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ScottishLeft Review Issue 90 November/December 2015 - £2.00 Issue 90 November/December 2015 ScottishLeftReview - 1 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 Ocer ASLEF the train drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk ScottishLeftReview Cover and illustrations: Issue 90 November/December 2015 Nadia Lucchesi Contents ([email protected]) Comment – Ninety not out.................................................................................3 Proofing services: Labour is the only Britain wide anti-austerity party now - John McDonnell .....4 Bob Thomson and John Daly How the contest was won - Martyn Cook and Tommy Kane .............................5 Communications and Kez + Jez = something spezial? - Lesley Brennan ...............................................7 organisational development: Challenges for Corbynmania in Scotland - Daniel Kenealy ................................8 Carole Ewart Corbyn challenges cosy consensus - Tom Mills .............................................. 10 Corbyn and the anti-austerity movement - Phil McGarry and Keith Stoddart 11 Trade union development officer: Corbyn’s challenge: to survive and prosper - Eric Shaw ................................ 12 David Brockett Workers’ rights are human rights - Carole Ewart ............................................ 14 Editor Email: Indyref 2014: nation vs class - John Foster and Neil Davidson debate ............ 16 [email protected] Lessons from America on the Trade Union Bill - Sarah Collins ........................ 18 Union political funds - Jim Slaven .................................................................. 19 Web: www.scottishleftreview.org Real reform or a missed moment? - Will Dinan .............................................. 20 Lessons from Greece: reclaim the state, reform the EU - Peter Lomas ........... 21 Tel: 0141 424 0042 Sulphur + brimstone for BBC - Leslie Mitchell ................................................ 22 Building worker links - Davy Brockett ............................................................. 23 Address: Managerialism in the public sector - Gary Fraser ............................................ 24 Scottish Left Review, The trouble with foreigners - Chris Sharpe ..................................................... 25 741 Shields Road, Modern apprenticeships in Scotland - Margaret and Jim Cuthbert ............... 26 Pollokshields, Sources to read about the struggle ................................................................ 27 Glasgow Book reviews .................................................................................................. 28 G41 4PL Vladmir McTavish’s Kick up the Tabloids ......................................................... 30 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 90 November/December 2015 Comment: Ninety, not out t the risk of sounding ageist, we’d of 79’ was all about given that it sought To use former US president, Lyndon like to proclaim we’re 90 editions to organise the ‘Scottish resistance’ to Baines Johnson’s, salty phrase, they Anot out – rather than say we’re Thatcher and the Tories, advocating need become quickly well versed ‘in 90 editions young. Publications and direct action and industrial action to farting and chewing gum at the same organisations like ours exist and operate mount that resistance. time’ in terms of taking initiatives to on very little in the way of money and An occupation or work-in would be a counter-balance the obvious reactions bodily resources. Printing, postage and good start and be more than merely they have to make to government website costs have increased. We have saying that the Scottish government policies and actions (as well as the not made a financial appeal in many was thinking about nationalisation or attacks on them). years. So please consider making a one forlornly seeking in Westminster for Here in Scotland, Dugdale seems to have off or regular donation – take out or give Scotland to be exempted from the Trade sensed the way the wind is blowing someone a subscription to the magazine Union Bill. But even if this seems a bit so she is more likely to have to move as a Christmas gift. farfetched the SNP Scottish Government towards Corbyn than vice-versa. Time The where, when and how can be found could be bolder and more radical using will tell whether it will be enough on our website at existing and new powers, including though but trying to reluctantly follow www.scottishleftreview.org/join-us EU directives to oppose, to delay and Corbyn will not be sufficient as that will and www.scottishleftreview.org/shop mitigate much of the Tories attacks on lack the killer instinct needed to take on Of course, we still accept cheques by families and workers. the SNP. ‘snail mail’ – see form on page 30. Scottish Labour’s conference in Perth What does all this mean for the rest Okay financial appeal over, let’s get has just taken place as this editorial is of the left? The battle for next May is down to the politics. Are the wheels penned. After a less than successful a peach coloured fight for sure. The coming off the SNP bandwagon or British conference on the Trident issue, Greens, RISE, Solidarity and maybe are the gripes just really those of the the advance in Perth is being contested. assorted others will all battle to say chattering classes so that next May As the themed articles in this edition give us your second vote as it will be the SNP will steamroller Labour again? attest to, Corbyn has much potential wasted on the SNP given the D’Hondt Property deals and difficulties over to transform Labour but also much method used (where parties winning education and health especially have challenge (especially from factions within more constituency seats are precluded started to take the shine off the SNP’s Labour, especially the Parliamentary from winning so many of the list seats). lustre while many of its 56 MPs have Labour Party). Momentum – the new Voters decided to do this in 2003, sunk into near oblivion in the public organisation of Corbyn supporters – resulting in the ‘rainbow’ parliament. mind. has its work cut out to help Corbyn It seems the Greens are best placed to and McDonnell get Labour in shape Yet if the general mood of the public benefit from this while others still face for fighting the 2016 elections on a the challenge of brand recognition and is the Tory Westminster government successful and radical basis. is the rightful bogeyman then the SNP political credibility. The ripples from would still seem to be best placed – in There have certainly been a few teething Greece (Syriza’s capitulation) and Spain problems for Corbyn and McDonnell so this majority public mind – to fight the (Podemo’s waning star) do not augur far. All of these will be easily forgotten Tories. The corollary is that Labour in well. if they not only do better in responding both Scotland and Britain is still not the Our on-theme articles consider many of to the Tories but even more critically opponent it needs to be to change this these issues while our off-theme ones take their own policy initiatives and calculation. But the rub is that the SNP look at a variety of hardy perennials start mobilising their supporters outside is better at talking the talk than fighting from class and nation to workers’ rights parliament into a visible fighting force. the fight. Yet talking the talk is better and modern apprenticeship. Of course, Momentum has a role to play than nothing in this mind set. How long here but it is not the meetings it has or Pen-ultimately, we are delighted that will that mind set last? its behind-closed-door actions that will the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is If the SNP wanted to do more than count. Rather it will be the campaigns, to give the third annual Jimmy Reid this, it would need to see itself as the numbers attracted to them and Foundation lecture at the University of more than a centralised parliamentary what leverage they develop that will be Glasgow (see p15 of this edition). She party. With over 100,000 members critical in overturning austerity. will address the issue of workers’ rights as human rights which takes on added (and their families and friends) as well Corbyn and McDonnell need to get their importance with the third reading of as its modern, high-tech campaigning skates on – let’s see what comes out of the Trade Union Bill just beforehand. organisation, could it not think about the Labour Assembly Against Austerity The lecture is already overbooked but mobilising these masses to oppose a in London in mid-November. But surely, there may be some return of tickets. whole number of Tory acts, ranging from there are no shortages of ideas given There will also be a livestream of the welfare cuts, the Trade Union Bill and Corbyn’s leadership campaign itself, lecture to the STUC headquarters with letting the steel industry perish? This the deployment of radical tax expert, a debate following this. Please visit the would supplement any fine speeches Richard Murphy, and the move of in the debating chambers of Edinburgh Andrew Fisher from head of policy at Jimmy Reid Foundation website (http:// and London. the PCS union to head of policy for reidfoundation.org/ ) for the details of Although Nicola Sturgeon was still at Corbyn. Indeed, Murphy is a voluminous these. school at the time, she should ask the writer and Fisher recently published