Welcome to Scotland: UKIP leader Farage waltzed into Edinburgh on the back of his English council elections successes - bad move, Nigel... • see pages 2, 3 & 9 £1 • issue 418 • 24th May - 6th June 2013 www.scottishsocialistvoice.net

TAX THEIR

by

THOUSANDS are march - BOARDROOMing in Scotland Sagainst the vi - cious, vindictive Tory Bedroom Tax. Anger is turn - ing to outrage on the streets and on the demos, as this cruel theft of income from the poor - est has claimed its first victim. Stephanie Bottrill, a - NOT OUR grandmother, was driven to suicide by the impossible prospect of having to find another £20 a week. She had done without heating all win - ter to save up for the Bed - room Tax bills. Horrific reports are emerg - BEDROOMS ing of investment of time, money and staff hours by so - cial landlords in what amounts to ‘suicide watch’; housing staff, caretakers and welfare rights workers are being sent on courses to spot the danger of suicide amongst those tenants af - fected by the Bedroom Tax. CAMERON: owns spare homes LORD FREUD: 11 spare rooms CLEGG: in bed with the Tories • Continued on page 5 Turn up the heat on the ConDems over the Bedroom Tax • see pages 5, 6 & 7 NEWS Farage media firestorm illuminates increasingly right wing unionist agenda by Ken Ferguson Tax but in reality have not commit - ted to scrap it, while north of the WHEN seeking advice on a venue border they increasingly favour for his Edinburgh press conference scrapping universal benefits in to launch his Scottish push, UKIP what they term “freebie Scotland”. chief Nigel Farage’s team appar - Against this background the de - ently consulted Daily Mail political cision by Scottish Labour to launch journalist Alan Roden, who sug - a breakaway No campaign against gested three possibilities including independence reflects growing un - the eventual venue, the Canon’s ease by rank and file Labour sup - Gait. A key consideration from porters, voters and trade unionists Farage’s media team was that at sitting around the same table in “Nigel could enjoy a pint of heavy” the class collaborationist Better To - building on his home counties real gether campaign with Tories and ale, man-of-the-people image. Lib Dems. However, by choosing In the event, although he faced to front the event with Gordon heavy protests, the result of his ex - Brown who spent years in govern - perience was more bitter than he ment praising the innovation of the anticipated and his confinement in city speculators who authored the the Edinburgh pub certainly gave a crisis they showed the empty na - new meaning to the term “lock in.” ture of their non-alternative to the What the ensuing media storm ConDems. The listing of former showed above all was the real and Labour glories such as founding rapidly growing political diver - the NHS and building social hous - gence between Scottish and British ing failed to mention the reality that politics with Farage receiving wall- BARRAGE FOR FARAGE: UKIP’ s radical reception in Edinburgh subsequent Labour governments to-wall coverage for his assertion sold off social housing and did little that a section of those protesting at “fruitcake” right wing is yet an - tion debate, the demonising of ben - to oppose privatisation in health. his extremist views were them - other sign of the growing strength efit claimants, the sick and the dis - selves “fascists”. That this largely of the Tory right who are either abled and the entire big lie that the Tear jerker synthetic row ran and ran and even deeply suspicious of or openly hos - crisis engineered by city speculators And of course we heard the old generated a front page splash in the tile to Cameron’s supposed “mod - is actually to be paid for by workers tear jerker call for the Scots to stand metropolitan-based Guardian and eration.” The story follows on the jobs and pensioners living stan - by English workers in the face of a took top spot on the BBC tells us declarations in favour of an EU dards. Meanwhile the representa - Tory England even if that means little about the real news value of pull out by former Thatcher-era tives of the Tory grass roots queue volunteering to subject Scottish Farage’s Edinburgh foray but great chancellor Nigel Lawson and right up to denounce gay marriage in a workers to a Tory government they deal about the rightward march of wing minister turned media pundit further challenge to the carefully never voted for while failing to British politics. Michael Portillo both deeply dam - cultivated moderate and modern mention that the Brown and Blair aging to Cameron and de-stabilis - image of the Cameron camp. government kept anti-union laws ‘Swivel-eyed loons’ ing for the coalition with the If this rightward drift was simply which make such solidarity illegal. Just as Farage went off the boil pro-EU Lib Dems. confined to the English Tory shires The truth is that the demand for a as a running story, up popped a At the heart of the growing strife it would be bad enough but the truth Yes vote - stripped of all the vote Yes “close friend” - unnamed - of in the Tories is the reality - sky is that, with the aid of a shrill media and die No scares - has at its core one David Cameron to tell journalists written by the recent frenzy around campaign from the likes of the Tele - simple fact. Independence would en - that the Tory grass roots activists Thatcher’s death - that vast graph and the Daily Mail , it is in - sure that voters in Scotland would were “swivel-eyed loons” who risk swathes, even a majority of the creasingly tilting Westminster get the government that they actually wrecking the carefully burnished party remains on the hard-right. politics to the right. So the Labour voted for and the policies they sup - moderate image of Cameron Tories Suppressed initially by the relief reaction to these developments is to port. As Westminster lurches right, as reasonable moderates. of getting a partial hold on power float stories that they will be equally that growing gap between the poli - That the story figured promi - with the Lib Dems, the hard nosed “tough” on claimants, take a hard tics that result and the vision of a nently in the Daily Telegraph , the “nasty party” core of the party grad - line on immigration and duck and democratic, inclusive Scotland will house journal of the Tory English ually broke cover. Issues such as the dive on the EU. They huff and puff increasingly play a crucial role in the shires and sounding board for the thinly veiled racism of the immigra - about the iniquity of the Bedroom battle for a Yes vote.

2 • • issue 418 NEWS LITTLE ENGLANDER FARAGE HAS

WNhenO Nige lP FaraLge ACE IN SCOTTISH POLITICS attempted to re-launch UKIP in Scotland, he was challenged by protesters from the Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) who told him that xenophobic politics were not welcome in Scotland. This subsequently led to Farage calling the protest “anti-English” and decrying the “ugly face of Scottish nationalism”. Liam O’Hare of the Edinburgh RIC explains why he participated in the protest

THOSE who protested the UKIP leader did so, not because of where Mr Farage was born, but because UKIP are a party with a well- documented agenda of racism, FACE TO FACE: ugly face of nationalism is met by the Radical Independence Campaign’s Liam O’Hare homophobia and sexism. Indeed, their far-right Scotland is from England - a every passing day. Indeed, his visit to Scotland, perhaps politics are largely alien in Thatcherite, anti-immigrant, politics in Westminster could what Nigel Farage did not Scotland, where there is a anti-welfare state Little almost be being conducted in realise is that it is an aversion broad consensus around the Englander like Farage has no an entirely different orbit. From to his type of politics that need for more progressive place in Scottish politics. austerity to Trident and the might tip the balance in the policies on immigration. Indeed, the “ugly face” of European Union to immigration, referendum next year. The scapegoating of Scottish nationalism needs to the consensus in Scotland is for It has always been clear immigrants for society’s be juxtaposed with British something altogether different that people will only vote for problems, a line peddled by nationalism - which is a damn than what the British independence in 2014 if they not only UKIP but all the sight uglier. It is British Government has planned. The think it will make a positive Westminster parties, is nationalism which has been alarming rise of UKIP is merely and fundamental difference challenged with a different used to drum up support for indicative of this. to their lives. The rightward narrative in Scotland. This illegal wars and the turn of politics in England, was what we saw happen on expansionist, aggressive Wedge combined with the growing the streets of Edinburgh foreign policy of Britain. And the deeper this wedge momentum of the Radical during the Farage visit. It is British nationalism is driven, the more likely it is Independence Campaign is which screams “British jobs that we will witness this making this outcome seem Purpose for British workers” and says political divide turning into a more and more likely. The purpose of the protest we need to leave the EU and constitutional one. A new generation is was two-fold. Firstly it shut the borders. And it is A Panelbase poll released emerging, arguing for intended to damage Farage’s British nationalism which lies in the Sunday Times said that on a attempt to project UKIP as a at the heart of the deep- if the UK looked likely to radical, inclusive basis. legitimate Britain-wide party, rooted racial and ethnic withdraw from the EU, then Not only are we leaving the as relevant in Scotland as prejudices in our society. support for independence reaction of Farage and UKIP anywhere else. The distinctiveness of the would be equal with those behind, we could soon be Secondly, to highlight how political climate in Scotland is opposed, at 44 per cent. In leaving the corrupt British distinct the political climate in becoming more apparent with amongst all the commotion of system behind too.

issue 418 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 3 HIDDEN HISTORIES Some UK countries are more equal than others says Campbell Martin - should prevail. The mixed nature of the oppos - the Jacobites back into Scotland, culminating in ing armies is shown in reports of the Jacobite ad - a bloody battle at Culloden, near Inverness, on 16 THE true outlook of the English ruling class was vance into England. It was recorded that they April 1746. Again, this was not a fight between made clear shortly after the Union of 1707, when picked up around 1,500 English recruits as they Scotland and England. Contemporary accounts Britain’s First Lord of the Treasury, Robert marched through Lancashire. record a significant number of ordinary Scots Harley, asked the new British Parliament, “Have However, the Jacobites then suffered a signif - fighting on the side of the British monarch and we not bought the Scots, and may we not claim icant defeat to a Hanoverian army, which in - government, while the Scottish Jacobites were the right to tax them?” cluded members of the Clan Cameron, at the augmented by English Episcopalians, alongside It was the same Robert Harley (Earl of Oxford Battle of Preston. The House of Hanover had as - Scots and Irish regiments of the French army. and Earl Mortimer) who, prior to the Union, had sumed the throne in 1714 when German-born British forces were led by Prince William Au - sent a number of spies to Edinburgh with the George I succeeded Queen Anne, who had, her - gustus, the Duke of Cumberland and son of King remit of informing on the activities of the Scots. self, succeeded her brother-in-law William of Or - George II. Culloden was a decisive defeat for the One of the spies was Daniel Defoe, who would ange in 1702. Ultimately, the Stuart attempt to Jacobites, but it was what happened following the later find fame as the author of Robinson Crusoe , reclaim the throne was defeated and James es - battle that was to have a deep impact on the High - which was based on the real-life experience of caped back to France in February 1716. land way of life, and on Scotland’s place within Fife sailor Alexander Selkirk who had been ship - the British Union. Having won a resounding vic - wrecked and marooned for four years on an un - tory, Cumberland then ordered his men to scour inhabited island off the coast of Chile. the battlefield, killing anyone they came across, Within the British Union, Scotland has never whether they were wounded Jacobites, fleeing been an equal partner with England. In 1707 the Clansmen or innocent bystanders. The ‘justifica - English parliament believed Union was simply tion’ for such brutal action was a claim that the Ja - the most convenient, and least bloody, means of cobites’ battle orders had contained the instruction removing a potential enemy on its northern bor - that ‘no quarter’ should be given to British forces. der. In ‘buying’ Scotland, England concluded a However, the copy of the battle order containing deal it saw as a ‘win-win’ - not only was a historic the ‘no quarter’ instruction was a British forgery. enemy pacified, but Scots were now to be at the Marching under the British flag, Cumber - call of London in England’s foreign wars, includ - land’s men then turned their attention to the area ing against France, a nation that had always en - around the battlefield, hunting down any Jaco - joyed friendly relations with Scotland. bites who had managed to escape, and killing Initially, though, things didn’t go quite as Eng - them. Many innocent villagers and farm-workers land had planned. Within eight years of the ROBERT HARLEY: asked British Parliament suffered the same fate. Similar atrocities contin - Treaty of Union, many Scots rose to support the ‘Have we not bought the Scots, and may ued in the weeks and months following the bat - French-backed James Stuart in his claim to the we not claim the right to tax them?’ tle, with hundreds of ordinary Scots killed and British throne - the Scottish and English crowns more burned from their homes. having come together in 1603 when James VI of The 1745 Jacobite rebellion saw James Stuart’s Understandably, the brutal actions of British Scotland assumed the English throne on the son, Charles Edward Stuart, also make claim to soldiers earned their leader the name ‘Butcher death of the childless Queen Elizabeth. being the legitimate sovereign of Scotland and Cumberland’, with many Scots, to this day, re - James Stuart was a descendent of James VII England, as the descendent of the deposed King ferring to “the Butcher’s apron” to describe the of Scotland (James II of England), who had been James VII (James II of England). Like his father British flag under which atrocities were com - deposed in 1688 by an army led by Dutch-born before him, Charles Edward Stuart - known as mitted. The British parliament, containing just William of Orange (who was married to King Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Young Pretender - 45 representatives from Scotland - all of them James’ daughter Mary). The 1715 ‘Jacobite’ up - called for the support of ordinary men and led an members of the aristocracy - then enacted puni - rising - taking its name from Jacobus, the Latin army into England, reaching as far south as tive legislation designed to curb the power of the form of James - was an attempt by the House of Derby. Again, Scots and English fought on both clan system and prevent any further Highland- Stuart to reclaim the British throne. sides, in armies thrown into battle to defend the initiated uprisings against the British monarchy It would be entirely wrong to portray the 1715 claims of two aristocrats, both of whom professed and establishment. However, the new laws had Jacobite uprising (or the later one in 1745) as to be their rightful lord and master. much deeper consequences, leading ultimately being conflicts between Scotland and England. Unlike the earlier uprising, the aftermath of the to the destruction of the supportive social struc - In fact, what lay behind the Jacobite rebellions 1745 Jacobite rebellion was to have devastating tures of the traditional Highland way of life and was a dispute between two aristocratic dynasties consequences for ordinary Scots, including many paving the way for the landed-aristocracy to over who should rule ordinary Scots and English, who had not even supported it. Once again, forces carry out the act of ethnic cleansing that was the and over which religion - Catholic or Protestant loyal to the Hanoverian British monarch pushed Highland Clearances.

4 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 418 BEDROOM TAX

by Richie Venton

THOUSANDS are marching in MARCH Scotland against the vicious, vindic - tive Tory Bedroom Tax. Anger is turning to outrage on the streets and on the demos, as this cruel theft of income from the poorest has claimed its first victim. Stephanie Bottrill, a grandmother, was driven to suicide by the impos - IN ANGER! sible prospect of having to find an - PHOTO: Simon Whittle other £20 a week. She had done EVICT THE TORIES without heating all winter to save up for the Bedroom Tax bills. Horrific reports are emerging of investment of time, money and staff hours by social landlords in what amounts to ‘suicide watch’; housing staff, caretakers and welfare rights workers are being sent on courses to spot the danger of suicide amongst those tenants affected by the Bed - room Tax. What a searing condem - nation of the system and government we live under in the 21st century! All because the Westminster Cab - inet, stuffed full of 23 millionaires - including Welfare Minister Lord Freud, with his two mansions and eleven spare bedrooms - dictates that 670,000 households across the UK have ‘spare bedrooms’ and are to be punished for it.

Millionaire tax cuts All because the Tories and Lib Dems are waging war on the working class, robbing hundreds of £billions off benefits and wages, so the millionaires can enjoy an annual tax cut of £107,000. And people’s anger is not re - stricted to those directly affected, in - cluding the 105,000 households in Scotland. An absolute, decisive ma - jority of those queueing up at SSP street stalls to sign petitions de - manding ‘No evictions - Scrap the

issue 418 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 5 P

BEDROOM TAX H O

Bedroom Tax’, tell us “This doesn’t T O :

actually affect me, but...” S i m

These 105,000 households in o n

Scotland - including 83,000 with at W h i t least one registered disabled family t l e member - are at the sharp end of the Tory Tax. But this affects us all in some way. When many of those confronted with bills of £10 a week or more on incomes of £71 simply can’t afford spearhead a Scots rebellion demand - to pay, rent arrears means the threat ing back the stolen £billions off of evictions - but it also threatens Westminster, so that neither housing, the jobs and wages of workers in the NHS, education, transport nor local housing associations and any other public service suffers cuts. councils, plus the vital services they The Labour Party has unleashed a provide in communities. great hue and cry of criticism of the An estimated £53million shortfall SNP government for not declaring in rental income to social landlords an all-embracing, national ‘No Evic - this first year alone because of the NOISE-UP THE TORIES: protests have had positive results tions’ policy. But Labour’s hypocrisy Tory Tax has already begun to take on the Bedroom Tax and indeed its toll. At least one Glasgow local For months before the tax was im - week, how the hell is being expected evictions has a more overpowering housing association, whose bosses posed on April Fools Day, the SSP, to pay ANY amount of Bedroom stench to it than the average sewage are on £100,000 and £85,000 each, No2BedroomTax campaign, Unite Tax ‘reasonable’? works on a hot summer day! have declared redundancies and Community union and others took to When people already under a re - Labour councils have failed ut - ruthlessly cut the wages of staff with the streets demanding that councils, payment arrangement for previous terly to declare against evictions. 20-plus years of devoted service to local housing associations and in - rent arrears are then hit by demands Worse than that, a mere six weeks their tenants by a shattering £5,000 a deed the Scottish government out - for £10 or more Bedroom Tax, all into this vicious Tory Tax being in - year. Their “explanation”? That they law the threat of evictions. the ‘attempts’ in the world will still stalled, Labour councils in both have to cut back due to the Bedroom Repeated protests and street cam - make it impossible to avoid rent ar - North Lanarkshire and South La - Tax and Universal Credit. paigning has had some positive re - rears and therefore they could face narkshire have delivered letters sults. Councils controlled by the actual eviction procedures. threatening evictions. Vile propaganda SNP have pledged there will be no The SSP has fought from day one The Tories and Lib Dems thought evictions for at least the first year - for councils and local housing asso - Mother threatened they could divide working class peo - provided they are satisfied “tenants ciations to not only help every af - In South Lanarkshire, this scared ple with their vile propaganda about have made all reasonable attempts to fected tenant apply for Discretionary the living daylights out of the likes ‘skivers and strivers’, ‘shirkers and avoid rent arrears”. So has the Housing Payments to reduce the im - of Angela Buskie, mother of three, workers’ - but a growing unity is Labour/SNP/Green coalition Edin - pact of the Tax, but also to mount a who they expected to pay £22.08 a turning into action again the Tory ar - burgh city council. And some local ferocious campaign for funding off week, leaving her £10 a week to feed chitects of the worst assault since the housing associations have adopted the Scottish government to fill the herself and three kids. She was Poll Tax. That’s why those marching the exact same policy with the exact shortfall in rent. This side of getting threatened with being turfed out of through Glasgow on Saturday 1st same proviso attached. the Tory Tax scrapped - which is our her home, in a letter delivered by June should and will then turn their Those are welcome, if faltering clear, unqualified aim - that is the hand on a Sunday - because she fire on the Scottish Tory party con - steps in the right direction. And let us only serious route councils and LHA owed them £129! ference in Stirling the following Sat - be clear: they did not drop from the bosses can take if they are genuine Faced with news of this outrage, urday, 8 June, on the protest march sky; they are concessions won by about avoiding evictions. Labour council leader Eddie called by the broad-based No2Bed - vigorous, determined campaigning Likewise the SSP has demanded McAvoy claimed it was a mistake; roomTax campaign. on the streets, outside council meet - throughout that the SNP government that he knew nothing about such let - We need to make the Tories feel ings, through the local media and at should use the powers they already ters being sent out. Either he’s lying, like an endangered species in Scot - councillors’ surgeries. People in have under the straitjacket of devo - or the elected Labour councillors land - but with no plans for conser - protest can win concessions. lution to mitigate the crucifying cuts have allowed unelected officials to vation! They need to feel the hot But the danger inherent in the people face. To outlaw all evictions, run riot in wielding the Tory Tax as breath of fury at what they are pre - clause about ‘making all reasonable which would cover local housing as - a blunt instrument against tenants on siding over and justifying, and given attempts to avoid rent arrears’ is that sociations as well as those councils rock bottom incomes. the clear message that the only peo - it could lead to backdoor evictions, (such as those run by Labour) which In the case of North Lanarkshire ple who will be evicted in Scotland unless the pressure is kept up on the are refusing to declare ‘no evictions’; Labour council leader Jim Mc - are the Tories - not tenants. social landlords and the mainstream and to cough up the guesstimated Cabe, no such feeble explanation And evictions are a very real politicians - even including those £53million shortfall in rents to social was given. No claims of mistakes, threat - contrary to those who scoffed from the SNP . When tenants are landlords this year, to stop cuts to no public apologies, no immediate when we warned of this months ago. eking out an existence on £71 a jobs, pay and services - and to then withdrawal of the threatening evic -

6 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 418 BEDROOM TAX tion letters. This is Scotland’s biggest single social landlord. On 13 March, North Lanarkshire Labour boldly tweeted “tomorrow we will be campaigning against the vile Bedroom Tax”. Weeks later, whilst Labour politi - cians make hay out of the abject fail - ure of the SNP Scottish government to unequivocally ban Bedroom Tax evictions, McCabe’s Labour council threatened a Coatbridge man with eviction - a single man, with a his - tory of mental illness, who has never incurred rent arrears prior to the Bed - room Tax, and had requested a move to a smaller house, but was told none was available. And the letter warns him of legal costs of £289.70 be - cause he has accrued the grand sum total of £50.10 in arrears! These rank hypocrites are playing games with people’s lives. Spouting opposition to the Tory tax to recover CHALLENGE THE RULE OF THE RICH: join the movement against the hated Tax PHOTO: Simon Whittle some of their lost base in Scotland, but not even promising to abolish it Running parallel to these de - and anti-eviction networks. We have So 100 people could live on the if they win the 2015 Westminster mands against evictions, the SSP, spearheaded putting pressure on minimum wage and then still pay the elections, and meantime implement - No2BedroomTax and others will council and housing association entire Bedroom Tax bill for all those ing the Tory Tax like a gang of fun - continue to pound the social hous - bosses to outlaw evictions, reclassify affected for the next 400 years! damentalist zealots, against the very ing landlords with pressure to re - rooms and demand the funding off The system of capitalist exploita - people they falsely claim to repre - classify their homes, so that rooms the Scottish government to offset tion and inequality is absolutely ob - sent. At UK level, Labour’s Shadow are declared ‘not liable’ to payment loss of rental income and the astro - scene. Fighting the Bedroom Tax is Minister Liam Byrne has declared of the Bedroom Tax. That road is nomic rise in applications for Discre - one important step in turning the tide “we are not going to make promises being travelled by Knowsley tionary Housing Payments - an of crucifying cuts to living standards we can’t keep”! Council on Merseyside and Not - increase of 338 per cent across all suffered by millions under succes - tingham council. council areas in the month of April, sive Tory and Labour governments. Labour hypocrisy The first and so far only Scottish with the biggest increase of any area The fearless fighters marching We can’t rely on the Labour op - Council to have partially conceded in the UK being in Glasgow, where against this measure should go on position at Westminster nor local this is North Ayrshire. They now 5,501 desperate people have applied to help build a powerful, united Labour councillors to resist and promise to reclassify rooms, start - for these emergency payments, com - movement to challenge the rule of disrupt the Tories’ tax. Far from it, ing with smaller rooms that they pared to 1,437 the previous month! the rich, with demands for taxing they are at the forefront of imple - may declare to be boxrooms. This But the SSP will also continue to the billionaires and boardrooms, not menting it. Opponents of the Bed - is a breach in the defences of Coun - empower people with the knowl - our bedrooms, and for democratic room Tax, including those directly cils that say their hands are tied. edge that there is absolutely no ex - public ownership of the banks, big hammered by it, need a twin track It is the result of a wave of re - cuse or justification for this daylight industry, construction, energy and plan of action against the threat of peated protests, organised by the robbery of benefits. all public services. evictions: building local networks SSP in Ayrshire, with twice-weekly That way - the socialist way ahead of people prepared to mount street stalls, big public meetings, Filthy rich - could ensure decent, skilled jobs for human walls of solidarity against numerous highly publicised The country is awash with wealth, all, on a guaranteed living wage, in - any attempted evictions, and piling protests at council meetings . but it’s in the hands of a filthy rich cluding to build top-rate social sector the pressure on the politicians and They now need to be pushed to handful. Last year the richest 1,000 housing at affordable rents. housing association bosses with de - reclassify all their houses - as do people - that’s a piddling 0.003 per Join the marches against the mands that they outlaw evictions, other councils and housing associ - cent of the population! - IN - Bedroom Tax. Build a movement fight for full Discretionary Housing ations across Scotland. CREASED their personal wealth by to evict the Tories, not tenants. Payments, and launch a serious If enough do this, as well as £35billion. That’s 70 times more Join the Scottish Socialist campaign for Scottish government fending off the dire poverty and po - than their hired political servants in Party in the struggle for an inde - funding to remove the prospect of tential evictions, it would help the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition are pendent socialist Scotland, where either slashing staff and/or harass - make the tax unworkable. stealing off the poorest through the benefit cuts, poverty pay, poor ing people for rent arrears they are The SSP has been at the heart of Bedroom Tax. The richest 100 fat housing and mass unemployment simply incapable of paying. building meetings, protests, demos cats had an average rise of £2billion. will be banished.

issue 418 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 7 NEWS

bWy Sandrha Weobster cadeterrioraeted ansd she wfas ordep retssiohn cane be if t hecre is adisrpropeortionratelys affec?t those admitted to hospital. Three little help available even when household members with a THE Royal College of years after she now has her it is recognised how much it is disabled person. General Practitioners (RCGP) daughters home and gets the needed. I am also optimistic that we highlighted the stresses faced extra help she requires. A “carers’ champion” has can look to other countries by unpaid carers last week Unfortunately her daughters been a buzz-word for many and use the services they claiming that 40 per cent of had to be admitted to groups recently. provide as a blueprint for our carers may have depression residential care at a huge cost Ironically Glasgow City vision of an Independent as a symptom of their caring to her local authority. If she Council who are clashing with Scotland. responsibilities. had been offered the help she many at their closures of day It is estimated that there are needed perhaps a loving centres have appointed Dr Opportunity seven million unpaid carers in family being separated could Bell while the Labour Party I believe Independence the UK while the Scottish have been avoided. have a carers’ champion. gives us the opportunity to Government themselves Her story echos that of For many though facing create a new Scotland. It is estimate carers in Scotland many today facing similar rising debts due to the not good enough to say to alone contribute ten billion daily personal tragedies. Bedroom Tax or loss of a day carers ‘vote for independence pounds to the economy with The RCGP offer practical service for the person they and everything will be unpaid care. solutions that could be carried care of there is little evidence wonderful for you and those Perhaps due to it being out in every GP surgery. of any carers’ voices being you love’. seen as traditionally “women’s listened too. Carers more than most are work” the majority of unpaid Screening Rather than active well used to being promised carers who often have to give A carer’s champion, a participation it is just the usual so much that is never up work and study to support register of carers and the patronising pat on the head delivered. In the lead up to those they care for are more controversial screening and a “well done for all your Independence we can share women. Life has always been for all carers. They describe hard work”, that many are our vision of concrete difficult but the austerity cuts this as a simple questionnaire used too. proposals not vague glimpses which mean cutbacks in on mood and feelings of So this response will have of how lives can be better essential services mean the mental health wellbeing. not been even noticed by supported. strain is having a huge impact Carers organisations have those who it should support. One thing is for sure in a on already fragile lives. been optimistic about this What would help is being landscape dominated by the “Mary” cared for three announcement as a means of involved in local campaigns evil proclamations of a children two of whom had getting into the wider press around cuts to services and Westminster Government cerebral palsy. Their needs about how best we support proper pay for the work carers who are ever far away from meant she had to look after those we care for others. do rather than a pitiful Carers us, carers demand answers. the twins round the clock. Other individuals perhaps Allowance. Fighting to stop to why voting for She had asked for help and more cynical of expert the Bedroom Tax and the independence will be better only received two hours of opinions have challenged other benefit cuts which for themselves and their help a week. She struggled what practical help a groups such as Inclusion families and why they should on until her own health screening process for carer’s Scotland have reported vote Yes.

FJill ino thisi fonrm a ndt sehnd ite to: S coSttishS SociaPlist P arhty, Seuite 3r70e, 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD. Or telephone: 0781 126 5388 Or see our website: www.scottishsocialistparty.org g I would like to join the g I would also like to join Scottish Socialist Youth g I would like more info on the Scottish Socialist Party Name...... Address...... Phone...... Email......

8 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 418 BISSETT WHAT LIES BEHIND THE

Alan Bissett takes a look had: imperialist rhetoric and myths FARAGE MEDIA STOof gloRry, bindinMg the worke? rs to their LAST Thursday myself and the masters’ interests. SSP’s were in Cupar at a Sadly, there are sections of the Yes Scotland event, setting out our Scottish media and political class all case for an independent socialist too happy to defend Farage. Clear - state. At the same time, the Radical ing their throats with a brisk, ‘We Independence Campaign (RIC) HEADLINE don’t support his policies but…’ they were on the High Street of Edin - SNATCHER: denounce the RIC for curtailing burgh, picketing a press conference Nigel - ‘NF’ to his Farage’s freedom of speech. by UKIP’s Nigel Farage. One of mates - counts An increasingly-misnomered The these events made national head - Maggie Thatcher Scotsman is the main offender in lines. Let’s ask why. amongst his this regard. Freedom of speech, of While RIC’s accusations of fas - political heroes course, includes the right to protest, cism against Farage are misplaced pint in his hand and a grin on his there’s still the frightening chance of but this is neatly ignored by a British - although not as misplaced as face: a man of the people. Not that a Tory coalition with them at the next establishment keen to portray Scot - Farage’s counter-accusation - a they’d admit it, but UKIP are hostile election. tish independence as aggressive to message was sent about the kind of to ‘the people’. Have a guess what More likely, Tory policy will chase ‘civilised’ values, even if it means politics which are unwelcome in they think of single mothers or the UKIP’s on Scotland in the way it has backing a homophobic, xenophobic Scotland. We should not be sur - unemployed, for example. This con - on Europe. The Tories will seek to politician over a pro-immigration, prised, however, that the unionist tempt applies especially to Scots. recalibrate London’s relationship to pro-gay rights, pro-working class media and politicians have been Were their rhetoric alone not Holyrood in their favour, as punish - lobby like the RIC. falling over themselves to defend enough - UKIP’s Lord Monckton be - ment for the Scottish ‘rebellion’. Farage against the RIC, since the lieves ‘the Scots are subsidy When Farage reports back that he Weakened free ride UKIP have enjoyed from junkies, whingeing like a trampled has ‘seen the face of Scottish na - The way ahead for the ‘British’ the British press stands in stark con - bagpipe as they wait for their next tionalism and it is ugly’ he is prompt - proletariat is clear: a dismantling of trast to the ritual battering of the Yes fix of English taxpayers’ money’ - ing an English response. Paying the UK state so revered by Farage campaign. Even The Guardian , they intend to reverse devolution. him heed, however, would be disas - and his rich cronies. Once this im - Britain’s most cherished left-leaning In their election manifesto they trous for the English working-class. perialist construct is weakened, daily, showed Farage and Salmond outline plans to replace MSPs It is a tactic of right-wing parties gaps will open up for socialists. squaring up on their front page be - elected to Holyrood with Westmin - to pretend to working people that The English have been told by neath a headline stating ‘Battle of ster’s own Scottish MPs. The same their enemies are foreign, to distract the likes of Farage that Scotland will the Nationalists’, as though they are would go for Welsh and Northern from the true nature of the class fall to pieces without them. Once somehow identical. Irish politicians. This allows West - struggle. In every respect UKIP offer they see socialist policies develop in minster to become a de facto Eng - a similar menu to the Tories - anti- an independent Scotland - such as Challenge lish parliament. English autonomy is Europe, anti-immigration, aggres - protection of the NHS and the build - It suits the establishment to com - all fine and well following the break- sively capitalist - but do so with more ing of affordable homes - they will pare UKIP to the SNP on negative up of the British state, but under the personality and more blatant ap - realise this is possible for them too. grounds when appealing to a left- current structure UKIP’s plan peals to ethnic nationalism. They will ask serious questions of wing vote, but to defend UKIP when means the boosting of English UKIP, like the BNP before them, the so-called ‘Labour’ party and re - courting a right-wing one. This is be - power at the expense of the Celtic may well exploit the disaffection of vitalise the English Left. This is why cause Farage, however much of an nations. UKIP are, in all but name, working people abandoned by Farage has to be defended even by electoral threat he is to the main - an English nationalist party, as well Labour, but given that one of Scots unionists: they know the stream parties, represents a but - as a xenophobic one. It is for a rea - Farage’s political heroes is Margaret Westminster gravy-train would hit tressing of the British state. son that the fascist English Defence Thatcher, English workers will only the buffers of a Yes vote. Scottish independence repre - League are now instructing their be walking into another capitalist In the meantime, Farage has sents a challenge to it. It’s also why members to vote UKIP. trap. UKIP have no plans for jobs, been sent homewards to think - until last Thursday, at least - Farage So how dangerous is Farage to wealth distribution or higher taxation again. Well done, Scotland. Now was continually presented in even Scotland? While a majority UKIP of the rich. They have only what the truly give him the message and turn the sceptical media with a blokey government is a remote possibility, British bourgeoisie have always that into a Yes.

issue 418 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 9 NEWS Welsh campaigners keep up the pressure against drones by Harry Rogers, to wait for a human to give it Bro Emlyn For Peace and order to deploy. Justice, Wales There is a lot of discussion going on between the MoD and I RECENTLY attended a small The Pentagon about the use of demonstration organised by autonomous AI in drones and local Quakers outside the MOD other robot development. base in Parclyn just above Aber - All of this research is partly porth. There were only ten ac - driven by political aims in that it is tivists there on this cloudy day, becoming less and less accept - plus one desultory police car able for young men to be seen parked 50 yards down the road. coming back from the front in MOD Aberporth is renowned for body bags or severely damaged having been one of the main by conventional war. missile testing ranges in Britain. Many people argue that the However it has effectively spectre of autonomous UAVs been privatised and, following a and other forms of social control management buyout, it is now DRONE : base in west Wales has been testing the ‘Watchkeeper’ technology is just pie in the sky run by QinetiQ - a research com - sci-fi fantasy. This is a dangerous pany with many links to the MoD. local resident groups have been surveillance and social control delusion. monitoring the ongoing drone within the home borders. It is a Arms fares development at Aberporth for the fact that many police forces Lone battle There have been a number of last ten years. across the world have invested QinetiQ has its own AI division arms sales fairs held at Parc It is quite clear with the open - large sums of money in drones and has been linking its work Aberporth, in particular focused ing of the new drone facility in and are now using them on a with its UAV development for on Unmanned Aerial Vehicless Lincolnshire that the British Gov - regular basis. about seven years now. The (UAVs) and Unmanned Combat ernment, like the rest of the It is also clear that there is now Pentagon, via the Defence Ad - Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). world, are intent on maintaining a lot of interest in the develop - vanced Projects Agency and the Since 2010 the base has been and increasing the use of un - ment of autonomous weaponry MOD, are regularly discussing involved in the testing of the manned aerial vehicles for use and surveillance systems using the ethical dilemmas associated Watchkeeper drone (developed by the armed forces in all current artificial intelligence (AI). with selling the concept of drones by Thales) for the British Army and future theatres of war. Such autonomous weapons that take their own decisions to flying out of West Wales airport. However, it is also clear that are already in use in Afghanistan the politicians and the people. Members of Bro Emlyn For there are other uses to which this and elsewhere in the form of anti- In West Wales, we have Peace and Justice and other technology can be put, including aircraft weapons that don’t have fought a lone battle against the developments at West Wales To subscribe, fill in this form and send it to: Scottish Socialist Voice, Airport and Parc Aberporth. Suite 370, 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. Local politicians who are desper - Or telephone: 0781 126 5388 ate to try and solve some of the Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to ‘Scottish Socialist Voice’ economic development prob - Visit our website: www.scottishsocialistvoice.net lems caused by recession and unemployment have been be - Name...... guiled by the false promises of Address...... government agencies and arms manufacturers and have largely ...... turned there back on the issues Phone...... outlined here. Email...... It is time for the people to take I enclose: g £5 for 5 issues g £10 for 10 issues g £20 for 20 issues action and we need national co- ordinated support from peace Solidarity rate: g £6 for 5 issues g £12 for 10 issues g £24 for 20 issues activists for future events.

10 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 418 INTERNATIONAL

HUNGARY: the fear is that a Conservative/Jobbik Coalition will eventually emerge, replicating the pre-war Horthy Regime FEAR OF HUNGARIAN DRIFT TOWARDS FASCISM by to use such terms as ‘communist’. It is openly anti-semitic, anti- This combination of a seem - And a Media Law giving the gov - gay, anti-foreigner and despises ingly never ending economic crisis POLITICAL events in Hungary ernment greater control of the democracy. In part, the govern - and the lack of a credible Left op - in recent months are sending media. Overall it appears part of a ment’s adoption of a range of far position have driven large num - alarm bells sounding throughout process aimed at curtailing Hun - right policies is an attempt to out - bers of Hungarians to the right in the country and further afield as gary’s ‘experiment’ with democ - flank Jobbik although critics point search for solutions. Hungary drifts dangerously to - racy and moving the country out that what it is actually doing in Increasingly foreigners are seen wards fascism. towards a more authoritarian sys - practice is legitimising many of the as the enemy whether they be mi - The Conservative Coalition tem of government. Jobbik’s political positions. norities such as Jews and Roma or under Victor Orban have pushed Driving this process has been the Fuelling all of this is a profound the EU. The absence of a large through a range of radical meas - emergence of the largest fascist economic crisis. After the collapse counter movement on the Left pro - ures aimed at ‘those forces under - party in Europe; Jobbik - Move - of the previous ‘socialist’ regime in viding an alternative is self-evident. mining the rights of the Magyar ment for a Better Hungary, which 1989 the country plunged headlong The old ruling Hungarian Work - (Hungarian) people’ and in re - in the last national election emerged into crisis with collapsing savings, ers Party metamorphosed seam - moving the ‘lingering remnants of as the third biggest party in the runaway inflation and rising unem - lessly into the Socialist Party the communist era’. country with 19 per cent of the vote. ployment. The capitalist response modelling itself on Britain’s New These measures include a Citi - Unlike similar parties elsewhere including de-regulation, privatisa - Labour Party under Tony Blair. zenship Law which extends citizen - in Europe, Jobbik is an overtly fas - tion and slashing public expendi - The discrediting of socialism ship to Hungarians living beyond cist party. They draw inspiration ture failed to deliver the western under the old HSWP has made it the country’s borders yet restricts from the pre-war Hungarian fascist paradise many Hungarians ex - difficult for a new party of the Left the citizenship right of ‘non-Hun - dictator Admiral Horthy and often pected neither did the country’s to emerge. Yet this is essential to garians’. Within this there is a spe - model themselves on the neo-nazi entry into the EU in 2003. stop the continuous drift to the cial section on restricting the rights AVP party which briefly formed the Any hope of long term recovery right in the country’s politics. The of Jews. A Religion Law which al - government of Hungary during the was smashed by the financial crisis government are hoping that they lows for state registration of Hun - Second World War. of 2008 and today the country suf - can see off the threat of Jobbik by garian religions but withdraws that Members of the party march in fers a combination of high unem - occupying their political space. registration from religions such as paramilitary uniforms with a party ployment, high inflation, Many in the country believe this Judaism and Islam. insignia based on the old AVB in - unsustainable debts and large scale to be a dangerous game. A Political Law which reverses signia which in turn was based on poverty. Perhaps the most telling The fear is that a Conservative/ many of the liberal reforms first the swastika The party is openly statistic, Since 1989 it is estimated Jobbik Coalition will eventually adopted after the collapse of the racist dividing the country be - that more than one million Hungar - emerge, replicating the pre-war previous ‘socialist’ regime and tween true blood Hungarians and ians have permanently emigrated Horthy Regime which was much which makes it a criminal offence everyone else. from the country. the same kind of coalition.

issue 418 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 11 for Socialism, Independence and Internationalism Issue 418 24th May - 6th June 2013 [email protected] www.scottishsocialistvoice.net Peace NIGHT OF MUSIC Camp

Scottish Socialists for KEEP IT RED: update Independence (SSI) are it is vital to by Voice Reporter AND POLITICS find ways to holding their launch event build in to the weeks ago, the present on Tuesday 28 May at Yes campaign A FEW 7.30pm in St Andrews in the socialist Peace Campers at Faslane released Square, Calton, Glasgow slogans, an open letter. It called for all inter - ideas and ested in the Camp and its work to Maggie Chetty reports policies find way of finding new campers as all the present people intended to WHY, you may ask, is anyone leave. This has been a wake up call setting up another socialist to many of us who have supported group? The Communist Party the Peace Camp in their constant of Scotland is only 21 years old, vigil on the doorstep of Faslane formed in 1992 after the disso - Naval Base. After an open meeting, lution of the Communist Party SSP knows only too well and we vote Yes and to consider a very an ultimatum was set, giving new of Great Britain. We have al - have made some modest different Scotland - a nation that supporters 30 days to find new peo - ways supported Scottish inde - progress with a regular group scraps Trident, doesn’t fight for - ple who were willing to stay on the pendence. who meet us from a range of eign wars and develops and camp. When the great miners’ leader backgrounds-SNP, socialists, re - protects its public and health Mick McGahey died, he was a publicans, members of the 1820 sector while guaranteeing a liv - Future secured member of the CPS. We have Society, the John McLean Soci - ing wage, free social care and Since then, the open letter has always sought to work with other ety, the Scottish Republican So - education for its citizens. been published all over the world progressive organisations and to cialist Movement and ex-Labour You can join SSI and be a and old and new peace campaigners build international solidarity. Party members. member of another political have joined together establishing the But like many communist As the referendum cam - group. We are not a political party Phoenix Group. Thanks to their ef - parties world-wide, we have paign has developed it has be - like the SSP - simply a loose as - forts it has been announced the future had difficulty attracting young come plain that the left must sociation of organisations and in - of the Peace Camp is secured for the people and have grown smaller make greater efforts to com - dividuals who are hoping that foreseeable future and definitely until through ill-health and the death bat the idea that the independ - with our particular history, links after the 2014 referendum. of members. ence campaign is only of and networks we will be able to Peace Camp spokesperson interest to the SNP who so far persuade some disillusioned in - Leonna O’Neil said: Dynamism have borne the brunt of the at - dividuals, Labour, SNP or CPGB “We are glad the future of the When the SSP was forming, tacks by the Conservative/Lib - into working for a Yes vote at this camp is safe, we all feel it is crucial we did what we could to sup - eral Democrat Alliance and critical time in our history. with the independence referendum port it and were full of admira - the Southern media. we are sorry to leave but have to get tion for its dynamism and very It is also vital to find ways to • Speaking at the launch will be on with our lives. We will continue welcome successful election build in to the campaign socialist Bill Bonnar, SSP national chair; campaigning when we leave here.” results in 2003. slogans, ideas and policies. Martha Wardrop, co-convener Campsie SSP and Acting Strange Since 2004, the CPS has Lastly we must find ways to build Scottish Greens; Bill Ramsay, Theatre Company will be perform - been holding a series of semi - solidarity, to support and listen to SNP Trade Union Group; ing at the Camp on Friday 28 June, nars and producing pamphlets each other. Maggie Lennon, Director of the with special guests including Rosie as part of the delicate process of It is a very exciting time politi - Bridges Programmes for Kane, Pauline Bradley and Citizen trying to build some unity among cally. Things are moving very Asylum Seeker and Migrant Smart who wrote The Bedroom Tax the left who support independ - fast and we must seize the mo - communities; and Paul Song . If you are interested in coming ence and socialism in Scotland. ment to encourage people at the Holleran, NUJ Scottish along please email : This is a difficult task as the grassroots to get involved, to Organiser [email protected]