto, a modest increase in Scottish revision. after the referendum taking part in the Labour MPs and a reduced vote for Smith Commission to agree additional The Tories’ refusal to allow the Scottish the SNP that the constitutional issue devolved powers for the Parliament! Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have is hardly even on the back burner. We any meaningful involvement could lead just need to concentrate on bread and During the referendum campaign, to a constitutional crisis late this year or early in 2019. A hard Brexit will likely re- energise the independence movement. Scottish Labour needs to have something new and consensual to say to voters on the constitution and not just vague talk of federalism but something more radical to attract voters on all sides of the debate. Bob Thomson is a former Chairman and Treasurer of the Scottish Labour Party. He advocates a confederal system for Britain – see SLR 94 (July/August 2016) http://www.scottishleftreview.org/ article/confederacy-of-the-british-isles/

10 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 New leader, same old battles Mick Cash says the RMT will continue to work with all progressive politicians whatever their party MT supports public ownership of as possible. Whilst the public sector state direct award of these contracts our railways and it is hoped that bid being proposed by the Scottish is the Scottish Government’s preferred Rthe election of Richard Leonard Government for the Scotrail franchise policy. The Scottish Government seems as a Labour leader in Scotland whose is better than nothing, it still requires determined and confident of persuading platform included a commitment to a tendering process that could both the EU of the merits of a fully compliant this policy will move this agenda in a drive down workers’ conditions and exemption on the Clyde and Hebrides positive direction for rail workers. And, end up with another private operator. Ferry Services contract (which CalMac Richard is also a member of the RMT The SNP, Labour and Greens need to already operates), there is pessimism cross party group of MSPs and so will call on the UK government to repeal over the case for direct award in the have an understanding of many of the the 1993 Railways Act which requires Northern Isles. This means we will have concerns of transport and offshore the tendering and privatisation of rail to redouble our efforts to nationalise workers. But RMT members will also passenger services. But even that only all Scottish ferry services including remember too well the days of ‘new’ moves us so far. The big problem facing NorthLink. Labour in Scotland who presided over the railways is not just privatisation but Regardless of political leaders, we and embraced a privatised railway and also fragmentation. Network Rail which also face another struggle offshore, forced the tendering of our vital lifeline is publicly owned on a UK-wide basis especially on the safety of helicopters. ferry services. needs to stay like that and any attempts This is an area of concern that our to break it up must be opposed. That The lesson here is that regardless of who activists and officers are working is an important precondition for our is leader, workers and their unions are tirelessly to highlight. Since 2009, railways to be reintegrated to bring engaged in constant struggle to defend 33 offshore workers and crew have trains and tracks back together. and advance their interests. Of course, died and 65 have been rescued from our political strategies require us to the North Sea following six accidents be principled but that does not mean involving Super Puma 225 and AS332 we have to be one dimensional. So the L2 helicopters. Investigations in Norway RMT has good campaigning relations and Britain on fatal and non-fatal with Green and SNP as well as Labour Super Puma accidents since 2009 have politicians and many socialists outside uncovered similar mechanical failures. the main political parties. We would not be acting in the interests of our Worryingly, the Civil Aviation Authority members if we did not do so. lifted official restrictions on these helicopters in July 2017 without properly Under the SNP Scottish Government, consulting offshore workers or their the RMT has achieved some victories unions. The RMT firmly believes that such as stopping the privatisation of Super Pumas should not return to the CalMac, preventing the extension North Sea without the prior agreement of Driver-Only-Trains and ensuring of a majority of offshore workers. enforcement of the National Minimum Shockingly the UK Government rejected Wage on ships of shame. These have the Transport Select Committee’s July been down to the industrial and political 2014 recommendation for a public and campaigns ran by the union and, Then there is maritime and offshore inquiry into commercial pressures on critically, the skill and determination of which in Scotland is worth some £9.3bn offshore helicopter safety. 2018 is the our Scottish activists and officers and in turnover and supports nearly 40,000 30th anniversary of the Piper Alpha primarily the tremendous solidarity and jobs. It was welcome that Transport and disaster and a reminder of the necessity determination of our members who Islands Minister, Humza Yousaf awarded for the highest possible standards of have often taken strike action. But we the 2016-24 contract to public sector offshore safety. RMT is calling on all have also been able to have constructive incumbent CalMac in May 2016. The politicians to support its call for the dialogue with some SNP, Labour and next step is to ensure the now record Government to launch a public inquiry Green politicians as well to help achieve investment in Scotland’s lifeline ferry into the offshore helicopter safety our aims. It is objectively better to have services does not continue to prop concerns that are consistently raised by politicians that you can have some up the finances of Serco or similar offshore workers. sort of sensible conversation with and ‘outsourcing specialist’. In December importantly you can also put pressure Let’s welcome progress when it happens 2017, sustained political and legal on. and work with those who support pressure from RMT and supportive MSPs workers. But regardless of political But there are complex and challenging persuaded the Scottish Government to leaders, the New Year will see us fighting issues ahead that all our political leaders adopt a new legal position on tendering. to win old - and new - struggles. need to address. Take rail. There now Yousaf announced the emerging findings seems to be a growing consensus of his ferry law review. These shy away Mick Cash is the General Secretary of that rail in Scotland should be taken from legally exempting tendering the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) back into public ownership as soon across the Scottish ferry network whilst union

11 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Democracy and democratic leadership As current political culture overly emphasises leaders, Michael Keating looks at what constitutes political leadership he sociologist, Max Weber, that the populist leader is often drawn in the long run, economic growth identified three types of from the most privileged sectors of and reducing social inequality are Tauthority. Traditional authority society and dedicated to persuading complementary and not competing is rooted in the past. Rational-legal poor people to vote against their aims. Leadership can change the terms authority is about predicable rules and own self-interest. Think of Donald of debate on matters like migration, reason. Charismatic authority is based Trump, Silvio Berlusconi, Marine Le where populists have found it easy on the personal appeal of an individual Pen - or Vladimir Putin with his roots to create division and false enemies. leader. The left has always been in the Soviet secret services and It can be shown that individual against traditional authority as a prop network of business oligarchs. Populist interests and the public good are not of deference, privilege and inequality movements are notable for their lack antagonistic and that individual liberty but it persists in Britain in the of internal democracy or tolerance of and prosperity are possible only in a hereditary monarchy and the media dissent. Italy’s Five Star Movement is cohesive society. worship of all things royal. Rational- notorious for its lack of transparency Democratic leadership is not the same legal authority is often seen as the or internal democracy and for the as charismatic or populist leadership mark of a modern society, embracing domination of its leader, Bepe Grillo. and is much more difficult. Its essence the rule of law and the application of Populism was also at work in the lies in deliberation where ideas are science. Yet, in the wrong hands this Brexit campaign, which appealed thrashed out and then translated into can degenerate into technocracy, the to different audiences on different policy. Specialist knowledge comes in, search for purely technical solutions grounds, while carefully avoiding not because ‘experts’ know more than to what are essentially political setting out a coherent programme the public, but because they possess problems. Some of the early Fabians, or even stating what Brexit meant. different, and complementary, forms such as the Webbs, were prone to this, Another modern tendency is focus- of knowledge (for the record, I never as was ‘new’ Labour with its emphasis groupery, trying to find out what describe myself as an ‘expert’ on on ‘delivery’ and ‘what works’. On people want and then ‘triangulating’ anything). the other hand, disdain for scientific around it, a ‘new’ Labour favourite. knowledge can lead easily to Michael In their day, the political parties While seemingly bringing politics close Gove and his dismissal of ‘experts’ played this role but they have since to the people, this may just close off or to Donald Trump’s fantasies about been hollowed out. The recent radical alternatives and encourage climate change. revival of membership does not seem governments to avoid hard choices. It to have been matched by a rise in Charismatic leadership can lead to is also open to manipulation. deliberation and bottom-up policy- the suspension of critical judgement Yet, for all its problems, leadership is making, as all the parties in Scotland and leader worship. The left has an inescapable element in progressive and across Britain show. Instead, historically been prone to this and to politics. Political movements need to there is reinforcement of leadership the creation of unlikely revolutionary articulate a message and a programme and control from the top. New heroes like Che Guevara, Mao Zedong and to explain complex ideas in social movements, around gender, or Hugo Chavez. Nearer home, there simple language. Bill Clinton and environmentalism, poverty and other is the extraordinary cult of Jeremy Barack Obama at their best showed issues, have been the ones to generate Corbyn, from the t-shirts to the ritual how this could be done and that new ways of thinking but are weakly chants. It is difficult to know why some political communication does not linked into our political parties. Social leaders are seen as charismatic or have to be reduced to the inarticulate media and the 24 hour news cycle how they become so. Often it is less to rantings of a Donald Trump in order might have served to revive public do with the leaders themselves than to be effective. Martin Luther King debate and deliberation but appear to the need of followers for a visible and Nelson Mandela changed the instead to have made political leaders focus and personification of their terms of political debate in their increasingly risk-averse. deeper feelings. countries and the world. Faced with In his recent memoirs, Gordon Brown A distinct feature of modern the hegemony of neo-liberal ideology repeatedly regrets his inability to politics is that of populism, a style and facile comparisons of the national convince the public of the merits of of leadership rooted in the people economy with a household, someone his policies on addressing poverty, but, in fact, detached from popular in our times needs to present a public spending and fiscal stimulus in control. Instead, the leader sets convincing counter-narrative. Winning response to the global financial crisis. himself (and sometimes herself) up elections depends on convincing Instead, a cabal of senior civil servants as the embodiment of ‘the people’, voters that there is an alternative. and the Conservative Party, with an entity credited with a singular will Progressive politics also depends on the help of the Liberal Democrats, and placed against various enemies re-establishing the idea of a shared created a story about persistent over- or elites. It is ironical but no accident public domain and showing how, spending and deficits and the need 12 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 for drastic retrenchment. It only took two years for austerity to fail and seven years later, balancing the budget has effectively Scottish Left Review been abandoned as an objective but the neo-liberal narrative The Scottish Left Review is a non-profit making publication. remains in place. Please subscribe or make a donation by going to www. Reforming governments in the past (the first Gladstone scottishleftreview.org where you can pay by credit card government, the 1906 Liberal government, the 1945-1950 or by filling in your details in the form below and returning Attlee government) combined the willingness to think radically to Scottish Left Review, 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, with the leadership to carry through their programmes and to Glasgow G41 4PL explain them. This was not the work of single individuals but of strong leadership teams. They saw their opportunity in the Name changing world and they took it. Politics in Britain is currently leaderless, as the parties Address manoeuvre for short-term advantage. Politicians are increasingly drawn from a closed and self-referential group of career politicians who know everything about tactics but little about strategy. To be effective, political leadership also needs Tel: to link into leadership on other spheres, as a strong civil society is an essential feature of pluralist and deliberative democracy. E-mail: Perhaps, we could award a prize for leadership on two critical issues. First, can any politician in Britain show the way out of Subscription/Donation the current mess that is Brexit? Without it, we are heading towards the worst of all worlds. Second, can any politician in Date: Scotland tell us that, if we want to save our public services, we 203 will have to pay more taxes? They might be surprised to find Subscriptions: £18 (waged), £14 (unwaged), £24 (local that taking what Sir Humphrey Appleby would call ‘courageous’ organisations), £30 (national organisations). decisions could gain them a lot of respect. Donations will be gratefully recieved. Cheques should be crossed and made payable to: Left Review Scotland Ltd. 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13 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Rebirth of social democracy? Dave Sherry cautiously welcomes the phoenix rising from the ashes but there is still a sting in the tail abour’s resurgence should be seen the heyday of post-war Keynesianism, An illegal organisation until 1890, by alongside the recent advances would have been hailed as a solid 1912 the SPD was polling 4m votes Lfor the left internationally: the social democratic programme of and had 112 deputies elected to the movement generated around the reform – taxing the rich, a National Reichstag. In 1914, it had 1m card- indyref campaign; the election of Investment Bank, ending NHS carrying members. ‘Marxist’ social Syriza and the OXI referendum in privatisation, bringing rail, water, democratic parties won members, Greece; Bernie Sanders’s success electricity and the post back into public votes and deputies. In Tsarist Russia, in the Democratic primaries; ownership, improving workers’ rights the Bolsheviks were a faction inside electoral breakthroughs for the and ending zero hours, preserving the Russian Social Democratic Party. left in Ireland and Portugal; the La pensions, abolishing tuition fees and The American Socialist Party was France Insoumise movement led so on. Hardly revolutionary but forty an affiliate. Weaker but significant by Melanchon; Podemos in Spain years of neo-liberalism and a decade movements developed in Britain, and the mobilisations for Catalan of Tory austerity make such proposals Chile, Spain and Uruguay, all of them independence. The 2008 crash and seem radical. If in June 2017, Labour affiliated to the Second International its aftermath are polarising society, had guaranteed the right to a second and apparently committed to the shrinking the centre ground and referendum it would have won more socialist reconstruction of society and tearing at the neo-liberal consensus. seats in Scotland. Instead, its Unionist opposition to imperialism and war. It Trump symbolises this. Like the great stance was a gift to the Tories and a was an illusion. depression, the present crisis is beleaguered British nationalism. strengthening both the radical left and, There were differences between ominously, the hard racist right across To understand social democracy the various parties but basically Europe and the US. But presently in we need to look at its origins. It they combined a verbal hostility to Britain, it’s the right who are on the was founded at the end of the capitalism with a practical activity that back foot thanks to a divided ruling nineteenth century and for a long was limited to winning members and class and May’s catastrophic gamble in period the terminology had a much votes albeit the British and Australian June, which saw the collapse of UKIP. different connotation than at present. labour parties were exceptional Unlike Greece, France and Germany, Symbolically, the Second International in lacking Marxist rhetoric and the beneficiary of the popular anti- was founded at a special congress in revolutionary pretensions. Karl Kautsky, austerity mood in Britain has been Paris in July 1889, the centenary of the theoretician of both the German an older politics that seemed to be storming of the Bastille. It proclaimed party and the International, had long on its last legs - social democratic itself heir to the First International in argued the downfall of capitalism reformism, albeit its resurgence comes which Marx himself played a leading was inevitable. His mechanical, ‘do in unfamiliar guises. role. Launched six years after his death, nothing’ Marxism contradicted Marx’s with what appeared revolutionary insistence on the centrality of class The SNP made great play of positioning struggle and working class self-activity. itself to the left of ‘new’ Labour under intent, the International became the Blair, Brown and Milliband. When focus for a host of flourishing workers’ The impressive party apparatus Salmond became leader again in 2004, parties, which called themselves social became an end in itself. Confrontation he declared: ‘Independence is our democratic – a term synonymous with with the state, or even the employers, idea, our politics are social democrat’. Marxism but a term Marx disliked, was avoided where possible. As a This fusion of Scottish nationalism preferring instead ‘communist’. political force social democracy was with an invocation of social democracy Social democracy grew to dominate the increasingly passive. The politics of saw the SNP scoop up all but three labour movement in the years leading the SPD - and most other parties of Scotland’s 59 MPs in 2015. Despite up to the First World War. Influenced that took their lead from it - claimed electoral setbacks since, it remains by the defeat of Chartism, the failure to be Marxist but the SPD was a Scotland’s largest party at Westminster. of the European revolutions of 1848 reformist, not a revolutionary, party. Of course, the SNP claim is contested. and the crushing of the Paris Commune It was geared to the patient work of A recent Scottish Left Review editorial in 1870, its leaders did not feel strong convincing the workers to vote socialist described the SNP as being ‘social enough to directly challenge the state. in elections. democratic in name but not in deed’ Instead, they followed a strategy In Britain, the Labour Party, to quote and the magazine seeks to encourage pioneered by socialists in Germany, Ernie Bevin ‘came out of the bowels debate on this issue with the aim of taking advantage of limited electoral of the TUC’. In most of Europe, it was bringing the Scottish left together to reforms to win votes and seats in local the other way round. In either case, fight austerity, wherever it comes from councils and parliaments. Alongside it meant the separation of politics - Tory, Labour or SNP. this electoral approach but subordinate and economics. Though the German Labour’s remarkable bounce back to it, they focused on building unions unions were strong, they were in the June election can’t only and other forms of class organisation assigned an auxiliary and subsidiary be explained by May’s disastrous like co-operatives and sports clubs. The role. By 1913, the SPD had a layer campaign. Labour offered what, in German SPD was the model for others. of parliamentarians, senior union 14 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 officials and full time workers. Having the balance of forces: ‘If we don’t McDonnell honestly and consistently painstakingly built up a stake in give them reform they will give us argue society can be transformed bourgeoisie society, they were scared revolution’. For the same reason very through the parliamentary framework. of losing it. Its leaders had a lot more similar reforms were introduced in So do the leaders of the other left to lose than their chains. France under the De Gaulle’s far from currents – La France Insoumise, radical regime and, lest we forget, Podemos and Syriza. A big section of With the outbreak of war in 1914 it was the Atlee government who the SNP rank-and-file argues it can the shadow boxing was over and the gave us the nuclear deterrent. The happen quicker in an independent party bosses had to choose; maintain general pattern of social democratic Scotland. The only thing that can internationalism, oppose the war, face governments everywhere since is that defend a left government anywhere is imprisonment and the seizure of their they are either destroyed or forced popular struggle and mass resistance assets; or support their own state. to abandon the modest reforms they from below. If in doubt, watch the Over a decade earlier, a section led by were elected to implement – either film ‘A Very British Coup’. But putting German right-wing social democrat by state terror like Chile in 1973 or by struggle first means breaking with the Bernstein moved to reject Marxism, sabotaging the economy like the IMF in methods Labour and social democratic arguing society would be changed Britain in 1976 or the Troika in Greece leaders have followed for a century. not by revolution, as Marx argued, in 2015. but through winning parliament and Dave Sherry is the author of recent using the state to bring about gradual Today, we are experiencing a revival books on the Russian Revolution (2017) reform. of left reformism in Britain and that’s and The First World War (2014) and is a good thing. Jeremy Corbyn and John a member of the SWP. ‘Reform or Revolution?’ was how Rosa Luxemburg, the leader of the SPD left put it, saying: ‘People who pronounce themselves in favour of legislative reform in place of and in opposition to the conquest of political power and social revolution, do not really choose a more tranquil, slower road to the same goal, but a different goal’. Bernstein’s revisionism was rejected at the time but it was purely rhetorical on the part of SPD leadership- as the collapse of the Second International on the outbreak of war was to prove. Aside from the Bolsheviks and a few other brave souls, the leaders of European social democracy collapsed, ditching their internationalism and capitulating to the war drive of their own ruling classes. As Tony Benn said: ‘The Labour Party has never been a socialist party, although there have always been socialists in it.’ It’s a party that, despite sometimes declaring its belief in a different sort of society, has when in power acted to manage capitalism and the British state. While the impetus for radical change has tended to come from below and from outside Labour, it has run into the sand once channeled through parliament. The most important Labour government was Atlee’s 1945 administration. It did carry out major popular reforms -the NHS, the welfare state and the nationalisation of basic industries. But during wartime, a consensus had developed at the very top that a reconstruction of British capitalism was necessary. As The three arrows represent social democracy smashing monarchy, fascism, Tory Quentin Hogg conceded about communism in a German election poster of 1932. 15 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Death of the Fourth Estate as we know it? Having just moved from Glasgow to Liverpool, Paul Holleran reflects upon the Scottish media

HE view from here is a different attacking the print unions. The campaign representative body for journalists and one than I had a few weeks ago, was to become specifically topical then as a major player in industry training Talthough I do, of course, retain when News International then decided processes paid off. The union took specific knowledge and experience of to take on the print unions, set up scab employers by surprise with massive 37 years as a journalist and national workforces in Wapping and Kinning Park votes in favour of restoring union rights. organiser for the NUJ. It is a different and print their Times, Sunday Times, Every employer with the exception of DC view but strangely similar to the one I News of the World and Sun under new Thomson was welcoming the NUJ back had when worked my way through an rules, with no union agreements. into negotiations within an impressive apprenticeship and development as a timescale. As companies consolidated This had a profound influence on skilled printer working in magazines, their ownership credentials, smaller me as the reality of worker versus books and newspapers. I started companies were swallowed up by the publisher became more focussed. I in Liverpool in Seel House Press, growing newspaper groups such as was by this time active in joint media a publisher of quality books and Trinity, Johnston Press and Newsquest as union negotiations and campaigns magazines - as well as the Liverpool and they built up massive portfolios of local and when the Scottish unions reached Everton football programmes. I am now newspapers. a sensible agreement on the right to back in my hometown after 41 years follow the job, over the technological The anti-union attacks of previous away. changes and move to single key strokes, years had created disparities in staffing My view of the media and the press, I was fortunate to be part of the re- levels and salary levels among rival particularly in Scotland has been deployment from print production to companies. This, in turn, triggered a adapted and tempered by my work print journalism. high level of activity and organisation and political experiences, mostly out- with chapels digging in for better terms My employer was probably glad to get with party membership influences, but and conditions and an on-going battle rid of their Group FoC (convenor) and an active decade in the Labour Party for fairer salary structures. At the same encouraged me to wash the ink from throughout the stormy 1980s can’t be time, the union had to fight hard to my hands and step into the soon-to-be totally ignored. maintain staffing levels as employers computerised newsrooms. I worked for attempted to cut back the number of In those days, I was a print union activist Scottish & Universal Newspapers who journalists, while closing print centres and shop steward or Father of the were owned by George Outram & Co across the country. It was a great pity Chapel (FoC) as male representatives (Herald, Evening Times), a Scottish based that the joint unions did not work in the media are historically known. company which traditionally had good together at that time as leverage could Women, of course, were Mothers of the relationships with the unions. However, have been strengthened in joint actions. Chapel (MoCs) and I am honoured to the group was sold to the up and coming have worked with many very effective Trinity, an ambitious firm who went on The impact these battles had on the women reps and organisers in my to expand dramatically, taking over the industry was severe with stark warnings time in what is still a male dominated Liverpool Echo and the Mirror Group. of what was to come, falling circulations industry. The print unions wielded It was a time of change, technological and advertising revenues, led to more power in the Labour Party and I was change and ownership accruals and job cuts and a further deterioration encouraged to join and participate by takeovers. There was massive de- in quality of news provision, despite stalwarts such Jim Friel, who went on to recognition triggered by anti-union the efforts of the journalists fighting become President of SOGAT. legislation introduced with gusto by their corner. Specialist writers were Margaret Thatcher’s governments. lost, decent columnists were displaced Dennistoun branch was active in many Newspaper owners jumped on the from their jobs as costs were cut and campaigns, supporting union and bandwagon and most employers took circulation continued to fall. community battles at home and abroad. full advantage, de-recognising the NUJ in The Campaign for Press Freedom was In the last ten years, there has been many parts of the industry. one such affiliation and we set up a more stability in Scotland, although group which explored the relevant In many ways it created the opportunity redundancies are still regularly haunting issues such as press ownership. This for the NUJ to make a fresh start. All bar newsrooms. There is less than half the became pointedly personal when I was two major companies had broken off number of journalists working on the arrested on a picket line outside the relations with the unions and we went major titles compared to 1994, although Stockport Messenger during a dispute back to basics. We took two years but there has been a tangible increase in in 1983 triggered by owner Eddie Shah our strategy to establish the NUJ as the the number of journalists working in the online versions of the newspapers and broadcast outlets such as BBC and STV. The arrival of online news provision has had an obvious effect on the industry and public, in both the gathering and consumption of news. All news companies have attempted to make

16 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 their mark on online news, some with local authority is almost non-existent as we were alerted by Johnston Press more success than others. Advertising since the closure or demise of the that at least 24 of the titles they own in revenues have grown, but not at the newspapers on their doorstep. The NUJ Scotland are at risk in the foreseeable rate aspired to by employers. However, organised a conference in Edinburgh future, because of falling revenues. last March to explore the future of local it is having some positive consequences These titles are mainly profitable but as employers vie with each other for hits newspapers, as part of a UK and Ireland just not making enough money to on their sites. wide campaign. Keynote speakers be part of a corporate company like included Iain Stewart, Scotsman editor, News gathering and the use of video Johnston Press or their rivals Trinity or Culture Minister-Fiona Hyslop and a journalism could be done better by Newsquest. The NUJ has started the ball leading author and academic from newspapers, if they are to compete with rolling in exploring ways of maintaining Illinois University, Bob McChesney. the broadcasters. However, they need the future of local papers. Recently, I to keep investing as it is an important Other speakers included Fiona Davidson held talks with Paul Wood and some of part of the media set up, if only the from the NUJ who spoke about the role his Trust colleagues at WHFP in Skye, managing editors would hold their of women in the media, Paul Wood from discussing the model that has worked ground in face of demands from number the employee-owned West Highland well for them as well as exploring other crunchers in head offices for savings. Free Press, Michael Gray of Common models operating in Scotland. There is a Space and community activist, Jack future for newspapers but not all under Many managing directors have told Ferguson. the ownership of major companies who me over the last year that much of have made massive profits over the the advertising revenues are being Bob McChesney spoke at length about years, have failed to invest sufficiently swallowed up by companies such as the demise of the local press in the USA. as revenues fell and do not have the Google and Facebook as they struggle to He was convinced that this downturn civic responsibility to keep them open. attract local businesses to take out space in local accountability had indirectly led Worker and employee ownership works in their paper and or web site. The NUJ to the election of Donald Trump. He with some titles and we have to examine argues that relevant local news along painted a frightening scenario about the possible co-operative ownership with investigative reporting is essential the lack of journalists in reporting on model with others. I also believe there for the survival of a local press. Indeed it essential issues and a diminution in are potentially great opportunities for is essential for local democracy. answerability of politicians and powers working in community type partnership that be. The number of local newspapers that with the BBC, but this requires have closed in London, for example, is Much of the conference debated the interaction and engagement now. Next quite frightening and is at last alerting ownership issue and the need to ensure year may be too late for some. politicians to the democratic deficit. every community has access to local Paul Holleran is the former national The Grenfell Tower fire disaster is a journalists who can report on what is organiser for the NUJ in Scotland. He classic example of where the local happening in their areas. There is a now works for the GMB on Merseyside. accountability of the housing office and manifest threat to Scottish newspapers Scottish Futures Trust is no magic panacea Jim and Margaret Cuthbert show the Scottish Futures Trust creates more problems than it solves n October 2017, we published a report the Growth Accelerator model. Most designed to act as a first port of call for on the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT). of these initiatives involve the setting the provision of public infrastructure IThis report, ‘Scottish Futures Trust up of various forms of public private in their areas. When a requirement and Hub Activities’, was commissioned partnership, designed so that the for new infrastructure is identified, for by the Labour Party but is actually a relevant capital expenditure is off the example for a new school, the hubco research report which could have been government’s books. The impact of will develop a costed proposal. If this produced for any, (or no), political party. the SFT has been considerable – over is accepted by the public sector client, In this article, we summarise some main £7bn of capital expenditure has been then a special purpose vehicle company findings of our report. We then outline delivered or is in the pipeline. A major is set up to undertake the construction wider conclusions on the downsides of part of our report concentrates on the and management of the facility. the increasing trend for government to operation of the SFT’s hub programme. The special purpose vehicle is then rely on various types of external agency Some background first. Scotland has funded by unitary charges paid by the for delivering public services, based on been divided into five hub areas, in public sector body throughout the life of our experience not just in relation to each of which a company called a hubco the project. A key role in the operation SFT, but other agencies. has been established. Each hubco is of the hubs is played by what are known The SFT was set up by the SNP Scottish a partnership between public sector as the Tier 1 contractors: these were Government in 2008. Its primary impact bodies in the area (local authorities, appointed at the time each hubco was has been through the development health boards, police, fire), and private formed– and in many cases the Tier 1 of a number of policy initiatives sector companies specialising in contractors are private sector partners for delivering public infrastructure, construction, finance, and facilities in the hubco. The Tier 1 contractors tend such as the Non Profit Distributing management. The hubcos were set to be large companies, in many cases programme, the hub programme, and up under 20 year contracts and are headquartered outside Scotland, with

17 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 expertise in construction and facilities organic growth in the economy, government often uses the existence management. The Tier 1 contractors particularly since the hub approach of an executive agency as an excuse play the main part in the contract, and will tend to limit SMEs to a to shuffle off awkward questions – are responsible for any sub-contracting subcontracting role to other private and to not get too involved in the to small to medium sized enterprises sector firms? detail of what may actually be going on. Agencies themselves are likely (SMEs). The report highlights a number of to develop a culture and agenda of A major complication in carrying out our technical financial issues surrounding the their own: and, importantly, we have study was secrecy. The operation of the funding of the hub programme, which evidence that agencies may well not co- hubs is regarded as being beyond the need to be reviewed. To give just one operate adequately with each other, for scope of Freedom of Information, (FOI). example, there is a good deal of secrecy example in the vital area of progressing surrounding the terms under which bank This effectively puts the operation of overall economic development. They lending is secured for hub projects: is this the hub programme beyond adequate are also likely to attach little priority degree of secrecy justified? scrutiny. This is in itself an unacceptable to developing adequate information state of affairs. But the situation is made More generally, our study identified a systems. And where the agency, or doubly unacceptable because the terms number of major concerns about the network of agencies, crosses over of the original contracts under which Scottish Government’s role in relation into the private sector, then Freedom the hubcos are set up were designed so to the SFT. One such concern is whether of Information will not apply – and that aspects of hubco activity would, in the Scottish Government is exercising the whole question of commercial effect, be within the operation of FOI. adequate scrutiny over SFT activities, confidentiality raises its head. in particular in relation to the question Those indicators which are published This is why problems like secrecy, of whether the SFT is still fulfilling in relation to hub activities are limited: poor information systems, lack of the Scottish Government’s strategic they are often not backed up by clear accountability, and ad hoc development objectives. Our study shows that policy definitions: they suffer from the lack of policy arise with agencies. What can tends to be developed in an ad hoc and of an audit trail to enable the data to be done? The fundamental requirement incremental fashion. An example of this be checked: and are sometimes of a for any improvement is that government is the response to the new accounting non-standard form. In our report, we must adopt the right attitude towards rules introduced under the European recommended that the information the agencies through which it operates. It System of Accounts 2010. produced by the hubs requires to be cannot regard the setting up of an agency refined in order to be meaningful and Another major concern is whether the as a means of making life easier for more useful in determining how Scottish financial commitments being entered Ministers, and for avoiding responsibility based SMEs are faring under the hub into in relation to SFT projects will for awkward questions about service initiative. be sustainable in the long term. SFT delivery. It has to remain firmly in charge It is widely recognised that public financing, in effect, largely boils down of policy development, and ensuring procurement is one of the fundamental to the public sector borrowing against accountability. Once government accepts levers which government has for future public sector income streams. this self-imposed discipline, then the rest influencing the development of the Current safeguards are inadequate, so it should be relatively easy, provided the economy. However, the way in which the is important that appropriate ones are following three critical requirements are hub initiative has been designed raises put in place to ensure that the revenue met, namely: consequences of SFT projects are indeed important questions about the long run • That the agency, or network of sustainable. structure of the construction industry in agencies, is operating proper Scotland, and has potentially important All in all, these, and other issues information systems, capable of implications for the vitally important identified in our report require attention producing auditable data, and also small business sector. In particular, we – and we recommended that there capable of being flexibly interrogated pose the following questions: should be a thorough review of SFT to illuminate all aspects of agency • Does the advantage which Tier 1 activities. However, there are also wider activity. lessons to be drawn. Our experience status will inevitably confer on a • That the agency is required to adhere in researching other areas (like water, particular group of firms mean that to the principles of FOI: and that economic development, PFI, and utility they will inevitably come to dominate periodic checks are made to ensure regulation) indicates that the kind of the large scale construction sector that these principles are being problems we identified with the SFT in Scotland, and will it effectively adhered to, not just in the letter, but are typical of what is likely to happen prevent other firms from growing? also in spirit. when Government chooses to exercise • Does the fact that the group of Tier 1 its functions not directly, but through • That government maintains, in-house, contractors is so heavily dominated agencies. real expertise in the relevant policy by firms which are not headquartered area: so that it can meaningfully There are a number of reasons for this. in Scotland mean that Scotland will scrutinise agency activities, and Too often, when public services are lose out on certain high quality types take the lead in periodic policy delivered by means of agencies, the of employment – e.g., headquarter development. relevant expertise within government jobs, research etc? itself becomes hollowed out – so Jim Cuthbert is a former Scottish • Does the hub structure provide a government is unable to exercise Office Chief Statistician, and Margaret good environment for encouraging a proper scrutiny role. In addition, Cuthbert a former business consultant. 18 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 License to profit and plunder Campbell Martin exposes the corruption in North Ayrshire over a PPP deal t will come as no surprise to most However, as revealed in the required ‘genuine competition’. people that a whiff of controversy documentary, the reality of the North The reality was that North Ayrshire still surrounds the Private Finance Ayrshire procurement process was I Council only ever had one credible Initiative (PFI) and Public Private very different. Investigations showed Partnerships (PPP). PFIs were one of the bids received by North and viable bid for its school-building introduced by the Conservative Ayrshire Council came from a company project, valued in 2006 at £380m. Government led by John Major, and formed after the local authority had There was no ‘genuine competition’. were touted as a way of funding public invited tenders for its contract to build In fact, there was no competition sector capital projects, without the four schools. Comprehensive Estate whatsoever. By allowing the CES money having to appear as public Services Limited (CES), as a newly- bid to remain until the very end expenditure. The private sector would formed company, had no accounts of its procurement process, North take care of the funding for new and had issued share capital valued Ayrshire Council gave the pretence of schools and hospitals, with councils at just £2.00. In addition, CES had no competition. The matter was raised and health boards repaying the money office. The headquarters it listed in with the Crown Office Procurator as revenue expenditure over 30 years. bid documents was actually the office Fiscal Service, which instructed the We were told it was a ‘win-win’ deal of a chartered accountant in the Fife then Strathclyde Police to carry for the public. village of Strathmiglo. The accountant out an investigation. Less than two said he let CES use his office as a In opposition, the Labour Party weeks after the police investigation postal address. strongly criticised and opposed PFI, commenced – and without the but when Tony Blair and Gordon The bid documents submitted by complainers being interviewed – the Brown entered office in 1997, the Comprehensive Estate Services enquiry was concluded. The Crown funding scheme was warmly embraced Limited, copies of which were secured Office Procurator Fiscal Service then and given a new name. Labour rolled- under Freedom of Information stated the matter was closed as it had out Public Private Partnerships with legislation, indicated that CES was been found there was no evidence of the evangelical zeal of the truly a subsidiary of a major Singapore- criminality. converted. Council’s and health boards based construction company called In the MacAulay Gibson documentary, across Britain were told there was CPG Corporation. Documents stated two former senior detectives reviewed only one game in town – PPP – but that CPG Corporation was the major the evidence originally presented to that funding was available, so they shareholder in CES, at 56%. However, the police and Procurator Fiscal. In should fill their boots. New schools when the Singapore corporation the opinion of one ex-detective, the and hospitals began to spring up was contacted, President and Chief in virtually every part of Britain, Executive, Mr Pang Toh Kang, replied: evidence showed ‘criminality from with Labour Party MPs, MSPs and ‘Comprehensive Estate Services is start to finish’. The other former councillors all claiming to be delivering not a subsidiary of CPG Corporation’, officer stated a common law crime new facilities for their constituents. On adding, ‘there is no cross-shareholding of Forgery and Uttering should have the face of it, Labour was performing between CES and CPG’. been pursued. All of this information an economic miracle, but, in reality, it North Ayrshire Council was told relates to a PPP contract now costing was little more than an economic con. about this lie in the bid submission North Ayrshire Council over £1m every month. Recently, in a documentary by of Comprehensive Estate Services MacAulay Gibson Productions, I Limited. Indeed, the local authority Full details of the investigation into reported on what happened in one was made aware of further blatant the North Ayrshire Schools PPP Project PPP project, where North Ayrshire lies and misrepresentations in the are revealed in ‘The Only Game in Council entered into a contract to paperwork submitted by the Fife Town’ (see https://www.youtube.com/ build and maintain four new schools. company. The Council, though, took watch?v=paLSPNPfQXM&t=3s). Again, on the face of it, all seemed fine. no action and continued to publicly Campbell Martin is a journalist and The Council had two bids, providing state that the bid from CES was the ‘genuine competition’ required credible and viable, and provided the former SNP MSP by European Union Procurement Regulations, and the whole thing was scrutinised by civil servants in the then Scottish Executive’s Financial Partnerships Unit, which, in turn, was overseen by Partnerships UK. The latter body was staffed by civil servants seconded from the UK Treasury and by former employees of large corporations involved in delivering construction contracts. 19 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Measuring economic democracy Andrew Cumbers introduces a new tool to advance debate and policy ow do we develop a democratic market deregulation under the guise The Index is novel in developing economy, driven by social justice, of a flexible economy. Combating this a broader definition of economic Hrather than exchange value? requires new thinking and policy around democracy – beyond the usual focus For me, alongside tackling climate how we generate individual economic on union rights or levels of cooperative change, this is the critical economic freedom - not freedom just to exercise enterprise (what we term ‘associational question of our time. The alienation property rights and exploit the labour of economic democracy’) to incorporate and marginalisation felt by many from others - but freedom to choose how you also individual economic rights, levels three decades of increasingly autocratic exercise your own labour. of public participation and the nature of neo-liberal economic governance is This is an important but neglected economic decision-making. The index becoming politically manifested in agenda for economic democracy, looked at 32 OECD members. The main different ways. The on-going march bringing together the enlightenment findings can be summarised as follows: of the far right across Europe, North liberalism of John Stuart Mill with • There is a stark difference between America and further afield should radical political economy, remembering the ‘social’ model of northern be a warning about the dangers of that freedom from economic servitude European capitalism and a more neglecting social justice and democratic was the animating core of Marx’s engagement. We need to fashion a left market-oriented Anglo-American thought. In an increasingly automated politics that gives people meaningful model. Hence the Nordic countries economy, where decent, secure and control of their lives, rather than the score among the best, with their well-remunerated work becomes elite self-serving faux populism of higher levels of social protection, scarce, there is a need to rethink how Trump, Farage and others. employment rights and democratic individuals, families and communities participation. The reverse is true of There is, however, a more hopeful secure the income and resources the more deregulated economies of and inspiring economic narrative needed to live decent lives. This needs the English-speaking world; Britain emerging through the Sanders and new thinking around the redistribution performs relatively poorly, while the Corbyn insurgencies on the left, as well of work, new initiatives around US ranks bottom. Japan also ranks as movements such as Podemos in working time, and a rebalancing of near the bottom. Spain, which involves the rejuvenation work and leisure to advance individual of alternative economic thinking. In economic freedoms and rights to decent • The best performing countries tend Scotland, this has been partly invoked sustainable livelihoods. to be Nordic, with Sweden and by the radical independence campaign, Denmark clearly ahead of the rest; A second key component of a the Common Weal and the intriguing Iceland and Finland also feature revitalised economic democracy is the recent commitments by the Scottish strongly. Austria also performs well. need to open up the economy and in Government to a new public bank and Notably, the top ten countries all particular decision-making to broader public ownership in the energy sector. have relatively small population sizes public participation and engagement. Although, this new economic thinking is (under 20m), although our statistical Here, one might compare favourably still nascent, it does build on important analysis suggests it is not population Denmark’s associational economy or alternative and longer established new size per se that is responsible for Germany’s federalised system, where left traditions of a more participatory this result but particular institutional there are high levels of grassroots and democratic economics from the configurations and regulatory and cooperative traditions, strong 1960s and 1970s. frameworks. unions and business associations, Developing a left progressive economics with countries such as Britain or the • Countries from Eastern Europe for the twenty first century means US where elite corporate interests are among the worst performing coming to terms with dramatically dominate the economic discourse, countries with Southern European changing global conditions, which often with the result that policy-making countries, especially Greece, also include the restructuring of work, becomes very restrictive and tends to performing relatively poorly. Slovenia deepening inequalities and an increased favour established vested interests (e.g. is something of a geographical concentration of wealth, the gig property owners, financial elites, media outlier, the best performing country economy and the collapse of secure moguls). from Eastern or Southern Europe, employment, and the decline of unions recording an EDI comparable Taking on board these themes - in as a powerful countervailing force to to the Nordic countries. This is rethinking how economic democracy corporate and financialised capitalism. largely because, in its transition becomes a broader agenda to to capitalism, it pursued a more The alienation from neo-liberal democratise the economy in its entirety managed and social democratic globalisation, which is fanning the - with colleagues at the University of model, rather than the extreme flames of reactionary economics and Glasgow, Nottingham Trent University, ‘shock therapy’ imposed elsewhere xenophobia of Trump and his ilk, is Oxfam and the New Economics by free market enthusiasts and driven by growing individual economic Foundation, I have recently developed consultants. insecurity, and has been produced an international index of economic by disciplinary neo-liberal labour democracy (EDI), funded by the Following the construction of the policies around welfare and labour Economic and Social Research Council. index, we have used statistical analysis 20 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 to explore the relationship between security, decentralised economic The findings raise concern about economic democracy, inequality and decision-making, and greater the EU’s approach to economic poverty. A striking finding is the strong, transparency and democratic management in terms of Greece’s low negative and statistically significant engagement in macroeconomic ranking, and the impact of the Troika’s correlation between the EDI and poverty decision-making enhance economic policies on Greek national income (and, and inequality measures. In other democracy and counter inequality hence, poverty levels). Moreover, there words, as EDI rises, poverty rates and and poverty. This challenges much is also a warning for French president, inequality fall. Econometric analysis also of the conventional policy wisdom Emmanuel Macron, who has been a suggests that there is also a relatively of the 1980s onwards regarding the recent advocate of Anglo-American strong causal relation between the EDI perceived benefits of Anglo-American style flexible labour market policies. His and inequality (as measured by the Gini style flexible labour market policies, labour market reforms could play into Coefficient). In other words, high levels employment and financial deregulation, the hands of Marine Le Pen and the far of economic democracy help to reduce and ‘independent’ central bank- right next time around. inequality. led macroeconomic management, Andrew Cumbers is Professor in Regional These findings suggest that a suggesting such approaches may Political Economy at the University of combination of individual employment contribute to poverty and inequality. Glasgow Why we need a Workers’ Rights Bill before leaving the EU Chris Stephens outlines the rationale for his Bill

n 12 December 2017, I spoke in appalling statements made during the there have been no discussions (planned the House of Commons in the passage of the Trade Union Act 2016 or actual) in Cabinet or in the European Oaptly named debate, ‘Regulations – the Anti-Trade Union Act as I call it - negotiations about scrapping the to deal with the deficiencies arising when their true colours broke through Working Time Directive, Agency Worker from Withdrawal’, in relation to an the facade that some in that party had Directive or Pregnant Workers Directive. amendment that sought to bring a been trying to construct about being the None of her answers ruled out cabinet measure of protection on workers’ rights real ‘workers’ party. discussion on the issue. post-Brexit. Specifically, the amendment When he was an MEP, one of the Lords’ One of the questions I believe all would- stated that no changes were to be made ministers who was moved to the’ be parliamentarians should be asked to workers’ rights unless this was signed Exiting the EU team’ in October, Lord is what piece of legislation would they off by the Joint Ministerial Committee. Callanan, is on the record as stating want to table to affect change, should There were other amendments on that in order to help business ‘we could they have the opportunity to bring in workers’ rights which we supported scrap the working time directive, the a Private Members’ Bill. I have had a - however, this one was designed agency workers’ directive, the pregnant workers’ rights bill at the top of my wish to expose the scant respect for the workers’ directive and all the other list since I first thought devolved administrations if ruled out barriers to actually employing people’. by the government. It was and, thus, about standing for parliament. I provided us all with yet another example Perhaps, I shouldn’t have been surprised haven’t been fortunate enough to win of the blatant Tory power grab back to when only a few days after making my the annual ballot, although my SNP Westminster. speech about the threat Brexit poses neighbour, Stewart McDonald did this to workers’ rights, I woke up on the year and he has tabled a Bill to end It wasn’t much of a surprise to discover following Sunday morning to find my unpaid work trials, the Unpaid Trial the government had no intention of twitter feed full of threads incredulous Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill. even pretending to consult or involve about the latest Tory spin on the golden the Scottish or Welsh Assembly opportunity and pay bonanza that There are other mechanisms available, governments in any changes to awaits workers post-Brexit when the and I used the Ten Minute Rule Bill employment law. What about Northern Working Time Directive is abolished! route to lodge a Workers’ (Definitions Ireland? Well, that’s one of the reasons In the Sun and Sunday Times, this has and Rights) Bill when it became clear I found it odd that no parties apart from been touted as a welcome freedom for that Brexit was going to provide the the SNP and the Greens called for the ‘millions of families the chance to top hard right wing in the Tory party with devolution of employment law when up their wages and help small firms the opportunity they crave to reshape the Smith Commission was looking at eager to cash in on the new global trade society and the economy in the way further powers for Scotland, given that market’. they want. divergence already exists in this area as With seven other MPs, I pressed Supporters of a hard Brexit have a employment law is devolved in Northern Theresa May on this when she made vision for the world of work that hard Ireland. her statement on the 18 December on wires inequality even further into an As I said in the debate, you can’t trust the outcome of the latest European already deeply unequal society. With the Tories on workers’ rights, given the Council. I asked her to confirm that the exception of a small coterie of bonus

21 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 rich executives, sport/entertainment population and with the fastest growth is a ‘worker’; 2) zero hour contracts stars, and some highly skilled people in jobs in the ‘gig’ economy. only to be allowed once agreed with a (unable to be replaced by a robot or an recognised union; 3) appropriate notice The Taylor Review on the gig economy algorithm), their vision if fully realised of shift changes; and 4) that a claim can is little more than a plaster facade to would result in the vast majority of jobs be made against a principal contractor if cover the government’s unwillingness subcontractor ceases trading. becoming low paid, insecure and highly to improve workers’ rights in the most dependent on the worker being totally exploitative work environments. It’s Linked to the first item - a definition of flexible. Dismantling social protections is a weak set of proposals and talking worker - should also be a statement of the key to maximising the opportunities points that leaves the balance of power employment on the first day of a job. for exploitation, whether it be eroding with employers and big business, This is in addition to a full contract to be employment rights or dismantling the and falls well short of addressing signed by both parties and which details welfare state. the manifest issues facing those in pay, terms and conditions. However, a I would highly recommend Jacques insecure employment. Not only is it a simple requirement for the employer Peretti’s book ‘Done; the secret deals fig leaf, the report has been put out for to provide a written confirmation that that are changing our world’ , a follow- ‘consultation’, code for ‘kicking into the someone is employed on day one on from the excellent documentaries long grass’. shouldn’t be too much of a burden and is a reasonable minimum. he’s produced for a fuller analysis of One of the most chilling interviews I what is being done to remove any ever saw was with a food delivery cycle I hope for a measure of cross party power or choice we have left and leave worker who admitted that she never support for the Bill and will work with workers exposed to the full rigours of met anyone from the company on a day- anyone who shares this concern for market forces. to-day basis and all her deliveries were what we are facing in the coming In the aftermath of Brexit, there computer generated. It was a perfect months and years. It is frustrating was bewilderment from many who example of how to keep a worker to have the sense of the clock being supported ‘remain’ about the motives isolated as she admitted she had no turned back to Victorian standards of of the right wing ‘leave’ campaign. sense of whether business was busy or employment, with technology being One of the most puzzled laments from slack or how anyone else was doing. used as the modernising twist on basic exploitation. However, I strongly believe remainers is ‘why would they want to So, now more than ever we need to that the party who promoted the destroy jobs and the economy?’ as the fight to protect the rights workers Master and Servants Act in days gone by cruel fiction that leaving would provide have and seek to bring the isolated shouldn’t be allowed to ride roughshod millions to spend on the NHS has been and marginalised workers under the over hard won protections, and that exposed for the ‘Big Lie’ that it is. That umbrella. The Workers’ Rights Bill I’m workers’ rights need to be safeguarded mystery is easily solved if you accept campaigning on has been informed by as never before. there are those seeking money making many discussions I’ve had with unions, opportunities that can only come from a academics and the third sector and is Chris Stephens is the (SNP) MP for country with a destroyed manufacturing going to focus on four specific areas, Glasgow South West and chair of the base, heavily debt dependent namely 1) A clear definition of what PCS union parliamentary group. The art of occupation Gregor Gall analyses the BiFab occupation, showing the conditions under which the workers won he occupation, accompanied announcing it was about to enter energy policy and licensed the by a work-in, undertaken into administration (as a prequel offshore farm), the workers agreed Tby hundreds of workers at to receivership) as a result of only to work without wages with the BiFab (Burntisland Fabrications) being paid 40% for the 77% of work purpose of continuing production in late 2017 to successfully save it had carried out for its client, of the jackets for turbines while their jobs serves as a useful Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL), which also taking control of the yards so prompt to reconsider the utility had been contracted by energy that, in the words of Gary Cook, a of the occupation tactic and its provider, SSE, to build an offshore GMB Scottish organiser, ‘Nothing frequency of usage as the size of wind turbine farm. Workers faced will come and go without the say so the manufacturing sector continues both not being paid their due of the action committee’ in order to contract and as public sector wages and mass redundancy. The to maintain control of their key workplaces continue to shut in the workforce at the yards comprised bargaining chip, the wind turbines enduring ‘age of austerity’. 250 workers employed by BiFab and jackets, and prevent asset stripping. 1,150 sub-contractor workers, and So, for a week in late November The workers pledged to continue were organised by the GMB and 2017, workers at three fabrications to carry out the occupation and Unite unions. yards (Burntisland and Methil in work-in until Christmas and beyond Fife, and Arnish on the Isle of Lewis) In order to put pressure on SHL if necessary to secure their jobs. staged a work-in and occupation and SSE as well as the Scottish In a joint statement, the regional of the yards in response to BiFab Government (which has a green secretaries of Unite Scotland, Pat 22 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Rafferty, and GMB Scotland, Gary have gone and the yards shut’. In of 1987 was also marked by a BBC Smith, then said: ‘Make no mistake doing so, the left press has showed documentary and a motion in the these yards would be closed today a deficiency in understanding Scottish Parliament in 2017 laid if it wasn’t for the dignity and the interaction of processes and down by Richard Leonard. The Lee determination of the workers and outcomes at work and the specificity Jeans occupation also experienced their families in Fife and Lewis to of the conditions under which they further iconisation when it was save their jobs and industry. With take place. The message that direct became the subject of a musical their futures on a knife edge they action is ‘possible’ and ‘works’ in performed by members of the worked for nothing, stayed strong the case of BiFab particularly does former workforce in 2017. The and resolute and by staying united not take into account the factors fortieth anniversary of the Upper they have won their future’. of group cohesion, generation of a Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) work- usable bargaining asset, ability to in occupation was also widely The work-in was used as a create political pressure, buoyant commemorated in 2011 in Scotland legitimatising tactic for the product demand, and the strategic with similar celebrations (exhibition, occupation, whereby the workers importance of energy infrastructure. gala concert) and widespread sought to show that they were the sympathetic publicity. Such victims who remained willing to For example, the aspect of group celebrations kept alive some popular work. Management did not obstruct cohesion was highlighted by historical memory of the tactic the occupation and work-in, owing solidarity strikes in 2013 and 2015 for the last major occupation of a to their temporary alignment when directly employed workers at workplace was the successful seven- of interests with the workforce, BiFab struck in support of contractor week Glacier occupation in Glasgow namely, to gain payment from SHL workers, and the intersection in 1996. and SSE for the work done. A high of public and private interests profile, large demonstration was provided for the opportunity This suggests, in line with the held outside the Scottish Parliament, for both economic and political analysis above concerning group crowning extensive media coverage power to be exercised by workers. cohesion, bargaining assets, political during the week. The two unions, Identifying and understanding the pressure, product demand and working together, called for BiFab existence of such factors as well as strategic importance, that historical to be taken into public sector their inter-relationships is as vital knowledge and public awareness are ownership if the company did go to understanding why collective far from being necessary, let alone into receivership. These pressures resistance is possible as it is to how sufficient, to generate the usage of forced the Scottish Government it can be successfully deployed, the occupation or sit-in. So it is in to intervene in order to broker a and whether such successes can be this context that, while the actions deal between SHL and SSE to solve replicated in other instances because of the BiFab workforce can rightly be BiFab’s liquidity problem with the struggle per se is not guarantee of applauded, a hard headed analysis effect that wages were paid and success. shows why – compared to the 1970s and 1980s – that the tactic of the employment guaranteed until April Public awareness of the occupation occupation or sit-in has not been 2018. The Scottish Government also tactic has been kept alive to some widely used by workers since. The pledged to provide commercial loans extent in Scotland by the celebration hard headed analysis consists of to BiFab if necessary. of previous occupations. The assessing the balance of power manner of these celebrations has The Solidarity newspaper (24 between capital, labour and the given both profile and legitimacy November 2017) opined: ‘The state with regard to workforce group to the tactic. Thus, similar to the message from the dispute, short cohesion, bargaining assets for earlier thirtieth celebration of the as it was, is: direct action works’ workers, political pressure, product Lee Jeans occupation in Greenock and the Scottish Socialist Voice demand and strategic importance of of 1981 involving the production of (25 November 2017) ventured: ‘It the work undertaken. is [a] timely reminder to workers a BBC documentary and a motion battling low or falling pay and lousy in the Scottish Parliament in 2011, Gregor Gall is professor of industrial working conditions of the potential generating sympathetic news relations at the University of power of united action to protect coverage, the Caterpillar occupation Bradford jobs and living standards. It signals the truth of the old adage, ‘If you stop running they’ll stop chasing you’. Meanwhile, The Socialist (22 November 2017), like other left newspapers, quoted Gary Smith, speaking to workers at the demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament: ‘If you had not occupied those yards then your jobs would 23 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Universal Credit equals misery for all those dependent on it Sandra Webster says it’s time for the left to organise against this injustice

he roll-out of the Tory society who face cuts in local services happening to actual people, not just government’s flagship policy as well as these at a national level. statistics on a piece of paper, alarming. is woefully behind schedule. Duncan-Smith at the beginning said We all know by now that anyone T families with a disabled person would moving to Universal Credit before last However by this time next year all of Scotland and the UK will be covered not be affected but this has been Christmas will not receive a payment conveniently forgotten and never until the New Year. Some people have with individuals and their families in announced. People with disabilities waited much longer and face having work age benefits having to apply. It and unpaid carers will face the firing to apply again if there is a change in is the responsibility of the left to not squad which is Universal Credit. So will income. only support all who are affected by people who receive housing benefit this cruel regime, but help organise Many of us work in our local both in and not in work. This will a campaign against it and offer an communities helping fill out forms include social landlords. Councils and alternative. and applications as statutory services housing associations have made public are overwhelmed. It is time to form It was Frank Field and ‘new’ Labour their dismay that in the many areas a resistance rather than trying to which first mooted the concept of piloting Universal Credit many tenants help and plug gaps. Like the poll and Universal Credit – a single payment have gone into arrears and their bedroom taxes, this should lead to instead of having to claim for different income from rent is being reduced. a campaign by all on the left. We Private landlords who prop up a benefits. This was over six years ago. need to provide education in order system with insufficient social housing After the Tories came to power, Iain to be effective in supporting those have threatened to not take on or Duncan Smith announced this as their affected. A Citizen’s Income and a evict tenants on Universal Credit. flagship policy stating it would make decent minimum wage are essential ‘work pay’. Individuals and families Like many of the binary policy choices to our message as our stronger unions would receive a single monthly of the Tories, Universal Credit is more with greater coverage. We have to payment, one per household as than just a payment - it is propaganda hold both Holyrood and Westminster working families did. Even at this early promoting the concept of the ‘feckless governments accountable and let stage, the third sector and charities poor’. If an emergency happens and them just blame each other. Fine warned of the dangers of paying no other help is available, people may speeches are good but action is housing benefit directly instead of to use their Universal Credit payment essential now. By this time next year, landlords and of concerns for children and face arrears in housing. What Universal Credit will be rolled out over and partners who would no longer will happen to them during the all of Scotland and Britain. It is now receive any payment. It has long been assessment process when a new time for action and time to do what accepted that child benefit should claim is made or during the sanction we do best by standing with those be paid to the main family carer of regime? Those on Universal Credit affected. children, providing a very basic safety may find themselves facing the fear of Sandra Webster is an unpaid carer. net of regular income. As a remnant losing their home. She is an anti-poverty campaigner of a decent welfare state, this is likely The left has known about the and writer as well as member of the to be demolished as we move towards impact of Universal Credit for years. Scottish Socialist Party (SSP). the Americanization of state benefits. Nowadays, the murmurs of ‘down with ‘Work must pay’ according to the this’ are increasing as even Tory MPs Tories and, if this means single parents and Frank Fields are seeing what is having to travel long distances and be unable to care for school age children, so be it. In the areas where Universal Credit has been trialled, there have been reports of individuals and their families facing extreme poverty. This is an online system and, without access to a computer, people face a harsh sanction system. Although a phone line free of charge will be up and running in January after a public outcry, many report trying to stand in a free Wi-Fi area to speak to a human on the helpline which can take hours. It is the most vulnerable in our 24 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Cuts to addiction services in England and Wales since 2010 Paul Harrold lays out the devastating impact of Tory austerity on the vulnerable

ince 2010, successive Tory means the mortality rate in 2015 was debatable, thousands of people have governments have aimed to save the highest since records began in come to depend on methadone to Spublic money by cutting addiction 1993. control their addiction to opiates, and services. Since addiction is often • There were 2,479 drug related going without really forces these people stigmatised, perhaps these politicians deaths involving both legal and back onto street heroin. Since 2012, feel justified in cutting these unarguably illegal drugs registered in England local authorities have begun to limit the essential services. These cuts really and Wales in 2015. This was 48% amount of time patients may stay on a started to take hold following the higher than 2005, and the highest methadone programme. Also, ‘payment enactment of the Health and Social since comparable records began in by results’ contracts mean many local Care Act 2012 . This Act meant addiction 1993. authorities are unwilling to offer the services is now solely commissioned by methadone programme to patients with • local authorities and not the NHS. These increases have occurred complex mental health needs. despite an overall decrease in the Before 2012, long-term government number of people using illicit drugs. This overall state-of-affairs means many investment in addiction services saw In 2005/06, 10.5% of adults aged 16 people are seeking out the assistance year-on-year decreases in drug-related to 59 had taken an illegal drug in the of A&E instead of specific addiction deaths. These improvements have last year. This decreased to 8.4% in services. The number of hospital now been utterly wiped out. Why is 2015/16. admissions in 2015/16 relating to drug this? Because under the NHS, local poisoning was 15,074. This represents a Staffing levels have been hit hardest by authorities’ spending on addiction 51% increase compared to 2005/05. The treatment isn’t ring fenced. Most these cuts. Staffing cuts mean fewer psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and Royal College of Psychiatrists proposes a local authorities have seen their own three-part solution: budget reduced by the government, clinical psychologists are available to and so addiction services have been assist people suffering from addiction • A return to joint addiction service chopped to help local authorities make issues. Addiction services are instead commissioning between the NHS savings required by these cuts. An relying on doctors without specialist and local authorities example of this injustice is in the City qualifications and volunteers. The number of trainee addiction • There must be at least 60 addictions of Birmingham. Addiction services saw psychiatrist training posts in England their budget cut from £26 to £19 in psychiatrists has reduced by 60% since 2015-16. 2006. In 2006, there were 52 trainee • There can be no further cuts to psychiatrists. In 2016, this number has local authorities’ budgets for these Health Following the enactment of the decreased to 21. This means addiction services and Social Care Act 2012, drug-related services find it difficult to access deaths have sharply increased: sufficiently qualified staff members. This All this information is visually represented in an infographic which • Deaths involving heroin and/or has decreased the quality of addiction can be found at https://www. morphine doubled between 2012 services and diminished the safety of cassioburycourt.com/article/102/ and 2015 from 579 to 1,201.That’a patient care. cuts-to-addiction-services-since-2010- 107% increase. The mortality rate for Harm reduction is used to describe [infographic] deaths involving heroin/morphine the methadone programme. This is declined between 2008 and 2012, when those addicted to heroin are Paul Harrold is an addiction worker at with a particularly sharp fall between given methadone as a ‘replacement’. an alcohol rehab in London known as 2009 and 2011. The recent reversal Whilst the merits of this approach are Cassiobury Court. Update from the Jimmy Reid Foundation he programme of work for 2018 for the Foundation includes papers on sport in society, education, energy, the Fair Work Framework and public sector reform. All these will be published in due course on our website (http://reidfoundation.org/). The Foundation is also undertaking research work for a Tnumber of unions in Scotland like the EIS, FBU and UNISON. It is also pleased to welcome Professors Ruth Dukes and Graham Watt from the University of Glasgow and Dr Kathryn Burnett from the University of the West of Scotland to its project board which oversees the work of the Foundation.

25 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 No Jamaican joy in sight for German political establishment Victor Grossman reports on the political machinations on rightward moving terrain t’s not so nice to say it but Germany the menacing AfD to profit from the AfD. Merkel’s seemingly generous is in an almighty mess! It’s not had muddle. Then what about a novelty, a immigration policies have long been Ia proper government since the minority government? Merkel rejected discarded as she tries to keep her September 2017 elections. Perhaps this as to pass any measures requires footing. The Greens, their radical past some agreement will have been appeals for support from changing long since forgotten, may soon drop reached by the time you read this. But partners, eager for new bargains. Now the one ‘fundi’ plus one ‘realo’ co- as yet the old deposed ministers still a reluctant savior has re-emerged. chair tradition, with the former still rule as temporary ‘caretakers’, left- After all, someone must preserve concerned with social conditions, while overs after the uncomfortable four- Germany’s solid, respected reputation! the pragmatic ‘realists’ are happy to year wedlock, like divorcees stuck in Pure patriotism caused the SPD to offer join with anyone to get a few warm the same flat. The Social Democrats succor. To assuage its leftwing and its cabinet armchairs. And even the LINKE (SPD) are junior partners. Their seniors pride, SPD leaders are demanding at has its troubles. It still opposes sending and colleagues - though traditional least two policies. One is a change in troops to Mali or Afghanistan, but one foes - belong to the ‘Union’, Angela the national health system, cutting out wing still dreams of a national coalition Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union privileged private health insurance with the SPD and the Greens and, to (CDU) and its single-state sibling, the schemes. The other would enable overcome obstacles to that goal, seems Christian Social Union (CSU) from young Iraq or Syrian refugees whose to be down-playing opposition to NATO Germany’s biggest, most right-biased stay in Germany is permitted to fetch and stationing troops abroad, while Bavaria. All three were trounced, the family members as well. To both, the even joining the chorus which calls all SPD so brutally - at an all-time low of Union says ‘Never’! critics of Israeli policy ‘anti-Semites’, a particularly nasty accusation in 20.5% - that its leader, Martin Schulz, What gets the scantest attention in the Germany. who led the way to defeat, swore: ‘The negotiation? It’s the urgent needs of coalition was our undoing! Never again! ever more working people, forced into Meanwhile the 92 AfD MPs are We must now opt for opposition and unstable, temporary, part-time jobs or, laughing at others’ troubles while reassemble our ranks’. if jobless, into menial tasks at hungry hailing heroes of Germany’s ‘great The Union lost even more voters dole rates. The SPD deplores all this, past’, viciously attacking anyone but, still the strongest with 33%, but aside from a weak new minimum preferring a crescent to a cross, and it faced the task of finding enough wage law gets little accomplished. rejoicing that most of Eastern Europe and many in the West are veering deputies to achieve a 355 majority The Union and the SPD do already in the 709-seat Bundestag. The 69 rightward, most recently with the new agree on one issue; creating a strong Austrian government. With 12-13% from the LINKE (Left), still ‘nasty Reds’ European military force separate for those conservatives, were out in polls in Europe’s strongest power, from the USA-dominated NATO, it calculates how many more will join of the question. The Alternative for with new EU headquarters, marine them with the next economic nose- Germany, (AfD), new in the Bundestag, headquarters in the Baltic, a military dive. The urgent response is the left frighteningly, with 92 seats, included academy, mobile medical facility and to offer working people convincing so many hate-ridden neo-Nazis more joint maneuvers to guarantee explanations of the causes of their that political hygiene required their ‘constant deployment readiness’. worries and hardships, and leadership ostracism (at least for the time being). ‘The United Army of Europe – that is in getting at their roots in new This forced the Union, to take that 355 our long-range political vision’, SPD solidarity. Troubled Germans took heart seat hurdle, to win the two remaining politicians declared. With Germany its at news about Bernie and Jeremy; a parties, the big-business-oriented Free strongest, guiding element, it would good portion of that enthusiasm in Democrats (FDP) and the Greens for a represent one more step in century-old their campaigns is urgently needed so-called ‘Jamaica coalition’ – like that ambitions of its financiers, Industrialists here. distant island’s flag it would combine and generals to extend their might the Union’s symbol color black with globally. Even without an established Victor Grossman, McCarthy-era ex-pat Green and the FDP’s yellow symbol government, the new Bundestag has from New York to East Berlin, writes color. But this jolly flag defied hoisting. voted to keep German soldiers in books and Berlin Bulletins in English The four wrangled and bickered, with Afghanistan and Mali; only a few SPD and German. His autobiography is the FDP opposing environmental or MPs defied their leadership, voting ‘no’ ‘Crossing the River, A Memoir of the any other regulations, which were the or abstaining. American Left, the Cold War, and Life Greens’ main stock in trade aside from in East Germany’ (U. of Massachusetts It seems all the parties are sliding welcoming and accepting refugees. Press). rightwards. The Bavarian CSU replaced What to do? New elections might its long-time state governor candidate end up much the same or bring even with a man even further to the worse losses, most likely enabling right – to win back voters from the 26 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 feedback

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The Death of Stalin threatens to expose his NKVD colleagues as brutal arbiters in the imprisonment, (2017), directed by torture and execution of innocent Armando Iannucci people. Reviewed by Jackie Bergson Armando Iannucci’s intentionally not at a member of the general public truncated screenplay and direction who throws eggs, but at people who he Death of Stalin is a satirical maintains his audience’s and his players’ were guilty of horrific atrocities against romp of stellar magnitude. Its unwavering attention. In one interview thousands of their own countrymen. outstanding cast, protracted with Iannucci (theguardian.com), he T Earlier in the film, Paddy Considine’s storyline and sparking dialogue together describes the timeline plan within the Andryev, who is consciously aware compellingly depict the farcical chaos action being a main feature which he that organised terror drives the of a political and social situation which used to speed up pace compared with need to comply with Stalin’s every takes place in the Soviet Union within Nury and Robins’ graphic novel, upon wish, frantically meets his leader’s the time leading up to, during and which the film is based. He, thus, directs demands to receive a recording of a following Josef Stalin’s death in 1953. absolute focus upon the grim, ludicrous particular Mozart concerto. In doing irony of somewhat microcosmic Satirical humour interjects throughout so, Considine’s organised yet wantonly power struggles within Stalin’s internal the film, being riotously overt or hapless Andreyev is unable to avoid politburo. disturbingly, wryly accurate, in turn. In becoming first in a chain of events masterfully representing cleverly crafted Stalin’s funeral, which Buscemi’s which lead to the dictator’s practically work within its genre, the film reveals Krushchev is tasked with organising by unintentional demise. The harassed more serious parallels and subtexts. his colleagues in the film, represents Andryev is touchingly portrayed as Both the outrageous humour and a significant peak in satirical alchemy. being both unintentionally funny and tragedy of events depicted, although Heavily drizzled with grimly hilarious judgementally flawed. nuances which display the need of sitting uncomfortably alongside each By comparison, Michael Palin as Stalin’s chaotic politburo to put on an other, are thus equally unavoidable. Molotov (whom Churchill thought to acceptably organised public face, the have ‘outstanding ability and cold- The satirical genre traditionally reveals funeral scene also represents the zenith blooded ruthlessness’) portrays a sometimes obscene, usually discordant of Iannucci’s own idea of climactic farce ridiculous character whose true abilities incongruity at individual and collective to his own audience. levels. The Death of Stalin through lay in complying with the stupefying yet its smart use of grotesque wit, thus, However, it is the appearance of Jason cunning, ruthless dictatorship. Similarly, unquestionably reflects the true horror Isaacs’ Zukhov which delivers with Rupert Friend’s hilariously ineffectual of dehumanisation, killings and violent raucous full force. In the knowledge Vasily Stalin is seen to fail spectacularly oppression which existed in the Soviet that Zhukov was admired by Stalin for in achieving the kudos afforded to their Union during Stalin’s reign as premier of his ‘straightforward qualities’, Isaacs deceased head of state. chose to vitalise the role through using the Soviet Union. The film’s dialogue and action distinctly a blunt Yorkshire accent. Stating that he override any lack of geographical The film’s context of historical realism was simply using an idea for portraying precision, with regard to such issues as in relation to the secret police, the Zhukov’s straightforward character, perfected Russian accents. The satirically NKVD’s 1952-53 Doctors’ Plot plus the actor commented: ‘I was talking ludicrous tone is steadily maintained the regime’s Great Terror and Great to David Cameron and when I told through creative genius. The Death of Purge enactments against political and him what I was doing, he could barely Stalin is a must-see film for the thinking religious dissidents is no coincidence. contain his surprise and horror and joy world and its human generations. Within this context, whilst Steve at how the film’s story paralleled exactly Buscemi’s Kruschev is portrayed as what was going on in Downing Street’ Jackie Bergson has worked in the working frantically to ensure that the (theguardian.com). Current audiences’ voluntary sector and commercial politburo’s collective story fits, Simon collective living memory could, business development in technology and Russell Beale’s Beria plots to bring subliminally or otherwise, also consider creative sectors. Educated in and living himself to power as an apparently the irony that most of this pugnacious in Glasgow, her political and social views liberating force. In the process, Beria Yorkshire character’s fury is directed chime left-of-centre.

27 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 themselves, study other people, mis- understand them and sometimes themselves. In ‘This Has No Title’, a man is returning home on a bus, thinking about his fellow passengers and philosophising: ‘always returning, attempting to, dragging ourselves. What is our condition? We cannot recognise our condition.’ Kelman can be unsettling because the passenger’s musings are not unlike yours or mine and yet they add up to very little of any consequence and border on nonsense. This is how ‘This Has No Title’ ends: My jaw ached: I had been smiling. That sense of futility. We persons, and doing our best. I, therefore, was glad to be on this bus, to be returning alongside them. and then The ‘and then’, constituting a paragraph of its own, signals a refusal to offer the kind of closure or consolation offered by the formal conclusion of the traditional short story. Some of the tales develop slowly over many pages but ‘A Friend’ occupies a single page: this is all it takes for Kelman to evoke the sense James Kelman That vector. But this is fiction with the bite of of loss that hurts when the absence reality: the fragile messiness of life and of someone loved is remembered. It Was a Shiver and Other the uncertainty that glues itself to the prevents the narrator from completing his own understanding of what absence Stories, process of living is what makes up his subject matter. is doing to him: Canongate, 1786890909 And I can not get to it, and to her, what Reviewed by Sean Sheehan In the opening story, ‘Oh the Days Ahead’, a man and a woman have of her? I can not reach her. It is too iction is make-believe but only in gone to bed but no sex has occurred. painful; memories, image, neither an one sense is it not true. Fictional The morning after, the man’s body is image, not a thought. She was a friend. Fcharacters and their world – what sexually alive but his mind tells him that Her smile was to me. they do, think, feel and say – do not the woman’s priorities lay elsewhere, Wittgenstein -- ‘what we cannot speak exist in the physically real world but though where exactly is beyond his ken. about we must pass over in silence’ – we can recognise a fabrication as a Not knowing is what perplexes him but would have approved of the necessarily palpably genuine engagement with our a male reader of this story suspects that short word count for recounting a own existence. Storytelling, however a women reading the same text brings memory of the past. imaginatively it goes beyond the another level of understanding to the That Was a Shiver constraints of everyday experience, story. is not a page-turner, can be a form of cognition and good a time filler to while away a journey, fiction does this more powerfully than Rueful reflections by an older man make but a book for slow reading, as night not-so-good fiction. Philip Pullman’s up the second story, ‘The Cartwheels of approaches, when you’re alone and alternative universes in His Dark Life’, and he could be the narrator of the able to dwell on the unspoken thoughts Materials and The Book of Dust explore first tale 30 years on: naebody can plan that punctuate passages of dialogue our need for knowledge in ways that simplicity. It does nae matter how hard between the characters. Kelman leave J. K. Rowling’s boarding-school you try. That the character of ‘Pick up the is a writer whose greatness is only tales of wizards in the realm of juvenile Pieces’ may have recently been released intermittently unappreciated by the escapism. from prison may account for his strange literary Establishment. Maybe he would exuberance as he wanders through an not want it any other way. It might James Kelman’s fiction is in a class urban centre. He remembers, cogitates, be worrying if his work could be cut of its own. He doesn’t do allegory or regrets, imagines, fantasises a meal. and dried, shrink-wrapped and put on seductively enticing prose and ethical His grip on reality is tenuous tenuous display. His prose is not a commodity. clarity has no place in his metaphysical tenuous tenuous; he can’t live off his landscape. In That Was a Shiver, his Sean Sheehan is author of ‘Žiżek: A thoughts – but he’d like to. latest collection of short stories, nothing Guide for the Perplexed’ (Continuum, moves in a straight line. If there is Men are the central characters in most 2012) and’ A Guide to Herodotus’ progress its contour has a crab-like of these stories. They think about Histories’ (Bloomsbury, 2018). 28 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 James Mitchell, Yet the story of by-election makes Hamilton 1967 -The interesting and By-Election That even entertaining reading. At times, Transformed Scotland, Mitchell presents Luath, 9781912147229 us with a plethora Reviewed by Donald McCormick of statistics - all relevant - and of first thought: at the moment names most of us anything with the word have never heard of A‘Hamilton’ in it is bound to and so it might seem be a runaway success and, given a that Hamilton 1967 competent composer and librettist, I is a work of interest can envisage the at times dramatic, only to political at times downright charming story anoraks. I enjoyed of the Hamilton by-election of 1967 the concise survey transferring to Broadway as a hit of the history of musical. There is a touch of the mouse Britain and Scotland that roared about this mostly forgotten in the 1960s and snippet of Scottish political history. how a variety of This is because I doubt very much that progressive issues Winnie Ewing’s success transformed such as legalised Scottish politics quite as much as James abortion and the Mitchell asserts given that the SNP, decriminalisation of having achieved an unexpected and homosexuality had a dramatic victory as a minority party different effect north at a by-election, continued the time of the border as a honoured tradition of losing the seat background to events at the next general election three years even if not specifically later. linked to the events of I was a callow youth at the time, the by-election. becoming aware of politics at home There is also a salutary and abroad, and cannot recall that my reminder of the part religion played in all this minute attention to detail paid friends and I took much notice of the our national politics though the author off and in 1967, a whopping 74% of events not many miles from Glasgow as is too polite to point out its pernicious the electorate turned out to vote we were focused on bigger issues such aspect which is, regrettably, evident to in the by-election with almost 50% as Harold Wilson’s seemingly socialist this day. There were uniquely Scottish ambitions and the war in Vietnam - this voting for Ewing. Mitchell asserts issues such as the drain of youth and that: ‘Even when a by-election tells being what real politics was all about at talent through emigration as high as us less about underlying trends than the age of sixteen. It didn’t help that in 45,000 Scots in 1965 as well as more might immediately be apparent, such our eyes transformation was meant to specific concern about Lanarkshire, come about through the swashbuckling interpretations can themselves create a post -industrial area with little sign actions of a guy with a cool hippy beard of the newly lauded ‘white heat of change ... There had been periodic and a beret with a red star on it. We technology’ transforming the economy. spasms of support for home rule with thought of a Che - we were presented What I found particularly noteworthy is Government reactions developing with a Winnie. Not only did Winnie the way Mitchell’s account of the story Scotland’s position in the union, but the sound like one of your mum’s friends, of various by-elections in the 1950s reaction to Hamilton set Scotland on she looked like one too. With all due and 1960s contradicts Charlie Brown’s a long, though far from certain, route respect, I doubt she had much to do famous dictum that ‘Winning isn’t to the establishment of the Scottish in converting so many of the 1960s everything but losing isn’t anything’ in Parliament’. If this is the case then it generation in the coming years leading that SNP strategists found positive signs to the SNP emerging as a serious player must be conceded that the Hamilton by- even in a series of defeats. in Scottish politics three decades later election did play its part in transforming when the newly elected MSP, Winnie Some were good defeats where winning Scotland after all. Hamilton 1967 is Ewing, could state to the newly opened 18% of the vote was an encouraging recommended reading. sign. Voting figures and patterns were Scottish Parliament ‘I want to start with Donald McCormick is a retired history the words that I have always wanted poured over, strategies refined and teacher, anti-ideologue and a grumpy to say or hear someone else say - the activists inspired and retrained. There optimist Scottish Parliament which adjourned was an identifiable base of support for on 25 March 1707 is reconvened’. More Scottish home rule - possibly even more enduring success came even if it took a - to be exploited by a sophisticated while. and enthusiastic campaign. Apparently

29 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Kim Moody, On New this power. The fact it has not exercised Families Party a pressure group within this is the subject of the second half of the Democrats, a left ‘tea party’ which Terrain – how capital the book. stands its own candidates. He highlights a strike by US prisoners, overwhelmingly is reshaping the The adherence to neo-liberal African Americans, against working priorities, promotion of free trade and as ‘slaves’. He draws lessons from the battleground of class abandonment of the working class Occupy Movement and Black Lives war, under Obama led to a shift of sufficient matter. Overall he believes a revolt number of working class voters to Haymarket, 9781608468461 in US cities is inevitable. However, its the Republicans to elect Trump. This, success depends on the working class Reviewed by Gordon Morgan however, is not a new phenomenon. having learned the lessons of all these Even in 1976, 38% of households with This is a detailed and provocative study partial struggles to become in Marx’s union members voted Republican. In of how capital has changed since the terms a class ‘fit to rule’. There is much 2016, this was 43%. In 1980, only 48% of 1980s and its effects on the working more in the book than this including union households voted Democrat and class and political parties in the USA a discussion on the disconnection 45% for Reagan’s Republicans. and across the world. It rejects the between strike waves and Krondatieff notion that we live in a post-capitalist The Democratic party machine is largely long waves, extensive references, a world or that the ‘gig economy’ beholden to business donations and detailed description of how Labor dominates industrial relations. Instead, even the ‘crowd-funding’ introduced by Notes functioned. I thoroughly enjoyed it presents a classical Marxist analysis Sanders’ ‘Our Revolution’ organisation reading it and would recommend it that painstakingly shows how the has been incorporated into the particularly at the discount rate of $9 composition of the ‘core working Democratic National Convention (DNC) including e-book. multilayer fund-raising controlled by a class’ has changed in its occupational, Gordon Morgan is a member of the party apparatus that effectively chooses industrial and ethno/racial composition Scottish Left Review editorial committee. under changing business practices the candidates who since the 1980s linked to increasing largely share their concentration of capital. pro-business stance. Moody is gloomy Much of the productivity gains achieved about the prospects over this period especially the 1980s for changing this and 1990s result from reduced breaks given the way in the 8 hour working day amounting to corporations control 24 minutes which allied to streamlined Congress and State work practices added 2 hours apparatuses and the production at no extra cost. Similar gains increasing spend on apply in nursing and other services. Add election and primary in the privatisation of child and elder campaigns. care, health insurance, food preparation, the increase in the hours worked by Nor are unions women, the official ‘low wage’ rate paid acting to defend to 43% of USA jobs and the increased workers’ rights, profits of US corporations are all too many have adopted explicable. From 1975 to 2011, the the same pro- real profit/wage ratio grew by 68%. business model as By contrast, the percentage of people the corporations. holding multiple jobs has barely altered. Moody worked for years as The concentration of capital into fewer editor of Labor mega-corporations has resulted in Notes a group massive logistics hubs around major which advocated, ports and cities. Increasingly, these act educated and as distribution and final manufacturing promoted grass centres taking standardised products roots movements and tailoring them. In almost all the in communities US hubs, hundreds of thousands of and unions. He increasingly African American, Latino describes the and women workers are concentrated in struggles in low paid dead end jobs. In theory, this the AFL-CIO as gives these workers enormous power well as initiatives such given that moving a hub would take as the Labor Party formed in 1996 decades and too much capital has been from frustration with Clinton, the sunk into it. The fact that many of these Richmond Progressive Alliance which workers are in unions and traditionally won elections in opposition to Chevron have voted Democrat should increase the major employer, the Working 30 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 VLADIMIR McTAVISH’S Kick up the Tabloids

o here we are at the start of the parts of previous Tory leaders. with many abiding comic images 2018, and not only is Theresa It’s as if the heart and compassion of this slapstick government, but May somehow still Prime of Margaret Thatcher have been sadly the best image of all never S happened. At the very last minute, Minister of the UK, but world peace allied to the personality of John has somehow managed to survive Major, the wit and humour of Iain Theresa May and Phillip Hammond the first year of a Trump presidency. Duncan-Smith and the political nous were persuaded by their PR team If anyone had gone to a bookies last of Michael Howard. not to go ahead with a planned June to place bets on May being photo opportunity where they were Secondly, she has against all the in power at Christmas, Trump not to take a trip in a driverless car. What odds stumbled on in power, like a launching a nuclear strike on North a shame that photo never made the marathon runner who has hit the Korea before the end of the year front pages, as I can think of few wall at fifteen miles and wobbled and Celtic’s unbeaten run coming more appropriate metaphors for their way over the finish line with to an end in December with a 4-0 this current government than two all four limbs flailing in opposite defeat by Hearts, there is little doubt people driving off into the middle directions. In truth, she has probably that the third of those three punts of nowhere with nobody in control hung on because no one else would have been quoted the longest - which is pretty much how many wants the job, but few captains odds. The only bet that would have of us feel as we drive off into the have stayed so long at the wheel attracted longer odds would have future. Happy New Year and good of such a sinking, rudderless ship been Kezia Dugdale winning ‘I’m a luck for 2018! I think we may just with so many rats either leaving Celebrity! Get Me Out Of Here!’, or need it! or being pushed off, in a storm indeed Kezia Dugdale winning any of sleaze, dodgy business deals, Vladimir McTavish will be appearing vote of any description. sexual harassment, porn on work at Yes Bar in Glasgow on Friday 12 As long ago as last July, I was filming computers and the like. and Saturday 13 January 2018 and in an improvised comedy show for a Burns Night Comedy Show at The Some Tories tried to switch the focus BBC Scotland. I was cast in the role Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh on of the Damian Green scandal by of a fanatical pro-independence Wednesday 24 January. bleating about police misconduct in campaigner, but was actually left to the Damian Green case. This kind make up the words myself. On the of misses the really important point first take, my character went on a in this particular case. Namely, that long rant about Theresa May. The any minister’s position becomes director called for a cut in filming, untenable when the public cannot and asked me not mention Theresa look at him without imagining him May on the second take. When I masturbating in the office. complained about this being heavy- handed censorship, the director Speaking of which, Boris Johnson then explained: ‘No, it’s not that we has somehow also managed to don’t agree with what you’re saying, avoid losing his job, almost certainly it’s just that this isn’t scheduled to because May is scared of sacking be broadcast until January and we him. Only through the British class can’t be certain she’ll still be around system could such an educationally- by then.’ challenged moron end up as Foreign Secretary, due to his parents paying Let’s give credit where it’s due to the to send him to the right school. One PM, as she has pulled off a couple of can only imagine what kind of a job, fairly remarkable tricks during her if any, Boris Johnson would be doing eighteen months in office. Firstly, she had he been educated in a state has managed to look both evil and school, but it certainly would not incompetent, which is quite a unique entail protecting the rights of British achievement. She almost appears citizens wrongly imprisoned abroad. to have been assembled in some Frankenstein-esque manner from Looking back over 2017, one is left

31 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018 Congratulations Richard Leonard MSP Scotland’s labour leader

A voice for real change

UNISON Labour Link welcomes the election of Richard Leonard Scottish Labour Party Leader

12.12.17 Scottish left review ad.indd 1 12/13/2017 9:57:41 AM 32 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 103 January/February 2018