ScottishLeft Review Issue 125 September/October 2021 - £2.00 'best re(a)d' 'best 1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Supporting Climate Change Education

The EIS has extensive climate change policies and supports climate change education in schools. We are also working with other trade unionists around the world to call on governments to agree meaningful outputs at the COP26. Additionally, the EIS is working on a range of workstreams to support and develop climate change awareness and learning activity in the build up and subsequent to COP26. These workstreams include: a series of climate change webinars, an EIS climate change education online portal of teaching resources and an online exhibition of pupils’ work on climate-related issues on our website.

2More - Scottish info:LeftReview www.eis.org.uk/Meetings-And-Events/COP26 Issue 125 September/October 2021 feedback

comment Eyes on the planetary prize hough our cover celebrates Climate change denial is now completely in the coming period as for two weeks reaching issue 125 (see below), untenable but that does not mean in November, the world’s eyes will be Tthis should not detract from the there is the political will to take the on Glasgow. In addition to a major major global issue continuing to be the appropriate action to stop and reverse demonstration on 6 November, the climate emergency. Since our last issue, these changes. At the same time as all COP26 coalition (www.cop26coalition. a combination of the IPCC ‘code red’ this, billionaires blasted off into space org) will convene a People’s Summit in report and the outbreaks of sustained on combinations of commercial-cum- Glasgow from 7 to 9 November. This will torrential rain leading to flooding from vanity projects. It’s not too hard to see reviewssee hundreds of meetings, discussions, Edinburgh to London and Germany how the rich will be able to take action action-planning sessions and networking to China as well as huge wild fires in to escape the worst of the effects of taking place with information being North America, Siberia and Greece climate change by using their superior shared from within the official have highlighted the pace and extent resources, meaning there are not COP26 summit with the thousands of of the crisis. Just two details graphically just environmental and humanitarian participants in the city and beyond. highlight the catastrophic nature of aspects but also a class aspect to the Another human tragedy continues to what is going on: for the first recorded climate crisis – just as there continues unfold in Afghanistan. Despite trillions time ever, rain fell on the peak of the to be over COVID19 in terms of ability of dollars spent and thousands of lives Greenland ice cap and in central China a to self-isolate (financial, spatially) and lost, what is stark is that western, US- whole year’s rain fell in just three days. widening gaps in wealth. So, all those dominated, imperialism cannot build These events are of biblical proportions. in Scotland have a special role to play stable and socially just democracies that SLR_half_page_mono_ad.qxp_Layout 1 05/08/2021 10:24 Page 1

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3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 are capable of withstanding the threat of politics. The Greens will be no right-wing. On Fair Work, the agreement from reactionary forces. We shall look at more able to pressurise the SNP from is a considerable watering down on this in more detail in the next issue. within government than they could the Green’s May election manifesto. from without. And, they will be giving Here, the language is highly conditional Closer to home, and despite allowing up some considerable freedom and without firm commitments. As one of areas for disagreement, the danger independence in the process. This would the negotiators, Maggie Chapman, puts of the Scottish Green-SNP pact is not foresee a Green German scenario where the case for the pact in this issue. In the so much facilitating the greenwashing the illusion of influence is gained but next issue, we will scrutinise the claims of SNP but, for the Scottish Greens, the reality is rather different – in the in more detail. a strategic mistake in the power play case of Germany, becoming somewhat

cottish Left Review reaches a the governing party that talks left but STUC general secretary, Roz Foyer, will significant milestone with this whose words are seldom matched deliver the lecture (see advert on p**) 125th issue. In doing so, we have by its deeds. In the process, the SNP S So, what of the influence and impact outlasted any other left magazine has monopolised what is commonly of Scottish Left Review? It has provided published in Scotland in the post- understood to be left-wing. an intellectual resource for many by war period. Radical Scotland, which On top of that, Scottish Left Review critiquing, for example, the nature of emerged out of the SNP’s left-wing ‘79 has weathered the fractious implosion neo-liberal independence which holds group, lasted just 51 issues between of what was one of the few bright sway with much of the SNP leadership. 1982 and 1991. We were founded by developments for the left, namely, the It has given extensive coverage to veteran UCS work-in leader, Jimmy Reid Scottish Socialist Party. It also steered a the arguments and actions of those in 2000, as his last political project. course through the independence and in the environmental movement that He gathered around him significant Brexit debates not only by not taking believe fighting for climate change also figures on the left, of different parties sides but by allowing all the views of requires fighting for system change. and none, to draw up a left-wing the left on these matters to get a fair agenda that he hoped would influence airing within its pages. Has Scottish Left Review led to any new the newly re-established Scottish legislation in the Scottish Parliament? Parliament, in particular, but also This sense of consensus-building where No, is the answer – though that may society in Scotland more widely. possible and recognising differences be setting the bar a little high given the and facilitating honest debate between tight management of the Parliament Sustained by a loyal base of them - as well as looking outside just by the political parties. There are subscribers, support from many party politics to examine politics as a certainly instances of influence within different unions and much voluntary whole - has helped sustain Scottish Left Parliament though. In calling for the labour, on a bi-monthly basis, Scottish Review. It now has many more people resignation of then Scottish Labour Left Review has provided commentary willing to write for it than ever. All are leader, Kezia Dugdale, in September and critical analysis. Beginning by unpaid. 2017 after she made clear her training its fire on Blairism and ‘new’ opposition to Jeremy Corbyn, a senior Labour, the magazine has successfully In 2011, a year to the day of Jimmy Labour insider attributed Scottish Left navigated its way through challenging Reid’s death, Scottish Left Review Review a crucial role in ratcheting up times for the radical left. Prime established the Jimmy Reid Foundation. the pressure on her to go. amongst these have been two sides Over its life so far, the Foundation of the same coin. First, the decline has produced nearly 100 publications So, it is with some wind in its sails that of not just ‘old’ Labour but the decay (policy paper, pamphlets, briefing Scottish Left Reviewlooks forward notes) and organised dozens of of Scottish Labour itself as it both to reaching its two-hundredth issue. meetings. Its well-attended annual headed rightwards and downwards, You can help it do so by subscribing lectures have in the process vacating the territory and supporting at http://www. of social democracy to the SNP. And, featured Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola scottishleftreview.scot/ where you can second, the dominance of the SNP as Sturgeon amongst others. This year, read all 125 issues for free.

Feedback: 1707 and all that Union was a deal between the ruling made clear to the Scots that they were classes of the two countries facilitated preparing for military invasion if the While Scotland was a poor country at by bribery. The Duke of Hamilton was bribery and propaganda should fail. the end of the seventeenth century, made an English duke, and awarded The Scots held out for a federal solution it is misleading for Adam Charlton to the Orders of the Thistle and the Garter but this was rejected by the English. claim in SLR (124, July/August) that and appointed as British Ambassador Someone had better tell Gordon Brown. the Darien adventure ‘left Scotland to Paris to secure his support. The Duke When the terms of the Union became bankrupt, and it was in this context of Argyll was given an English peerage known there was rioting in the streets of that a predatory England entered into for himself and a Scottish one for his Edinburgh and Glasgow and the terms union with a financially ruined Scotland’. brother. The Duke of Queensberry were publicly burned in Dumfries. Of 90 Scotland’s debt at that time was less obtained an English dukedom and petitions sent to the Scottish Parliament than £200,000 compared to an English an annual pension of £3,000 for life. not one was in support of the Treaty. debt of £14.5m, with the population William Paterson the architect of the Colin Darroch, Glasgow ratio being 1:5. By 1714, the UK debt Darien scheme was rewarded for writing had grown to over £36m. The Treaty of pro-union pamphlets. The English Court 4 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Climate, jobs and justice Matthew Crighton reviews some core messages from a climate conference and their relevance to debates in post-election Scotland and at COP26 he idea of a ‘Just Transition’ (JT) has bold government intervention, an implement these recommendations – moved from the fringes to centre extension of public ownership and we await a formal response, however. Tstage since 2016 when Friends of active engagement by workers and The Commission’s interim report in the Earth Scotland and STUC set up the communities most affected. The detail March 2020 had explicitly said that the Just Transition Partnership. Having been of this was set out in our Manifesto Scottish Government should not wait a concept used mainly by unions as they for the 2021 elections. The headings until its work was completed to start orientated to the climate crisis, it is now from that give a guide to its contents: implementing the JT but sadly that routinely used by governments and even i) ‘Turn the tide for workers facing the appears not to have been heeded. corporations, although often without crisis of unjust transition now’; ii) ‘Set a The work of the Commission presented respecting its core content. The Scottish new course through public funding and many useful proposals and detail on the Government has made JT one of the intervention’; and iii) ‘Chart the route to sectors which it examined, but it did not themes of its programme for the COP26 long-term transformation by planning address the scale of investment needed talks in November. and policy coherence’. and how to direct that to deliver the key In reaction to the alarming IPCC report In the context of the election results elements of a JT strategy. It likewise did released in August 2021, re-stating how and the inter-party discussions since not consider the need for a significant dire are the dangers from global heating, then, and of the economic disruption extension of public ownership to achieve debate is increasingly focused how we and policy innovations arising from these ends – in transport and retro- make the economic changes necessary Covid-19, we have identified some fitting as well as the energy system. for the emission reductions set in our immediate actions for a government Therefore, the Partnership felt that the statutory climate change targets. The which is committed making a JT Commission’s reports did not add up to questions of how we organise and fund happen. There has to be rapid progress a fully comprehensive plan for JT and we this, who pays, who benefits and who in preparing ‘Just Transition Plans’ for hope that our conference has now been may suffer are seen to be increasingly each economic sector. It should be an opportunity to broaden and deepen intertwined with whether change will within these that specific actions like the framing of JT. actually happen at the pace and scale We also have the opportunity provided necessary. by COP26 in Glasgow to present and Just Transition is a framing which offers debate these positions in a global theatre answers to these questions – it says and we were extremely pleased with that to protect us all from climate the encouragement given to us by the catastrophe, we have to ensure that international speakers at our conference our measures to decarbonise both including Sharan Burrow of ITUC and protect the workforce and bring wider Dipti Bhatnagar of Friends of the Earth social benefits, in particular reducing International. The contributions in that the inequalities which stain our society. session reminded us that we need to It then expands into the practical ways build our approach to just transition in to do these things. It was, therefore, Scotland and the UK with an international the right time to present the ideas and perspective – both in solidarity with free and publicly-owned transport, practical policies developed by the climate justice and labour movements increased local content in local supply Partnership in our conference which around the world and taking account of chains for renewables, a fossil fuel we entitled ‘Climate, Jobs, Justice: possible consequences in other countries decommissioning programme, building making the Just Transition happen’ on 2 of our policies. retro-fits by municipally-owned September 2021. enterprises, and public investment In the Scottish, UK and international For the Scottish audience, our messages in renewable manufacturing facilities arenas, we are faced with government had to recognise that, for all the talk should be set. There should be JT- greenwash and inaction, and corporate deceit and delay, in the face of the about JT in policy documents, there has related conditions on all funding and urgent need for action on climate been little or no progress on the ground support to businesses, a skills guarantee change. A movement strong enough to and, in some respects, it had appeared for workers in carbon-intensive turn this tide has to include unions and that industrial developments were industries and the ‘Climate Change Plan’ environmentalists at its core and the going in the wrong direction. We had must be amended to include measures concept of a JT is central to building that said in 2020 that there actually seemed and target outcomes for job creation, alliance. to be an ‘unjust transition’ underway community benefits and a more for workers at fabrication yards, in bus inclusive labour market. Matthew Crighton, Secretary of the Just manufacturing and in wind turbine Transition Partnership. The conference Many of these proposals featured in the manufacturing. details can be found at https:// ‘Green Recovery’ and ‘Final’ reports of climatefringe.org/events/climate-jobs- This view has underpinned our advocacy the Just Transition Commission (2020 justice-making-the-just-transition- for a radically different approach to and 2021 respectively) and we have happen/ economic and industrial policy requiring urged the Scottish Government to 5 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Their Just Transition and our Just Transition Dave Moxham says it’s not so much the devil is in the detail but the visions are quite different

p until relatively recently ‘Just sector-wide Just Transition Plans, an services for less well-connected areas. Transition’ (JT) was a term used important step towards the creation of a The pandemic threatens a contraction by a relatively narrow group of Scottish industrial strategy. It also called in public transport use when we need U expanded public transport to reduce people in policy circles, unions and for action to create jobs in the Scottish environmental campaigners. Over the renewables supply chain and green car use. The SNP and Scottish Greens past few years, the term has become manufacturing; for two free bus pilots pact creates a public transport fund more commonly used, if not always fully to be run in Scotland; and for as skills that could be used by local authorities understood or understood in the same guarantee for workers with direct public to take bus transport back under direct way. For example, the European Bank funding provided so that retraining control but we have yet to see the how for Reconstruction and Development costs do not fall solely on those whose ambitious that fund will be. (ECBD) described it as: ‘seek[ing] to livelihoods will be negatively affected by Also in the Government’s programme ensure that the substantial benefits of the shift to net zero. is funding housing retro-fitting. This is a green economy transition are shared However, what the Commission did not another area where direct intervention widely, while also supporting those and council delivery have vital roles who stand to lose economically – be address - and was realistically never going to - was the wider political and to play. We need to create an army, they countries, regions, industries, with multiple council divisions, of communities, workers or consumers’. economic transformation required. In two of Scotland’s highest emission publicly-funded, directly employed, Meantime, the Climate Justice Alliance unionised workers to undertake deep said it: ‘… is a vision-led, unifying and sectors, transport and heat, we have barely scratched the surface of the retrofitting of our homes. Scottish cities place-based set of principles, processes, rate amongst the highest in Europe on and practices that build economic greenhouse gas reductions required. Meanwhile, in energy, where progress fuel poverty while private sector rents and political power to shift from an are rising. A public retrofit programme towards emissions reductions has extractive economy to a regenerative would begin the process of correcting been more substantial, jobs have economy … The transition itself this wrong whilst creating much must be just and equitable; needed jobs. redressing past harms and creating new relationships of BiFab and the broken promises power for the future’. of jobs in renewables have laid bare the need for co- Both understand the impact ordinated planning and using will have winners and losers, every available lever to build and negative impacts should the Scottish supply chain. be mitigated. But they then While much is rightly made of diverge. The first imagines the loss of work to low-cost JT as being delivered by labour abroad, less is said about policies through existent and, continuing to lose supply chain presumably, unchanged institutions. The not been created to mitigate the loss work to higher labour cost countries in second sees JT as a more transformative of employment in extraction and Europe including companies which are process requiring a shift in the balance generation. The current approach, partly state-owned. ‘Our Climate, Our of economic and political power. combining incentives and grants for the Jobs’ includes calling for a nationally- The Scottish Just Transition Commission, private sector with ‘last resort’ state owned construction company to on which I sat, was conceived by the Just interventions (as at BiFab and Ferguson drive forward the industrial strategy Transition Partnership comprising unions Marine) lacks ambition. we need to benefit from the growth and environmental campaigners and in offshore wind, not to mention Therefore, as we approach COP26, and future developments in hydrogen adopted by the Scottish Government. as the SNP Scottish Government signals The Commission’s remit, set by the production and use and carbon capture its intent to economically transform technologies. Scottish Government, unsurprisingly Scotland, the STUC will be campaigning was aligned more clearly with the for an approach to JT that achieves both These campaigns are growing. ECBD. In other words, the Commission the policy recommendations of the Just Importantly, they are uniting was essentially asked to consider Transition Commission and the wider unions and trades councils with policy recommendations based on transformation we need. environmental organisations and a the presumption that pre-existing range of social justice, equality and institutions and political and economic ‘Our Climate, Our Buses’, ‘Our Climate, community campaigns. How the relations would continue largely Our Homes’, and ‘Our Climate, Our Jobs’ Scottish Government responds to the unchanged. This is not to say that the campaigns call for radical intervention growing support for public ownership Commission did not consider the socio- by government both fiscally but also and intervention as central to a Just economic elements of the issues like democratically. Central to this campaign Transition remains to be seen. energy, transport, industry and housing. is the need for public ownership and Dave Moxham is a Deputy General It also made the welcome call for for re-empowering local authorities Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union empowering workers and communities and communities to deliver change. Congress (STUC) and sat on the Scottish in delivering JT and for Fair Work to Privatisation of our bus services has Just Transition Commission. underpin this. Crucially, it called for manifestly failed, in terms of fares and 6 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 How green are our valleys and how green will they become? Maggie Chapman gives a frank and honest view on the Scottish Government and Scottish Greens deal ome on the left have wondered challenge. Greens’ participatory and Green MSPs must hold on to our about the Scottish Green Party’s decentralised approach to politics - radical principles. (SGP) left credentials, but the day which I believe is necessary to create S It is absolutely vital Greens continue SNP and SGP members both accepted the kind of future we need to see - is to be driven by progressive social the Cooperation Agreement, Andrew very alien to the SNP. The model of movements like those that enabled Neil, in the Daily Mail, gave a high the Cooperation Agreement binds us to include rent controls into the accolade: ‘Anti-monarchy, anti-Britain, both the Scottish Government and Agreement. We have seen Extinction anti-wealth, ECO-ZEALOT MARXISTS’. Scottish Greens to act with trust and Rebellion and school strikers put That’ll do for me, especially as the in good faith, with ‘mutual respect, climate at the top of the political agreement has many unionists transparency and candour’. The next agenda. We must continue to act with frothing at the mouth. five years will test this commitment these movements to create the change probably more than any other, The deal is historic, seeing Greens that Scotland so desperately needs. given the relative disparity in power in government for the first time The Agreement must not change our between the two parties. anywhere in Britain. It also sees a new resolve to keep one foot in the street kind of cooperation arrangement in The Agreement and Shared Policy and one foot in Parliament. British politics - not a full coalition, Programme will also challenge the We need to make progress on issues not minority government supported structures, processes and capacity of of ownership in the economy and by a confidence and supply the SGP. We’ve never held ministerial delivering the manufacturing Scotland arrangement - but a ‘short of coalition’ posts before and we’ve never had to needs to power a green industrial arrangement that sees the SGP have exert influence over the civil service revolution. The Scottish Government both government ministers and from such positions. I don’t wish to has been much too reliant upon advice opposition MSPs. Whatever one thinks get all ‘Yes Minister’ about this, but from the ‘Big 4’ accountancy firms: of the deal, these two facts are not the Green Ministers will not be in an we need to seek solutions for the insignificant. equivalent position of power as other problems at Ferguson’s shipyard and junior ministers in this regard. And As someone closely involved in the BiFab from unions, workers and the we will need to rapidly enhance our negotiations, I want to focus on wide variety of policy thinkers who capacity to support the Parliamentary what it might mean for the SGP as aren’t in the current bubble. Group to ensure Ministers and the leading radical voice in Scottish opposition MSPs have the support The Scottish Parliament offers a politics. I wrote in Scottish Left Review they need to remain true to our values platform for radical politics. I was (May/June 2021) about how the left and principles, and not be co-opted by elected to use it to give voice to the had won the SGP - by articulating either the government or parliament vital ideas that would not otherwise the need to build our country on machines. be heard. Any agreement must not care, creativity and collaboration; remove our voices from that platform. by focusing on policies rather than These risks must be acknowledged, Greens were founded as a party of personalities; and by pursuing a taken seriously, and mechanisms put social movements. From peace and progressive agenda with equalities and in place to mitigate them if we are nuclear disarmament to the women’s solidarity embedded in these policies. to achieve the policy advancess and movement to LGBTQI+ liberation, wider positive changes we hope this There are some elements of each we have always worked in harness Agreement will produce. Tackling the of these in the Agreement - from with progressives. With a climate climate emergency, delivering a New the development of a national care emergency, our focus must be on Deal for tenants, and strengthening service to commitments to strengthen stopping oil and gas drilling. I am fully LGBTQI+ rights were three key policy LGBTQI+ rights. But during the course committed to ensuringt we won’t aims we took to the negotiating table, of the negotiations, I was and remain shy away from full-voiced support for and we have our work cut out for us sceptical. Smaller parties - especially those progressive causes. to ensure we get delivered what has those of the left - tend to not do been agreed in the Policy Programme, Maggie Chapman is a Scottish Green well in coalitions. Even though this in these and other areas. MSP for north-east Scotland and a Agreement is not a coalition, the SGP member of the Scottish Left Review runs the risk of taking the blame for One hard-won element of the editorial committee. See https:// anything that goes wrong in the next Agreement is it secures the space for www.gov.scot/news/agreement-with- four and a half years, and not having Scottish Greens to oppose the SNP scottish-green-party/ for the two key the communications apparatus to take where we most need to. Whether this documents the credit for the good things that is on the speed of the just transition happen. needed, reliance upon failed economic Fourteen years of SNP government metrics like GDP, our approach to also means that their way of doing defence and security, or any other government will be very difficult to issue in the ‘Excluded Matters’ section, 7 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Overheated & over here: our planet on fire John Wood reviews two books about the environmental emergency

s the climate crisis comes into emerged in the climate debate and Overheated has been described as sharper relief by the day, it is permeated into mainstream society Aronoff’s ‘life’s work’ but the impressive Ano exaggeration – if perhaps recently. rigour of her contribution belies her something we have heard in previous youth. There is more to come from One of the most-watched Netflix years – for the UN to describe 2021 as Aronoff and we can expect her to make releases this year is Bo Burnham’s ‘make-or-break’ for our planet’s future. a growing impact. masterpiece ‘Inside’ which echoes the Glasgow’s COP26 should focus the minds pessimism these two books seek to The IPCC’s report in August 2021 put of global leaders while communities rebut. Burnham is only half-joking when beyond doubt the scientific facts of at the sharp end of extreme weather he sings ‘twenty thousand years of this, climate change but was weak on calling events need no reminding that the seven more to go’ and it is worrying that out the fundamental causes, leaving it impact of human damage to the planet climate defeatism seems to be taking to others to name the neo-liberal order, is being felt here and now. hold on the mainstream psyche. its origins in imperialist greed, as the If the left has struggled to cut through primary cause of humanity’s unrelenting Writing primarily from a US perspective on how the climate crisis has ultimately destruction of earth’s natural resources. is Kate Aronoff’s Overheated. It is been driven by capitalism, two books Both books are unequivocal that our making waves on the left and in support thinking as to how both political economic model needs a radical and the mainstream environmentalist and practical progress can be made. urgent overhaul if we have any hope of debate. Aronoff echoes some of In Planet on Fire by Laurie Laybourn- saving the planet. They begin to sketch Planet on Fire’s optimism, recognising Langton and Mathew Lawrence (Verso, out a blueprint, rooted in socialist that the ‘misanthropic streak’ of 2021) and Overheated: How Capitalism politics, for how we might salvage environmentalism needs to be turned Broke the Planet and How We Fight Back some hope for future generations. If on its head to get people behind the by Kate Aronoff (Bold Type Books, 2021) ‘capitalism broke the planet’, only anti- movement and for progress to be the message is clear: we cannot rein in capitalism can save it. made. ‘The eco-pessimists … argue that climate change without radical upheaval hardwired flaws of human nature mean John Wood works in the public sector of our economic model. it’s time to come to terms with the and has for many years supported Written from a UK perspective,Planet troubles ahead. It’s too late. Hole up and Scottish Left Review by voluntarily on Fire concentrates on the global learn how to die.’ Aronoff argues that proofing its contents. challenge we face and is devastating this unfortunately all too common view in describing the urgent need to is in fact its own type of climate denial, act. Its authors unapologetic in their warning too that we must not allow insistence that the climate crisis must environmentalism and anti-democracy not be depoliticised; so far as they are to become intertwined. concerned a politics of ‘eco-socialism’ The prospects of ‘eco-fascism’ or ‘eco- must be adopted. Charting the impact ethnonationalism’ loom if we do not of human extractivism from the early recognise these facts and Aronoff brings expansion of farming in the middle- clarity to need for the climate debate ages, via the destructive global reach to confront inequalities of power: ‘A of imperialism, to today’s supercharged Green New Deal isn’t just about subbing ‘late capitalism’, the book also leaves one form of energy for another as all no doubt that climate change is else stays equal’. Collectivism is in our intrinsically associated with historic nature and we must fight to eradicate global inequalities. The section of global the hyper-individualism forced upon society which has contributed most to us by neo-liberalism which drives the destruction of our natural world - consumption, our thirst for ‘growth’ think of Jeff Bezos’ four minute space and, as a consequence, global heating. vanity trip - is also likely to be the most Whether overly optimistic about the protected, while those in the global human condition or not, Aronoff’s hope south feel the brunt. must be held onto, and is an important Lawrence and Laybourne-Langton’s message for the left to bear in mind. have made an impact on the left with A significant contribution to the debate, this publication and their proposed Overheated is another book we should solutions are persuasive and clear. hope is picked up by those with their Their ‘Manifesto’ attempts to provide hands on the levers of power. Whether a playbook that will turn theory into global leaders wish to call it ‘socialism’ action. Hopefully, decision-makers or not, Aronoff is clear: we are social and policy wonks are paying attention. beings and we need a social response Importantly, though, there is a to the climate change driven by a strong pragmatic optimism in Planet on Fire form of government that stands up to that offers a refreshing antidote to corporate capitalist interests. some of the defeatist rhetoric that has

8 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Anti-poverty groups, environmentalists, and trade unions have joined forces to launch a new Scotland-wide campaign for better buses. Led by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the ‘Our Climate: Our Buses’ campaign is calling for an extension of municipal bus ownership across Scotland. The Scottish Government are currently consulting on how buses should be run and the STUC are calling for the Scottish Government to provide financial support to Local Authorities to establish publicly owned bus services.

Bus fares have soared and passenger numbers have slumped since Scotland’s buses were deregulated by Margaret Thatcher’s government more than 30 years ago. The current system allows private bus companies to cut routes and raise fares, with no regard for the communities that rely on them.

9 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Scotland’s recovery relies on creating a greener, fairer society - with public services at its heart

Scotland’s public services have been at the heart of this pandemic, supporting and protecting communities across the country - and it is vital they sit at the heart of the country’s recovery.

When the pandemic hit, the country looked to our public service workers to keep the country running and it’s vital they look to them again as we focus on our post-pandemic recovery. If the Scottish economy is to recover by creating a greener, fairer and more inclusive society, then our members must be central to that process.

The growing crisis of climate change is one we can no longer put Mike Kirby, UNISON’s aside. COVID-19 was - and is - an emergency requiring instant action. Scottish Secretary Our politicians must accept that there are related lessons for the immediate, far-ranging actions needed to tackle climate change, which was rightly being recognised as an emergency shortly before the pandemic hit. And we need to act now.

With all eyes now on the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26), in Glasgow in November, we need to ensure the needs of workers and public services are central to the result. We need to create the kind of society that we all want to live in, a more inclusive society that tackles inequalities and protects the most vulnerable. Public ownership and delivery of key services is essential, with decent pay rises for the workers who deliver them.

As Scotland’s largest union, with members across the public, private and voluntary sectors, we are campaiging for a just and green recovery, a Just Transition with major public investment - and public services leading by example. We will continue to work with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, the COP26 Coalition and others locally, nationally and internationally to help put pressure on world leaders this November to deliver the massive and urgent policy changes needed to protect people and planet.

The decisions taken, or not taken, in Glasgow will affect all our lives. We can’t just call for change. We need to be part of it.

10 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 www.unison-scotland.org joinunison.org

23.08.21 Scottish Left Review ad v2.indd 1 23/08/2021 14:53:19 More Chaplin than Churchill? We will be laughing at Boris Johnson as the ‘Great Dictator’? Peter Lomas argues prime ministers hold dangerous amounts of undemocratic and unilateral powers uestioned, at the G7 July summit, of the UK, as a voluntary association of But then, what use is a constitutional about the problematic status original nations making up, in theory, committee in a country with no written Qof Northern Ireland in the EU a kind of super-nation above them constitution? The Scotland Act 2016, Withdrawal Agreement, Johnson hinted sharing sovereignty. As a state, the UK reserving constitutional matters to at ‘pragmatic solutions’. So far these is inherently open to dissolution or Westminster, is yet another violation have meant the UK government twice change. Like, in turn, the EU. But this of the free-association principle of the breaking the Agreement, in principle is why Johnson is such a dangerous 1707 Act of Union. and in detail. Next step may well be politician, because he denies both these The crude superiority of states and their denunciation of the Northern Ireland expressions of democratic will, and he ‘integrity’ over live nations’ democratic Protocol of the Agreement itself. But holds the power to do so, indefinitely. In will is something that dictators the chilling remark with which Johnson 2019, he suspended the UK parliament instinctively understand. It is hard, concluded his answer deserves more in order to force through the UK’s exit therefore, to see how any democratic attention: ‘It is the prime duty of the UK from the EU, and in 2020 he refused, choice on independence, or EU Government to uphold the territorial on wholly-bogus grounds, the Scottish membership, in the UK can be exercised integrity of the United Kingdom’. First Minister’s request for a second when the UK government is personated referendum on Scottish independence. In my experience, when political by someone who opposes all forms of leaders talk about territorial integrity In large part, his thinking is sound, democratic change. this invariably means a diversion from because his personal power over the Philip Reynolds, a distinguished the issues at stake – a recourse to the UK is almost unlimited. His post, as commentator on international relations, absolute terms of state power. For Lord Hailsham once said, is an ‘elective wrote courageously during the Cold Northern Ireland today, it means a dictatorship’. Johnson is free to refuse War, when global fear seemed to stand refusal of a referendum on Irish unity a second EU referendum, or a second in the way of fundamental progress in – although a majority of Northern Irish Scottish referendum; free to allow the condition of nations: ‘the ‘national might want one, and Irish unity would IndyRef2 and ignore its result; free even interest’ which is at stake is that of solve the province’s problematic EU to override a Supreme Court order to people, not of the state, which is an status at a stroke. implement an IndyRef2 vote in favour abstraction. Service of the ends and of Scottish independence. Free to do all More generally, ‘the prime duty’ of state values of people may require the these things until 2024, and free then to governments is arguably not to defend submergence of the state. The state choose the date of the election to suit the territorial integrity of the state, is not a person. It has no innate moral himself, because he’s an elected dictator. attributes. It has no honour. It has no come what may – that was Machiavelli’s Elected, yes; but by a population, in inherent right to survive.’ dictum – but to consult, and then England, which with eight votes to every respect, the interests and wishes of the Dr Peter Lomas is the author of Scottish one evicted Scotland from the people whose trust they hold. People Unnatural States: The International EU. The two matters are, of course, and state are not the same thing. System and the Power to Change linked which is why the two referenda When dictators the world over appeal (Routledge, 2017). have been, at Westminster, consistently to sacrosanct territorial integrity, what refused. they really mean is: ‘fight with your neighbours, or among yourselves, on my Last November, I wrote to the House of behalf’. Commons Committee on Constitutional Affairs, formally asking it to denounce Territorial integrity is a shibboleth. Socialism for the many? the Prime Minister’s letter of January Since 1750, a state called Poland has The right-wing Institute of Economic 2020, in which he claimed that the SNP disappeared from the map of Europe Affairs provided an unlikely source leaders in 2014 had made a self-denying and reappeared – sometimes in a of hope for the left in its ‘Left Turn ordinance – in his words, a ‘promise’ - slightly different place - while ‘Germans,’ Ahead? Surveying attitudes of ‘for a generation’ not to seek a second ‘Russians,’ ‘Ukrainians,’ and ‘Lithuanians’ young people towards capitalism independence referendum. This was argued that ‘Poles’ did not exist as a and socialism’ in July 2021. Polling false: they had merely described the people with the same patrimony as 2,000 members of ‘Generation Z’, 2014 vote as an ‘opportunity’ – to themselves. Meanwhile, life went on it found a rejection of free-market choose, or to decline, Scottish national regardless. Farmers ploughed and grew capitalism and support for socialism independence. A promise binds me; an the grain while others changed the where this was predicated upon opportunity which I hold out to you sets nomenclature of their fields. States have state intervention. For the full you free. So, it would be with IndyRef2. no final shape; nor do nations, only an report, see https://iea.org.uk/ However, the Commons Committee did original one. wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Left- not deign – or were intellectually unable turn-ahead.pdf The principle is borne out in the history – to reply to the logic of this argument. 11 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Uniting for change in UNISON? Stephen Smellie gives personal reflections on UNISON’s newly elected national leadership laswegian Christina McAnea influence within the union. Those two Vice-Presidents must include 2 was elected as general secretary outside the TfRC group, who shared women and that the chairs and vice- Gof UNISON, the first woman to some of its aspirations for change, both chairs must include a woman. None of lead one of the big unions. Leither Gary with some of the internal workings of these key positions are filled by black Smith was elected as GMB general the union and in the style and vigour members and none of them are from secretary. In UNITE, Sharon Graham was of the union’s campaigning, were Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. elected as the ‘left’ change candidate. hopeful that a more open leadership UNISON’s lay representatives on the The election of a general secretary would emerge that would refresh the TUC General Council are now all white. does not in itself change anything, organising challenges UNISON faces. So, UNISON’s new lay leadership, drawn although electing a woman in such a from the TfRC group, is white, male Genuine change can take time and senior position does make a significant dominated and English and to be fair, anyone claiming to implement it change to how a union looks and how it that is genuine change but hardly the can only be judged by their actions. reflects its membership. Time will tell if kind of progressive change expected of a Whether changes are contributing to any of the victors implement significant ‘left’ leadership. the strengthening of a ‘left’ agenda will change. be judged by the details, the values they This gives the impression that However, leadership of our unions represent and whether they empower diversity and issues of gender, race does not rest exclusively with general members in workplaces, address and devolution are not important. secretaries. The national executive inequalities and create a stronger union. This has created divisions within bodies of lay representatives share that Progressive changes have already taken the union over these issues. From a leadership. Therefore, the outcome of place, before the new NEC was elected, Scottish perspective, it raises questions the recent election of UNISON’s national with the recent annual conference as to the relevance of the NEC to executive, where the majority elected voting for changes to increase the Scottish members when there is no had aligned themselves to a grouping funding of branches and regions. representation in senior positions, who had supported Paul Holmes, including no Scottish members on the A challenge for any grouping winning runner-up to McAnea, has prompted crucial Finance Committee, when most a union election is whether they can much discussion and, in some quarters, of the bargaining agenda is within broaden their support, bring people expectations. To her credit, McAnea wholly devolved Scottish structures. on board with their aims and provide made it clear that she would work leadership rather than fighting off Though it is not likely that this was with the new NEC, respecting the lay opposing factions to protect their own the impression the TfRC intended and democracy of the union. newly won positions. This is particularly it does not reflect the politics it has This grouping stood under the slogan of a challenge for those who seek to espoused. The challenge for the TfRC is ‘Time for Real Change’ (TfRC) and are implement change and face resistance to move on with building a broader base clearly of the ‘left.’ However, claims that to changing how things are done. around a ‘left’ agenda, embracing other this was a victory for ‘the Left,’ made by views and perspectives, enshrining core The definition of who is ‘left’ is open several ‘Left’ commentators, as if the values and avoiding becoming another to debate and is often, unfortunately, election was a competition between faction seeking to control and exclude narrowly construed to mean not those ‘left’ and ‘right’ groups, is simplistic and others. who uphold clear socialist values and the truth more complicated. The TfRC principles but, those who support one Stephen Smellie is a member of group consists of activists from the left faction or candidate. This factional UNISON’s NEC, depute convenor of of Labour allied with SWP supporters. approach relegates values and principles UNISON Scotland and a member of the Socialist Party supporters were not as less important. It also narrows Scottish Left Review editorial committee. included, having disagreed over the the base of support to carry through choice of the ‘left’ general secretary changes based on clear values and candidate. Nor were supporters of principles. the other candidate, Roger McKenzie, the now departed Assistant General In UNISON, there is recognition of Shock and awe: investigative Secretary, who had Corbyn’s support. the long struggles to recognise and journalism for a change Nor were several ‘left’ NEC members challenge racism, to challenge the male The Ferret, in conjunction with the who supported McAnea. domination within unions, to create Herald, is to be congratulated for political and bargaining devolution and The TfRC group won most NEC seats and to promote diversity. A genuine ‘Left’ carrying out investigative work in had put itself forward as championing agenda would always reflect these the summer on who owns and runs genuine change. With others, there issues. Scotland. Its exposé of hundreds is now a significant majority on the of undeclared meetings between NEC who would represent ‘left’ views. Therefore, concerns have been raised corporate lobbyists and the SNP Previously, the NEC was dominated by at the first actions of the new NEC Scottish Government highlights another, slightly looser, grouping who was to appoint male NEC members as the reach and influence of neo- were supportive of previous general President, and then as Chairs of 5 out of liberalism, going well beyond the secretary, Dave Prentis. They were 7 of the main committees. That is quite much-maligned Charlotte Street steadfast in ensuring that only those an achievement considering UNISON’s Partners. See https://theferret.scot/ loyal to ‘Team Dave’ were allowed rules not only ensure a 2/3 female NEC tag/who-runs-scotland/ access to positions of power and but that the team of a President and 12 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Working out a workable plan for an independent Scottish economy Raphael De Santos dissects GERS, arguing for managed expectations as the first steps on a longer path nce we get past the arguments is essentially pre-Covid-19, Scotland • We pay more in taxes than we on a second Scottish referendum would have a nominal deficit of £15bn receive back in the block grant from Oand the infighting within the (spending minus taxes) even with its Westminster. Yet some taxes are independence movement, unionists’ geographical share of North Seas Oil collected in Scotland and used to fund focus will shift to the economy and tax revenues. This would be 8.6% of spending here directly - council tax finances. This was the Achilles’ Heel of Scotland’s economy (GDP). Scotland and business rates. Devolved spending the ‘Yes’ movement in 2014. Then the would have the worst country public covered by the block grant only situation looked better because the spending deficit in the European Union accounts for 65% of Scotland’s public Scottish National Party’s White Paper (EU) and way outside the 3% required by spending. The other 35% is controlled was based upon buoyant North Sea oil the EU for entry as a new country. This by Westminster - pensions, welfare tax revenues but were in decline will be the main Unionist mantra in any benefits, defence etc. by the time the vote took place. future independence referendum. • Roysth is an example where the UK Confusion also reigned around a future Some supporters of independence have Scottish currency. Now more people are takes all the benefits but Scotland argued that Scotland’s share of the UK’s . willing to accept some economic and takes all the costs Yet Roysth is national assets will reduce our debt, our . financial uncertainty because of their privately owned All taxes - individual annual debt payments and, hence, our desire to be in the EU and abhorrence of and corporate - that arise in annual deficit. But our geographical Johnson’s government. The main Scotland are attributed to Scotland’s share almost matches our population . weapon the Unionists will use income The costs are defense costs share of these assets. These assets are is Government Expenditure and and Scotland is only allocated its difficult or impossible to sell and any . . Revenue Scotland (GERS). population share about 8 6% proceeds would be a one-off annual • GERS can help calculate what an boost, not solving the structural deficit. Japan has a big deficit and manages independent Scotland’s public finances Lenders to governments look not at just fine. Japan is the third largest would look like. It takes all public assets but tax revenues and growth in economy in the world (about 20 times expenditure in Scotland and subtracts the economy when assessing whether to larger than that of Scotland). It is the from it all taxes raised in Scotland, lend or not. second largest exporter in the world including those from all industries based and can generate the tax revenues Why does Scotland have such a in Scotland - whisky, food etcetera. easily to service its public debt. The large deficit? Simply, Scotland raises It allocates UK national spending, for Yen is a reserve currency, the third less taxes and spends more on public example, defence on a population basis. most heavily traded in the world and services than the UK, as a whole, does. So, for example, UK defense spending is seen as a safe haven asset. We have lower average wages than the is approximately £40bn and Scotland is south and have less industry. At the Although not universal among allocated its population shares, 8.6% or same time our centrist social democracy independence supporters, joining EU £3.4bn. It even does a special calculation culture means we spend more on public the is one of the primary arguments which reflects Scotland’s geographical services. We also spend more per head for an independence Scotland. But share of the North Sea Oil tax revenues - on benefits, partially reflecting higher joining the EU would require us as a over 90% of the total. levels of poverty but also the cultural new nation to take on the Euro and The GERS numbers looked quite good support for social spending. In fact, reduce our deficit to 3% of GDP. This is a until the collapse of North Sea Oil only three regions in the UK run at a 5-10 years process and would involve a tax revenues. The White Paper on surplus - London, the South East and combination of tax rises, public spending independence was based on oil tax East. Here they have higher wages, more cuts and growth in the economy. It revenues of £11bn and had been even industry and more conservative public would mean reducing the deficit from higher and forecast that oil would spending. Every other region in the its current pre-covid 19 level of £15bn reach $140 a barrel. The oil price UK and Scotland, Wales and Northern to £5bn. has fallen dramatically since then as Ireland run a deficit. The deficit in Based on GERS figures, tax rises could Chinese demand has fallen after its GERS is where we would start as an raise £4.5bn with £2.75bn through rapid industrialisation and the huge independent Scotland. It is one where raising corporation tax from 19% to 28% infrastructure and stimulus spending we need a serious plan to tackle it. and a further progressive tax on medium during the financial crisis came to an While once accepted by the SNP when and higher earners would raise £1.75 end. Oil revenues are now close to zero North Sea oil tax revenues were high bn - similar to the Scottish Service Tax and even with hopes of a post-Covid-19 and the deficit looked in reasonable proposed by the Scottish Socialist Party. economic recovery, the price per barrel shape, GERS is now derided as a Scrapping Trident would save, based on is hovering around $60. falsehood. We have already shown that total cost of £110bn over thirty years This has left a gaping hole in where an it fairly accounts for all taxes raised and and Scotland’s population share, an independent Scotland’s public finances. expenditure in Scotland. Here are some extra £300m a year. This would leave us For financial year 2019/2020 which common GERS myths: to find over £5bn more without using 13 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 any of the extra tax saved raised to grow housing. This would create hundreds of [Author’s note: This analysis does the economy, forcing us down the road thousands of jobs, grow the economy in not cover the cost of set up costs of public spending cuts. Joining the EU is a green direction and reduce our deficit of additional state functions an a monetary straight jacket Scotland does through increased tax revenues. Such a independent Scotland would need not need. EU membership also passes plan with a commitment to use some of even though some of the building costs monetary control to a European Central the tax revenues to reduce our deficit could be met by our share of national Bank who would set interest rates, will make it easier to borrow money assets. We would likely see a one-off impose austerity measures as they did on the international markets which issue of debt to fund this. However, the with Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal we must do because of our deficit and interest payments to fund this would be and prohibit us from giving public also attract investments from outside a recurring annual cost. It is also worth financial support to our industries. Scotland. noting that the UK’s national debt is growing rapidly because of the Covid-19 From a trade standpoint, the EU is not Following this strategy will give the crisis. In financial year 2020/21, the UK as important as the rest of the UK (rUK). financial markets confidence that we government estimates it will grow by a Our trade with rUK is four times that have a plan to grow the economy and further £240bn - Scotland’s share of that with the EU and trade with the rest of reduce the deficit. This will take some is just over £20bn. Given independence the world exceeds that with EU. The EU time and given that 60% of our trade is looks to be at least 5 years off and the is primarily an economic block designed with rUK and individuals and companies further impact of Covid is likely to see to compete with the USA, China and have liabilities in sterling, it would be us keep on accumulating debt over that Japan through the free movement of sensible to initially adopt it. Starting period. An independent Scotland will capital and labour and tight monetary with a Scottish pound immediately have to borrow for some time to cover controls. Of course, it has its own inter- would see it devalue below sterling and its annual deficit. If we default in any country capitalist rivalry which is one of increase our liabilities overnight for of our perceived obligations to the UK its great contradictions - e.g., German individuals and companies. Gradually debt, it will make it difficult to borrow car manufacturers versus French car over time as we establish our financial on the international debt markets and manufacturers etc. credibility, we can introduce a Scottish we would have to borrow at much We can, unlike England, have socially pound. higher interest rates than the UK currently does.] progressive laws in an independent We would need to establish a Scotland because of an inbuilt centre central bank and Treasury department [Editor’s note: This article was left social democracy majority. There from the onset of independence written before the latest GERS was is no need to join the EU for that. We to set interest rates and raise loans released on 18 August 2021 (see can raise some £5bn. Some of this respectively. Our cost of borrowing https://www.gov.scot/publications/ government-expenditure-revenue- needs to be put aside to reduce our would at the start be above that of scotland-2020-21/) and is based on deficit but the balance could be used rUK because of the size of our deficit the last GERS (https://www.gov.scot/ to fund a Scottish Development Bank. compared to rUK but would gradually Our debt will be considerable at over publications/government-expenditure- come down as we showed our plan to 100% of GDP from our share of UK revenue-scotland-gers-2019-20/) be working. government debt of over £2tn plus over released on 26 August 2020. The £80bn still outstanding from financial The economy and our finances will difference between the two largely bailouts. The Development bank could dominate the independence debate. We reflects the impact of COVID is creating be used to fund projects such as: i) have to be honest about the challenges a much larger nominal deficit.] renewable energy – including the that we would be faced on our deficit. Raphael De Santos has been active in transition and eventual closure of the We need the better off and companies left politics since the late 1970s. He North Sea Oil industry into a publicly to buy in to higher taxes to help solve was a supporter of devolution and owned and controlled Scottish Green the deficit and give us ammunition to now independence. He has worked in Energy Enterprise; ii) infrastructure build a green sustainable economy for the financial sector for over 30 years, including an integrated public transport all. Finally, we need a clear plan and leading teams in research and strategy system; and iii) affordable sustainable strategy for the currency. advising governments and central banks. Appeal for donations The Jimmy Reid Foundation reached its tenth birthday on 10 August 2021. It was launched a year af- ter the death of Jimmy Reid by the Scottish Left Review magazine which Jimmy founded. Over its life, the Jimmy Reid Foundation has produced nearly 100 publications (policy paper, pamphlets and briefing notes) and organised dozens of meetings and our annual lectures. In order to help continue with our work for the next ten years, please donate to the Foundation: i) Donate via Paypal on our website: https://reidfoundation.scot/ (bottom righthand side) ii) Send a cheque payable to ‘Reid Foundation’ to The Reid Foundation, 14 West Campbell St, Glasgow G2 6RX iii) Make a payment to our bank account: Co-operative Bank, Sort Code: 08-92-99, Acc No: 65491722

14 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 15 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 P O A

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16C a- Scottishll noLeftwReview on :Issue 01 1254 1September/October 429 1010 2021or email: [email protected]

The British state is a legacy of an empire and society long since transformed by technological and social upheavals. So why hasn’t it evolved? A BOLD NEW COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

In this new collection of essays, edited by Christine Berry, thinkers from across the left detail the inherent conservative nature of the British state and how it impacts on the possibilities of a transformative Labour government succeeding. Remaking the state is not a ‘nice to have’, but the only way a Labour Government can change Britain for good. Available for free online at politicsforthemany.co.uk Politics for the Many is the trade union campaign for political reform. If you are involved in a trade union, join us.

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17 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 1912 Scotrail.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2019 11:53 Page 1

ASLEF For train drivers, trade unions & the Labour Party since 1880

ScotRail is failing to deliver for the people of Scotland. The performance of Abellio has been truly terrible. The company has failed to recruit enough drivers, is continually skipping stations, does not have enough rolling stock, has used HSTs that have not been refurbished, and has a history of poor industrial relations. But we don’t want to replace one failing private train operator with another because the model is broken. It is clear to everyone – to businesses as well as passengers, and to everyone who works in the rail industry – that privatisation has failed. The Tories privatised our railways and the SNP refuses to bring our services back into public ownership. But it’s time to stand up for Scotland and run our railway as a public service, not as a vehicle to make a private profit.

Mick Whelan, general secretary Dave Calfe, president Kevin Lindsay, ASLEF’s organiser in Scotland

STUC 2018_Layout 1 09/01/2019 10:04 Page 1 Britain’s specialist transport union Campaigning for workers in the rail, maritime, offshore/energy, bus and road freight sectors

NATIONALISE SCOTRAIL

www.rmt.org.uk General Secretary: Mick Lynch President: Michelle Rodgers 18 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 1971-1972: Bohemians, Beatles, Bankies and a bouquet Chris McGachy recalls a time when music was a political force to be reckoned within workers’ struggles ifty years ago in the summer of the workers struggling to keep Clyde Since Revolution and the creation of 1971, John Lennon was putting shipbuilding – and their communities – Apple, Lennon had been forced to the finishing touches to his global alive. defend himself against criticism from F Imagine. anthem, At the same time, left-wing radicals who viewed him as a On 25 November 1969, John Lennon Heath’s Tory government announced capitalist sell out. In January 1971, he visited his Aunt Mimi’s bungalow in the imminent end of the Upper Clyde invited Red Mole editors Tariq Ali and Bournemouth where he removed his Shipbuilders (UCS). Within weeks, Robin Blackburn to his mansion for an MBE medal from her mantlepiece. Back defiant workers seized control of interview. It was Red Mole’s coverage of in London, he dispatched his chauffeur the yards. This is the story behind the UCS dispute which sparked Lennon’s with the medal to return it Buckingham Lennon’s donation to the workers as he interest in the Clydeside workers. The Palace in protest in Britain’s involvement transformed from affable mop top to next morning, inspired, Lennon went in Nigerian civil war and support for militant activist following The Beatles’ into the studio and recorded a new the US in Vietnam. It was one of many breakup. political marching anthem:Power to the stunts Lennon and new wife Yoko People. Lennon’s subsequent donation The stunning victory against Heath’s devised as he stepped away from the to the UCS fighting fund helped propel government in early 1972 has become lovable mop-top Beatle transforming the local struggle to a sympathetic the stuff of political legend. It was himself into a celebrity activist with international audience. a time when ordinary workers and global appeal. communities united in solidarity to Stewards – mainly Communists Lennon was liberated by the sudden demand the right and dignity to work. like Reid and Airlie – tapped into death of stuffy, conformist manager, widespread national support and their With mass redundancies Brian Epstein, and fired with radicalism broad coalition included already on the cards, UCS workers, unions, suppliers, shop stewards led by Jimmy local traders, councillors, Reid and Jimmy Airlie knew politicians, community and conventional strike action religious leaders; not to would not win this battle. forget creditors and even Their ingenious idea was the liquidator. A day after for the workforce to take Lennon started work on his control of the yards and new album, Imagine, on 23 continue to produce the June 1971, around 100,000 ships for which the River Scottish workers downed Clyde yards had become their tools in solidarity world famous. with the UCS workers. It On 30 July 1971, the was followed up the same work-in began with 8,000 week as the donation on 12 men seizing the four giant August with another half- shipyards on the Clyde. day walk-out by 200,000 workers – the largest Heath’s Tory government through his burgeoning romance with Glasgow demo since the 1926 General had come to power in 1970 refusing to Yoko Ono. He grabbed the chance to Strike. prop up ‘lame ducks’. Cash flow issues escape the claustrophobic rollercoaster at the Clyde yards early in 1971 caused of Beatlemania and touring. He had The joint stewards persuaded a mass panic among creditors. When Parliament the unique ability to compose global meeting to reject a divisive government heard on 29 July 1971 that liquidation anthems, beginning with All You Need offer to save just two of the four yards. was the only option, Clydebank – my Is Love and then Give Peace a Chance. The workers held firm and completed birthplace – was described as a town in His songbook was adopted by peace a dozen ships before the government mourning. protestors and football fans alike. capitulated in February 1972. Having originally refused to give a £6m loan, A devastated Jimmy Reid would be Signs of more political phase were also Heath’s government agreed to invest reminded of the haunted times in the seen in his track, Revolution, and by £35m to keep all four shipyards afloat, 1930s when, as youngest of seven publicity stunts such as a honeymoon with only voluntary redundancies. Two children, three of his sisters died in ‘bed-in’ for peace reported by the continue to this day. infancy. It led to his scathing accusation world’s press to a global following. they were ‘killed by capitalism’. That These antics spurred John and Yoko to It has generally been assumed that memory propelled Reid to life as a develop their radical agenda – assured John and Yoko became aware of the political activist. of worldwide media coverage. dispute through television news reports. But in his updated autobiography, Perhaps, the most famous UCS And Lennon’s first solo album, including Streetfighting Years, Lennon interviewer, supporters were John Lennon and Working Class Hero, sealed the Tariq Ali, revealed that it was his Yoko Ono, who sent red roses and a transformation. The music was brutal publication Red Mole which brought huge financial donation to support and bleak, personal and political. 19 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 the UCS to the couples’ attention. In of red roses which were delivered to recordings of meetings, photographs his interview for the newspaper, John the gate of John Brown’s shipyard in and press reports from the work-in. explained that his latest musical material Clydebank. At the same time, a cheque With many of those involved either was trying to shake off the teeny-bopper for £1,000 (worth around £15,000 today) elderly or passed away, a thirtieth image. The ex-Beatle confirmed he was sent to the unions’ fighting fund. anniversary exhibition was hosted in wanted to transform himself into a 2002. Jimmy Cloughley donated his Underlining his solidarity with the personal papers, including John and serious spokesman for the revolutionary workers and their tactics, the dedication Yoko’s dedication card to a special UCS movement. ‘I want to get through to the card repeated the lyric from his recent archive curated by Glasgow Caledonian right people, and I want to make what hit: ‘POWER TO THE PEOPLE with love University where it remains to this day. I have to say very simple and direct,’ from JOHN AND YOKO, AUGUST 9th he insisted to Red Mole. ‘I’ve always 1971’. By the end of the August, John Recalling his deep connection with been politically minded … and against and Yoko had flown to New York to Lennon, Tariq said: ‘He wanted to leave the status quo. I keep on reading the take up permanent residence in order Britain because he and Yoko were Morning Star to see if there’s any hope, to secure custody of her daughter. He repulsed by its provincialism and by the but it seems to be in the 19th century; would never again set foot in England tenor of tabloid racism that was directed it seems to be written for dropped- again. against her. I last spoke with him in 1979 out, middle-aged liberals. We should when we discussed the likely impact When the flowers arrived at John be trying to reach the young workers of Thatcher’s victory. ‘He didn’t sound Brown’s shipyard in Clydebank, they because that’s when you’re most too unradical in that conversation,’ were taken in by union members idealistic and have least fear’. Tariq tellingly recalls. ‘Clearly, his views staffing the gate and delivered to changed somewhat but I can’t see In the first week of July 1971 – as the shop steward’s committee with a him as a neo-con supporting the wars Lennon flew to New York to complete message and the now-famous anecdote and occupations in Palestine, Iraq and Imagine with producer Phil Spector they were from Lenin. ‘But he’s deid’ Afghanistan. The loss of his voice was a – Red Mole published a special issue someone is said to have replied tragedy for millions.’ dedicated to the Clydeside dispute. thinking they were from the Russian Recalling the events of the summer revolutionary leader, Vladimir Lenin. And in this world of war and global of 1971, Tariq Ali explained how UCS Recalling the story some years later, injustice, both men remain icons and story in Red Mole had caught Lennon’s Jimmy Reid revealed that, until the rallying figures in the respective worlds attention: ‘Our cover was a reprint of wheel of roses arrived from John and of politics and music; to me they are a 19th century caricature of a fat, ugly, Yoko, he had never previously received a working class heroes whose lives bloated capitalist confronting a strong, bunch of flowers in his life. touched me personally and continue to handsome and noble-looking worker: shape my thinking. All the more today as The dedication card became a rare and ‘He loved that cover more than the my heroes are dead and my opponents valued souvenir from this world-famous convoluted articles on the inside and are in power. event sent by the superstar couple. later showed it to Phil Spector and Jimmy Cloughley was an engineer who Clydebank-born Chris McGachy produces others at Tittenhurst.’ was on the co-ordinating committee the www.globetrotsky.com travel blog. Undoubtedly inspired by the Red Mole of the work-in. For many years, this Read the unabridged blog story and cover and the workers’ occupation, on collectors’ item lay boxed among extensive multimedia timeline at www. the 9 August John and Yoko sent a bunch Jimmy’s papers along with his audio globetrotsky.com/lennon. 2021 annual lecture The People’s Recovery: The only way to build back better for a socially and environmentally just recovery The Foundation is delighted to announce that Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), will be giving the annual lecture this year on Thursday 7 October. She will outline the demands for a fairer future contained within the STUC’s ‘People’s Recovery’ programme and how a strong and broad movement for these can be built and, in doing so, unite the working class around them. The lecture will operate as both physical and online events. The physical lecture will be staged in the Banqueting Hall at the City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow at 7pm. The online event will be streamed from this. Roz will deliver the lecture followed by a Q&A session, with proceedings closing at 8.30pm. Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a reduced maximum capacity of physical places available so please book quickly if you wish to attend in person and avoid disappointment. As the Foundation was unable to hold a physical lecture last year due to COVID and because it is our major source of fundraising, we have different ticketing/pricing options this year: * £6 physical event for unwaged/low waged * £10 physical event for waged * £20 solidarity price for physical event * Donation of £1+ for attending online event If booking a physical ticket, print off the receipt as this will be your ticket for entry. If choosing the online event, you will be emailed with the link. If a Foundation sustaining member, you are entitled to a free ticket so email [email protected] if you wish to. Doors will open at 6pm and there will be tea/coffee available beforehand. VISIT THE JIMMY REID FOUNDATION WEBSITE TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS https://reidfoundation.scot

20 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Rebuilding the Scottish economy through worker ownership John Bratton and David Erdal argue for one specific method for ‘building back better’ he global Covid-19 pandemic, directors or managers are ‘elected and greater rate, they survive downturns which has caused unprecedented removable’ by the people who engage better, and they last longer. Moreover, Tjob losses in Scotland, has in economic activities and create they share the wealth they create highlighted just how out of kilter our wealth. Contrary to the ‘public’ sphere among all who work there. In short, current arrangements are for providing which provides certain rights, when they are managed differently and well-being, security and prosperity for we walk into the workplace, a sphere better. individuals, businesses and society. classed as ‘private’, rights are given Here, we explore what a reimagined Scotland, with 8.2% of Britain’s up being to rights to information, to system would look like – one aimed at population, has some 17% of the influence decision-making and to have using democratic worker ownership worker-owned companies. Worker to achieve a sustainable recovery and any share in the wealth created. ownership suits the ‘Jock Tamson’s tackle social and economic inequalities bairns’ strand in our culture. By making in Scotland. workers owners and active partners, all who work in the business experience In the pre-Covid-19 era, neo-liberal active democracy. The rights that ideology persuaded corporate elites need to be transferred to workers for to minimise their ‘core’ workforce a worker-owned business to function and outsource and contract the rest, include: the right to be informed about offshoring jobs to low-wage economies the business; the right to appoint or in Asia. This was accompanied by elect the leaders of the business; and cost-cutting human resource practices the right to share in the wealth or loss such as zero-hours contracts devoid created by the workers in the business. of employment rights and security. These rights are seen as belonging Neo-liberalism justified the practice to the owners of the business. In the of profiteering from assets, without political world, our right to vote cannot engaging in productive activity be sold or given away and cannot be in the real economy – known as inherited. We have it purely due to our ‘financialisation’. So-called ‘creative’ residency in our constituency. To sell financial procedures, included it or hire it out to someone else would borrowing in order to buy back shares be corrupt. Similarly, in worker-owned rather than investing in new technology businesses, you have the vote because you work in the business. It is not a or training or jobs or paying higher tradable property right but a personal wages. Higher share prices, in turn, right because of your role. What is your justified obscene chief executive property is any capital that you build salaries and bonuses. Between 1998 In contrast, when a business is worker- through the annual distribution from and 2020, chief executive pay went owned, the workforce has the right profit. from 48 to 120 times typical full-time to be informed on all that affects the workers’ pay. Financialisation helps business. The directors are elected by Forty years of neo-liberalism has left to explain how Ford registered most those who actually make the company the Scottish economy weakened and of their profit from leasing cars rather succeed, that is, the only valued- caused grotesque economic and social inequalities. To address the triple crises than actually manufacturing vehicles. added element in the enterprise. The facing us – the pandemic, climate The trend towards outsourcing and directors’ salaries are usually voted on offshoring jobs has shifted power away change, post-Brexit unemployment by all workers. And the workers vote – it is increasingly apparent that from working people towards capital. on what proportion of the profit is to we need an alternative, a more Further, income inequality has risen be invested in technology or training to democratic, more environmentally as union membership has fallen along keep the business strong, leaving the sustainable, economic model. As the with wage-bargaining from the 1970s rest for distribution among those in the Scottish economy recovers, it would onwards. company. To neo-liberal economists, be unconscionable to maintain the Democracy is supposed to keep the this system sounds dangerous: workers former failed economic regime. The powerful in check. But it’s notable will make bad decisions, bleed the union movement and the Scottish that democracy is almost entirely company dry rather than invest and Government need to challenge the absent from the corporate world. In vote incompetent people onto the democratic deficit in the workplace and the twenty-first century, corporate board. The evidence for the neo- support worker ownership. elites, across different sectors, have liberal’s nightmare is non-existent. The raison d’etre of unions has been been found guilty of fraud, malpractice Studies have shown that worker-owned wage-bargaining to mitigate the worse and corporate malfeasance. Many businesses invest for the long term: features of industrial capitalism, but organisational problems are rooted they create jobs faster than businesses traditional collective bargaining is in a flawed system of governance. No owned by outsiders, they invest at a not well-equipped to address the 21 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 challenges of financial capitalism. supports the Fair Work Convention’s democratic deficit in the workplace. Martin and Quick argue their Unions vision that by 2025 workers in Scotland Working in tandem with the STUC, Renewed: Building Power in an Age of should have an effective voice, the Scottish Government can pivot Finance (Polity, 2020) that as part of opportunity, security, fulfilment, and away from its record of orthodox reimagining the role of unions, where respect. For workers and communities, managerialism and introduce policy they have leverage, unions can help worker-owned businesses can scaffold changes that give workers rights to build support for worker ownership. the Fair Work Framework. Based on the buy their businesses. The workers of One concern of union leaders is that experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, any business that is being sold should be given the pre-emptive right to have the rewards of ownership come with a good starting point to begin the risks. We argue that this perception first refusal to buy it at fair market extension of worker-owned businesses of risk is an illusion. In profit-oriented value. Policy changes should give in Scotland is the care sector. Although companies, managers are tasked owners stronger tax incentives than the Scottish government did have an to shift the consequences of any now exist to sell their business, main economic downturn on to the workers, infectious suppression plan, it did not or subsidiary, to the workforce. As by lay-offs or wage cuts. The collapse have control over its borders or the well as greater robustness and worker of the giant construction company financial powers to be able to support engagement in active democratic Carillion demonstrated the primacy different kinds of restrictions and systems, the dynamic of the Scottish of maximising shareholder value and interventions to suppress the virus. economy would then shift towards corporate malfeasance which saw mass However, constitutional matters aside, more local supply chains, reversing the redundancies and loss of workers’ it did make critical mistakes. During the 40-year trend of de-industrialisation. first wave, Holyrood failed to protect pensions. • This article is based on their residents in long-term care when The drive to maximise profits was forthcoming chapter, ‘Can they followed England and discharged at the heart of the recent proposed democracy go hand-in-hand with ‘European Super League’, the elderly patients from acute hospital efficiency?’ in Gall, G. (ed.) A New breakaway competition the inspiration wards to care homes, many without Scotland: Building an Equal, Fair and of a coterie of wealthy owners, deeply a Covid test, to free up NHS beds. Sustainable Society (Pluto, 2022) ignorant of football, whose aim was Further, front-line care workers were to extract even more profit. German exposed to the virus due to an acute John Bratton divides his time mega clubs such as Bayern Munich and PPE shortage. In a joint statement in between Calgary, Alberta Borussia Dortmund were not part of 2020 – signed by UNISON, UNITE, GMB, and Edinburgh, Scotland. the breakaway group, the reason being TUC and the Association of Directors He has authored 8 books that German football clubs are not of Adult Social Services – UK ministers including ‘Capitalism and Classical owned by super rich elites but are ‘fan- were told that problems with supplies Social Theory’ (2019) and ‘Work and owned’. Club presidents are elected of PPE and a lack of testing was Organisational Behaviour’ (2021). by the members. In Scotland, Partick exposing care workers and residents In 1985, David Erdal took over Thistle is atypical. It is wholly fan- to unnecessary risk of exposure. The running his family’s paper mill, owned, a gift from the lottery winner, common practice in the sector of Tullis Russell, and moved it towards the late Colin Weir. Debate off-field has peripatetic staff working at various democratically-governed employee- suggested that a similarly democratic locations also heightened the risk of ownership. He has helped other model could be implemented in exposure to the deadly virus as did businesses become worker-owned Scotland to give power back to the use of zero-hours contracts (ZHC). and has authored ‘Local Heroes: supporters above rich owners. Those on ZHCs are much more likely How Loch Fyne Oysters Embraced Imagine how the idea of to be women or younger or older or Employee Ownership and Business democratisation of workplaces BAME workers. It is also well-known Success’ (2009). would be furthered if the STUC put they are also associated with some of its multiple expertise and resources the worst forms of exploitation. ZHCs behind supporter ownership of allowed Covid-19 to spread through Scotland’s football clubs. STUC backing residential homes because infected or would strengthen workers’ discursive asymptomatic workers who could not power. This describes the ability of afford to self-isolate unwittingly put workers and unions to challenge the Best re(a)d from our early issues themselves and residents at risk. When dominant narratives on governance, Two of our best ever read thus, shaping public discourses, the elderly needed the protection the articles since our launch in develop collective identities and most, the state failed, not just once, political agency. Unions are well placed but again and again: from PPE to 2000 are by historian, Tom to retrain their organisers to focus on slow lockdowns to privatised testing Nairn, and poet, Edwin Morgan. how to make democratic constitutions to profit-driven care homes. And, in Limitations on space mean work in practice in businesses that Scotland thousands died as a result. It that we cannot reprint them are no longer based on conflict: they does not take a genius to predict that in full or part but they are still are now partnerships of all who work removing the profit motive, worker- available to read here: https:// there, strongly linked into the needs of owned care homes could overcome the www.scottishleftreview.scot/ their local communities and aimed at systemic failures of private elderly care success over the long term. in Scotland. constituting-scotland/ and https:// www.scottishleftreview.scot/ As Roz Foyer outlined in Scottish Left It would be a mistake to see union edwin-morgan/ Review (118, Jul/Aug 2020), the STUC action as the sole force for closing the 22 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Join the struggle to get rid of nuclear weapons from Scotland and our world. Join Scottish CND today. For more details about joining Scotland’s largest peace movement organisation E mail - [email protected] or phone 0141 357 1529

FBU Scotland sends solidarity gree ngs for the 125th Edi on of the Sco sh Le Review magazine SNP TRADE UNION GROUP Firefighters are on the frontline of the climate crisis tackling wildfires and floods. Congratulations to WE NEED URGENT ACTION NOW FROM COP26. Scottish Left Review th Execu ve Council Member: Chris McGlone on their 125 issue! Sco sh Secretary: Denise Chris e Sco sh Chair: John Malcolm Sco sh Treasurer: Seona Hart Support us on Patreon at Patreon.com/SNPTUG www. uscotland.org THE DEMOCRATIC AND PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF FIREFIGHTERS ACROSS THE UK

23 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 24 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Consummate consumers of the world unite! Mick Rice argues workers have potential power in another arena under global corporate capitalism t has always galled me that unions First approach. in 1889, after receiving a request from do all in their power to organise in the American Federation of Labor (AFL). All of the constraints to international the workplace but then carelessly This early focus on international action I consumer solidarity in the workers’ allow their members to go back home showed that workers understood that a movement are fast disappearing. The and spend their wages on products gain in one country could not easily be Internet gives the left, throughout the made by anti-union employers. General sustained unless it was adopted in all world, the opportunity to develop new secretaries and other full-time officers industrialised countries. strategies that take pride in being issued the latest So, the PI should set up a trading Apple iPhone particularly upset me! In 2018, the Democracy in Europe platform, bigger than Amazon. Where Of course, the Apple iPhone is a great Movement 2025 (DiEM25), involving 1% of the value of all transactions will piece of kit. A boycott campaign may be former Greek Finance Minister Yanis be paid into the aforementioned global ethically appropriate but it is difficult to Varoufaki, and the Sanders Institute, solidarity fund. This will be used to build successful campaigns on guilt- founded by relatives of Bernie Sanders, support workers’ rights and against tripping the masses into accepting issued a call for progressives throughout companies that chisel paying fair taxes. second best. the world to unite. The Progressive The fund will be under the control of International (PI) is the result. It also has At the outset the workers’ movement the PI. In doing so, the idea of global supporters throughout the developing took an interest in retail. In those days, ‘solidarity shopping’ can be promoted. world as socialist academics and left- employers in company towns would wing politicians have joined. The PI has The PI can adopt its own international sometimes have ‘tally shops’ some national and continental federations. It minimum labour standards. It is of which sold adulterated goods. The has a head office in London. Individuals problematic to establish a pay minimum development of the retail cooperative can join as members and union branches as currencies fluctuate so it will be movement came about to exert worker and political organisations can affiliate. easier to apply standards to working and local community control over The PI Council contains an impressive conditions. This could include hours of buying goods. array of academics such as Noam the working day and the working week, It is relatively easy to describe a world Chomsky, Naoimi Klein, Yanis Varoufakis paid maternity and paternity leave where human solidarity reigns supreme and Slavoj Žižek on its Council. It also as well annual holiday entitlement. and we are all nice to one another. contains left-wing politicians from All companies advertising goods on It is a little more difficult to work out around the globe including John the Solidarity Shopping website must what we should do when we get out McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn. confirm that they support international of bed tomorrow morning to bring minimum labour standards and agree It does most of its work via internet about this (aka world socialism)! We to pay 1% of sale income from the site discussions on policy. DiEM25, for ought to also remember that within the to the global solidarity fund. The PI can example, does weekly Zoom meetings interstices of the old feudal order, quasi- also promote international fair taxes. and they are then published on YouTube capitalist formations developed. Whilst (see https://progressive.international). Many of the current leading production and retail cooperatives can The PI does not appear to have local corporations that are internet-based, be cited as precursors of a new world branches at a town or city level – originated or were developed in the US. based on mutuality, the left needs to although it may well wish to see these They often act as middlemen, link the develop strategies for harnessing the develop. But if local branches are to purchaser with the supplier but often power of the internet. be sustainable, they require ongoing do not produce anything themselves. Some unions promote the sale of programmes of work. Local branches One can think of Booking.com, Uber, goods and services to their own will also need to address whether Amazon, Google, Facebook and so on. members. Whilst, no union would candidates should stand in elections. At one time, I ran a small hotel and want to promote products that are The PI could adopt an International every October, booking.com would shoddy or overpriced – they are Union Label through promoting the sale advise that – as we were now at the using ‘Honest Joe’ recommendations to of goods from organised workplaces end of season - we could be placed get commission or price reductions. In from anywhere in the world. In turn, higher up their rankings and get more some larger unions, this can amount to this means that we need to adopt a set bookings provided we agreed to pay several millions of pounds per annum. of minimum labour conditions that are 25% commission rather than 15%! This approach has been developed applicable everywhere. Strikes to obtain Independent producer suppliers have most fully in Australia where Union or enforce these minimum standards been squeezed by Amazon which gives Shopper now provides online shopping should be supported by a global preferential exposure if they agree deals for a large group of unions. The solidarity fund. to pay the 12% sales commission for small relative size of Australian unions using its ‘market place’ sales portal. For meant that they found it useful to International labour minimum the supplier, this commission covers merge some of their affinity activities on standards commenced with the demand advertising and promotional costs. a multi-union basis. In some countries, for the 8-hour day, initiated by American there have been campaigns to promote unions. In turn, this was the precursor to So, let us imagine that a representative products made by organised labour. May Day as the 1 May was designated of Solidarity Shopping arrives at the The Union Label campaign in the USA is as the international strike day to door and says that Solidarity Shopping an example. However, this campaign is obtain the 8-hour day by the founding will put your products on its website on constrained by a nationalistic America conference of the Second International the basis that 10% of the sale price is 25 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 paid as commission. Of course, payment a site would rival Amazon and help setting up a huge international trading is only made on actual sales through finance campaigns for worthy causes conglomerate starts with a step-by- a monthly retrospective direct debit. everywhere. People want ‘good deals’ step plan. New York, San Francisco, Then the local Solidarity Shopping but, as most people are reasonable, London and Berlin could be chosen as group gets the 10% and pays a tenth, they are also prepared to pay a price trial locations where local PI groups i.e., 1% of actual sale price), to the that ensures union pay and conditions approach local suppliers to secure the Global Solidarity Fund and another 5% for those making the products. After best price for goods and services to be (or whatever) for website costs. This all, they - or members of their families marketed in their locality. then still leaves 4% for local campaign - will be working and producing goods Mick Rice was a research officer for the ! purposes to be used by the local PI and services as well It sounds like a tall AUEW engineering union. He is now the branches. order for the left to set up an ethical secretary of the UNITE Retired Members international trading organisation to branch in Glasgow. Radical coders could set up rival Amazon. But just as a march of a Solidarity Shopping website. Such 10,000 miles starts with the first step, so

Borisocracy by David McKinstry Appointing a Home Secretary A modern Uncle Tom, Pleasing Climbing the Disraeli greasy poll Claiming that taking the knee Whilst spouting a mythical past, Is no more than a convention, Of morning mists, churchgoing With ice in her veins political Cricket and warm beer, And self-advancement her All a well-worn story intention, But ironed, laundered and spun, Welcome to Borisocracy. poetry By a sham one nation Tory Welcome to Borisocracy. Playing high politics Ravenscraig by Robert Graham In a game he couldn’t careless, Engaged in a verbal duel Be it Covid or Etonian Brexit mess Before the steel mill shut the kids had toys With Rees-Mogg, Welcome to Borisocracy. and bikes, their brothers bought old banger cars In competitive nostalgia they’d tinker with and polish till they shone. And reminiscence fog, Peering from number ten After the steel mill shut, the toys were gone. Peppered with imperial battles To survey the national horizon, And Latin phrases, The Irish are talking unity Before the steel mill shut the streets felt safe Whilst the plebs look on Whilst the Scots are slowly rising, to stroll, to meet with friends and share a laugh, With vacant faces, Farewell to Borisocracy. stay out late, no thought of going to bed. Welcome to Borisocracy. After the steel mill shut, the streets were dead Dr David McKinstry Teaches History at Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow. Before they built an iron chain link fence around the site where rollers used to hum, were furnaces that proud men fed with coal. After the steel mill shut, pride on the dole.

After the steel mill shut, two towns were gutted, all their vitals thrown out with the trash. They said the scars of loss would pass away. Look around, the scars are here today.

Forgetfulness is memory upside down, but living upside down the blood will rush into the heads where memories are kept. After the steel mill shut, remember how we wept.

Robert Graham is a retired literature professor in Canada who was schooled in Wishaw. The poem is from his collection, ‘Before the Yes’ (Friesen Press 2020), and used with his consent.

prospect.org.uk bectu.org.uk @ProspectScot • @bectu

26 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 feedback

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Robin Bissell, director, the Advancement of Coloured People) The Best of Enemies (2019) helps Atwater to file a lawsuit against Reviewed by Jackie Bergson the finding of the council that the rancid shell of the burned-out school urham, North Carolina, 1971. is suitable for black pupils; that they A school which educates black should suffer in silence despite that Dpupils only is on fire. This catalytic they have to learn, work and live in dire, scene follows the film’s opening images, unhealthy circumstances. Consequently, of a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) initiation, which the battle and the change between are accompanied by a voice-over of arch rivals, Atwell and Ellis, become the compassion and morality with her black real-life antagonist, C P Ellis, talking focus of this great film. Their conflicted neighbours at home, his explosive anger about the sense of belonging that he development towards mutual respect, towards the care home staff conflicts got from his Klan membership. The ultimately, speaks for humanity and with his family’s need to ensure that his Best of Enemies film is based on the family, over and above political or son receives better care and conditions. novel The Best of Enemies: Race and economic supremacy. Redemption in the New South by Osha Illustrating how and why these complex Gray Davidson. In fighting for equality and integration, relationships and situations work out, Atwater proves herself to be a shrewd, the film highlights that Atwater’s talent Durham’s burning school ironically unstoppable force for good. Meanwhile, for political communications are at the symbolises forthcoming change in taciturn Ellis is confronted by the crux of discovering agreeable solutions. the education system, where the fact that business at his gas station is Her focus on managing white collar integration of black and white pupils dwindling to the point of being non- working relations also proves to be the will be accepted as the new norm. existent. This situation is revealed in the key to winning the trust of C P Ellis, who The school fire, meanwhile, leads to a film to be caused by his antediluvian eventually publicly resigns from the KKK. heightened civil battle between black resistance to a changed and changing Dramatic scenes within the care home and white adults attending local council society, where blacks have economic contrast with another scenario, where forums. At this point in time and place, and political powers. Atwater meets Ellis at his council offices. an archaic municipal system of societal Evolving through a process where a There, she silently faces a life-sized segregation is governed by KKK leaders town ‘charrette’ is organised by conflict mannequin dressed in KKK uniform. and sympathisers, ensuring stasis for resolution expert, Bill Riddick (Babou The reason why this scene resonates white supremacists. Until community Ceesay), the entire community must is that it carries a sense of historical activist, Ann Atwater (Taraji P Henson), reach an agreement in accepting this terror, white supremacy, lynching and whose contacts and friends touch into reality. Ellis and Atwater are afforded segregation. It powerfully conveys that, healthcare and business, determines to co-chairing status within Riddick’s other than in its present context, when forcefully shake up their racist system. formalised, inclusive agenda. This setup violence does not occur, no good would Vociferous in their articulations about replaces former, chaotic, would-be have come from her facing up to a KKK fairness and civil rights, and about negotiations, where councillors literally uniformed member on his own turf. housing and education, the black turned their backs on Atwater, while she Rockwell shines in his portrayal of Ellis residents of Durham are effectively had to browbeat them, just to be heard. as a seemingly irredeemable figure. represented by the outspoken Apparently coincidentally, Ellis Henson is outstanding in portraying Atwater. As their undaunted leader, and Atwater become involved in a Atwater’s straight-talking character, who she intensifies her efforts behind the healthcare wrangle, involving his son’s takes no prisoners. The Best of Enemies scenes, to win against white male residence at the local care home. Ellis’s is both entertaining and timely: strongly council representatives, most of whom anger reaches breaking point when recommended. are KKK members. Leading speaker Ellis he discovers that his son, Larry (Kevin Jackie Bergson has worked in the (Sam Rockwell) is the ‘exalted Cyclops’ Iannucci) - a teenager with Down’s voluntary sector and commercial president of KKK. He is also Atwater’s syndrome - has been moved to a room business development in technology and nemesis. where his usual freedoms are restricted. creative sectors. Educated in and living A dramatic turning point comes when Whereas his influential wife, Mary in Glasgow, her political and social views the NAACP (National Association for Ellis (Anne Heche) retains her sense of chime left-of-centre. 27 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Hall, E. (ed.) inspiration in the republican Milton creative relationship with the National whose ‘sonnets range from the directly Theatre that resulted in masterpieces New Light on Tony Harrison, outward to the tenderly inward, and like Oresteia. Its feminist inflection Oxford University Press/British how the public address of the one and colloquial language infuriated Academy, 2019, pp246, £45 (hb), ‎ makes a clearing for the shared privacy conservative critics: ‘unease with his 978-0197266519, and of the other’. class politics masqueraded as aesthetic derision. The real problem was … Hall, E. Tony Harrison: The blending of the private and public Olympian gods and the Argive Royal Poet of Radical Classicism, finds expression in poems of loss and Family sounded like dockers from Hull’ regret alongside rueful reflections on Hall observed. Similarly, the use of Bloomsbury Academic, class conflict. Allied to this is Harrison’s profanities in the television broadcast of 2021, pp248, £45 (hb), ‎ 978- receptivity to other arts forms like his ‘V’ became an excuse for attacking photography, theatre and film and what 1474299336. his class position. Reviewed by Sean Sheehan literary critics call ‘heteroglossia’, a hybrid of different voices or languages The book concludes with the 1990s’ dith Hall is at the heart of two within a text so that no single utterance film-poems and his late poems, books about the aesthetics of takes priority. including the autobiographical elegy resistance in the work of the poet, ‘Polygons’ (2015) which, as Hall says, E A photograph of an Iraqi soldier’s provides the culmination to poems like Tony Harrison, writing one of them and charred body in the first Gulf War editing the other. Classicists are not ‘Newcastle is Peru’. Harrison’s wicked provoked Harrison’s writing of ‘A Cold renowned for their left-wing politics use of diction and rhyme in confronting Coming’ and this interest in the visual but Hall is admirably different, making urgent social, political and existential arts helps explain his move into making her ideally placed to appreciate the concerns blend dizzyingly to form an film poetry. Peter Symes directed eight unique blend of socialist materialism aesthetic of resistance that has no of Harrison’s films and his illuminating and classical learning that fuels the equal. Videos of some of his work are essay provides a window into how their dynamism of Harrison’s verse. easily found online and print editions of close collaboration produced a rich his poems, plays and film poetry confirm The seventeen essays and one poem in artistic chemistry: ‘the [filmic] image as the scale and depth of an achievement New Light originate from a conference metaphor, the word as hard fact’. In The that puts him up there with Blake and Hall convened to commemorate Blasphemer’s Banquet, they decided Shelley. Like their poetry, his too is an Harrison’s eightieth birthday in 2017. on a tracking shot and Harrison walked antidote to indifference and as public as The contributors are a diverse crew with the crew, beating out time to give it is political. from academia, the arts, journalism them a rhythm and him a sense of Sean Sheehan writes for The Eye of and media professionals. Hall divides how many quatrains were needed. The Photography, Lens Culture, The Prisma their contributions into different areas result is one of the film’s core messages and other publications. of Harrison’s oeuvre: his poems, work about how life’s transience and our fear for the theatre, his immersion in the of meaninglessness can feed a habit literatures of France and Italy, and his for ‘the opium of the people’ – if Marx film poetry. Their essays combine to hadn’t created the image, Harrison form a remarkable celebration of the surely would have – with fixes supplied integrity, depth, learning, intelligence by dealers (the ‘one-book creeds’) and politics of Britain’s most important proffering ‘the unblemished beautiful living poet: the bard of Leeds. in the untrue’. Another essay, by Henry Stead, convincingly links the film-poems Harrison’s School of Eloquence sequence with the cinematic montage of early of poems and one called ‘V’ provide an Soviet film-makers like Eisenstein, the accessible introduction to his combative GPO film Night Train and Tarkovsky’s style and its origins in a historically- Mirror (1975). specific family background, one he pinpointed in an interview: ‘I came from Hall’s own book is as engaging and a loving, rooted upbringing which was erudite, looking at Harrison’s use of disrupted by Education and Poetry. And Greek and Roman material to give voice I’ve been trying to create new wholes to the oppressed and the injustices out of that disruption ever since’. As a perpetrated by hierarchies of class, race working-class scholarship schoolboy in and gender. Educated as a classicist, the 1950s, his Yorkshire pronunciation Harrison’s years of teaching and of a Keats poem earned rebuke from an travelling in Africa and Latin America English teacher: ‘Poetry’s the speech of extended his learning to an awareness kings. You’re one of those Shakespeare of colonialism and the global south gives the comic bits to: prose!’ and poems like ‘Newcastle is Peru’ (1996) gave early expression to his Defiance in the face of such claims on internationalist allegiances. the ownership of culture constitute Harrison’s political act. Given the Her study begins by connecting features sophisticated codes and traditions of of his poetry with the epigrams of literary culture, the challenge is to Palladas, the Hellenistic poet whom give voice to those excluded by these he translated early in his career. She codes. Harrison has spoken of finding moves on to Harrison’s decade-long 28 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen, long-term developments nor do they recognise this, yet it underpins many paint a better picture of everyday life. of their conclusions. Similar distortions Finntopia: What we can Such narratives are consistent with a are implicitly incorporated through learn from the world’s publication put together quickly without ill-defined application of such basic economic concepts as ‘fiscal policy’ happiest country, Agenda a coherent commentary or explanatory argument for what is behind Finland’s and ‘monetarism’. Students writing Publishing, £18.99, 9781788212151 successes. Nor, as suggested above, such accounts would quite rightly be Reviewed by Mike Danson is there any recognition that scale is corrected for this. Journalists would be his book is barely ‘okay’. To anyone undoubtedly important in nurturing expected to meet higher levels of quality accessing Nordic Horizons online, trust and cooperation – key concepts and accuracy. Ton Facebook or Twitter there and pre-conditions in many analyses of Another example where more careful is nothing surprising nor new in this the Nordic models. Likewise, the Nordic thought and analysis would have publication and they will probably find Council and other means for collective modified the argument would be in the massive data catalogue referenced decision making and implementation considering the implications of their in this book better analysed elsewhere. do not warrant much consideration own recording that far more live alone This is a strange publication. It seems either despite these institutions offering in Finland than elsewhere, therefore, to have a strong eye focused on the early and unique ways for national household size is on average smaller and US and English markets for those who sovereignty to be pooled. the distribution of income flatter than seem to know little of Finland. Whilst How the arguments in this book are if effort had been made to standardise we in Scotland are used to comparing for elsewhere. This is but one instance ourselves with the Nordic countries, meant to apply to the UK and USA are often incomplete and unexplained but illustrates that a much better this is far less common in England. description of Finland could have been This is despite these near neighbours though they could be much more relevant to Scotland, Wales, Ireland published and needs to be, because the occupying so many of the leading global commentary towards the end of the rankings in health, equality, wealth and other smaller nations. Why these geographers do not appreciate these book promises the world, but especially and happiness. As small open societies smaller economies and societies, can and economies, they offer lessons key factors and features is, indeed, a mystery: if it is because they are writing and should learn from the Nordic for Scotland and policies, practices countries’ successes but also from their and targets to aspire to; and these for large country markets, then why not explore the importance of size? The new challenges of demography and characteristics of scale and power immigration. relations are hardly recognised in this apparent unwillingness - and failure - volume. From geographers, this book is to even understand that data on the Mike Danson is Emeritus Professor mis-oriented as it constantly confuses different nations of the UK cannot be of Enterprise Policy at Heriot-Watt England, Britain and the UK which considered as a pro-rata of England’s University is especially problematic in the key nor that different policies, strategies, elements proposed to be underpinning performances are to be identified and Finland’s ‘happiness’: education, health, analysed across the UK to very good social institutions. In the one instance, effect is obvious. This lack of attention to where this is identified as an issue, with these details, and so to the opportunity a sub-heading UK/England, neither data to promote understanding of the nor text differ across the UK. importance of scale and of differences between countries of different politics, The physical geography is an interesting lessens the capacity of the book to starting point but as with the very many explain Finland’s and others’ journeys. tables, diagrams and maps throughout, the reader often needs to apply their A particular national statistic that is used own interpretation to these illustrations. repeatedly throughout the chapters The authors reject direct environmental is GDP. Now this is a key performance determinism as explaining Finland’s indicator (KPI) that has come in for ‘happiness’ but never offer a working criticism by environmentalists, feminists, hypothesis of what have been the and others involved in well-being and driving forces. In particular, the sustainability, but economists also tripartite, corporatist approaches which understand that it measures differently are promoted and sustained across the in different circumstances, and Nordic countries are mentioned but especially for small open economies. briefly. Unions are given but passing As Eoin O’Leary explains very well in mentions with regard to teachers, for his Irish Economic Development: Serial instance, but not anywhere is there a Under-Achievement or High-Performing comprehensive discussion of their role EU State (2015), and this applies very in representing working-class interests, similarly to the other Celtic nations driving change, addressing political (and many small open economies and economic power, compromising where FDI (foreign direct investment) is with capital etc. Significant sections significant for jobs and outputs), using of the book offer very short-term GDP as a KPI and as a denominator analyses of changes in, for example, in international country comparisons GDP and unemployment, and other of markedly different sizes is fatally indicators that do not explain greater flawed. Nowhere do the authors 29 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021 VLADIMIR McTAVISH’S Kick up the Tabloids

o, it would appear that Boris column before you read my obituary. such as racism and child poverty. Johnson may have finally got No-one was sure how busy this year’s From July, what were previously laws his moment to be compared to S festival would be, but we all hoped in England are now merely ‘guidelines’, Churchill. As the withdrawal from that English tourists would know how and it is up to the public’s ‘common Afghanistan resembles Dunkirk to behave in Scotland. By and large, sense’ and ‘judgement’ whether or without boats, the PM had to face they have been OK. But would the not to follow them - common sense an emergency session in Parliament, pandemic not have been a marvellous and judgement being values which where he was roasted by Theresa May opportunity for Edinburgh City Council have of course seen to be in very short for his shambolic reaction to events. to deny a licence for the Silent Disco? supply in government, as well as in the Phrases like ‘make a sentence out of public in general. the words: kettle, black and calling’ As we know, Boris Johnson announced and ‘savaged by a dead sheep’ spring that 19 July would be ‘Freedom Day’, Will this soon be rolled out to other to mind. when all restrictions on face masks areas of life currently covered by legislation, such as speed limits? If Of course, it wasn’t only the PM and distancing in England came to an so, I now have a clean driving licence. whose balls were on the slate. The end. We have all become too familiar When I totted up those nine points Foreign Secretary was doing the with this Orwellian turn of phrase that I currently hold, I was using my job he thought he was employed to from the Prime Minister. The people common sense to do eighty-nine miles do, namely, being abroad. The only of England were not liberated from an hour on the M8, as if not I would problem was that he was not abroad the Covid that day. They were set free risk being late for a gig in Greenock. on work but on holiday. from the measures put in place to protect them from catching the virus. That’s common sense and judgement And therein lies the major difference Effectively, they were free not to give a in action. Breaking the law to get to between Johnson and Churchill. flying fuck about anybody else. Greenock on time. I rest my case, Churchill was a pathological liar and M’lud. a deeply unlikeable sociopath who Many health experts had warned was responsible for the deaths of the PM not to move too fast. Which thousands of innocent people. The is sound medical advice, given his comparisons with Johnson end there. physical condition. Any sudden Churchill had a Cabinet of political movement could bring on a coronary. big-hitters who knew what they were When challenged on the timing of doing, unlike the current crop of the move, Health Secretary Sajid faceless non-entities who owe their Javid replied ‘if not now, when?’ He portfolios to pro-Brexit zealotry. then promptly tested positive for Coronavirus, thereby, answering his I don’t trust politicians who don’t look own question. like politicians. Dominic Raab does not resemble a Foreign Secretary. He looks Johnson and Rishi Sunak were like he should be managing a branch identified as close contacts, so all of Carphone Warehouse in Slough. three were forced to self-isolate. This Grant Shapps, a man whose name left us with the glorious irony of the sounds like a very unpleasant bowel very people who proclaimed ‘Freedom disorder, doesn’t look like a member Day’ being locked up in the house on of the Government. He looks more the day in question. like a used-car salesman who is also Transport for London and almost a leader in the Boy Scouts and who every major supermarket chain still ‘hasn’t found time’ to fill in his responded to a campaign from Disclosure form. unions, and insisted that masks EDITORIAL COMMITTEE I am writing this in the middle of the should still be worn on the tube and Bill Bonnar Carol Mochan Edinburgh Fringe. A festival that no- in stores, to protect the staff who Carole Ewart Gordon Morgan one was sure would happen. An event worked there. We truly are living in Roz Foyer Dave Sherry that, mid-pandemic, has attracted some bizarre parallel universe when Gregor Gall Stephen Smellie thousands of people from throughout Tesco care more about public health Editor Roza Salih the UK to gather together in Scotland’s than the Prime Minister does. But Pat Kelly Maggie Chapman capital city in badly-ventilated small then we have already witnessed the Convener Bob Thomson rooms to laugh in close proximity to England football team exhibiting a Bill Ramsay Vice Convener one another. What’s the worst that more accurate moral compass than Lilian Macer can happen? Hopefully you read this the government of the UK on issues 30 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 125 September/October 2021

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